Get Off the Field

Meet some British kings who had a real problem with sports!

In 1389 English King Richard the Second issued a royal edict banning the game of soccer. In 1457, King James II of Scotland banned soccer AND golf. Later, Scottish King James the IV issued his own decree:

"It is statute and ordained that in no place of the Realme there be used Fute-ball, Golf, or uther unprofitable sports."

The kings considered those sports "unprofitable' because they were distracting men from archery practice... key to the defense of their countries.

But King's edicts ultimately proved no match for men's passion for sport and warriors became weekend warriors once again.