Sport in Great Britain
Sport plays such a large part in British life that many idioms in the English language have come from the world of sport. For example, «that's not cricket» means «that's not fair» and «to play the game» means «to be fair». The most popular sport in England is football. A lot of people support their local clubs at matches on Saturday afternoons or watch the matches on television. The football league in England and Wales has four divisions. Each division contains twenty teams. There are two main prizes each season. The football league championship is won by the team that is top of the first division. The final of this competition takes place every May at the famous Wimble stadium in London. Some of the best-known clubs in England are Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal. But many clubs have problems with money at the moment. Some people say that the league is too big and that the players get paid too much. Others say that television is making the crowds stay at home. Sport has for a long time been a very important part of a child's education in Britain, not just — as you may think to develop physical abilities, but also to provide a certain kind of moral education. The British have a reputation for being mad about sports. In fact they like watching sports more than playing them. The British are spectators and the most popular spectator sports are cricket and football. Football is the most popular game. Football, or soccer, is an example of a professional game. The game of football was first played in Britain, and later people began to play football in other countries. There are many amateur soccer players in Britain who play the game on Saturday or Sunday afternoon. Amateur clubs often play against professionals. Football is the favourite winter game in Britain and cricket is the favourite summer sport. Amateur cricket has the same rules as the professional game. A typical amateur cricket match takes place on a village green, an open space in the centre of the village. It is played between two teams — the «home» team and the «visitors» who come from another village. Football, also called soccer, is the most popular sport in the United Kingdom. England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own Football Leagues and national teams. Games are played on Saturday afternoons from August to April. In addition to the FL games there is a competition called the Football Association Cup. The Cup Final is played at Wimble Stadium (London) in May. Cricket is considered to be the English National game. Its rules are very complicated. It is played by two teams of eleven men each; the player at a time tries to hit the ball with a bat. Rugby is another popular British sport which is played in other countries. It is also called rugby football. The story is told that in 1823 boys at Rugby school in England were playing football in the normal way, when suddenly one boy picked the ball up and ran with it. That was how a new game was born. There are two forms of rugby football: the amateur game and the professional game. The two games have different rules. Golf is the Scottish national game. It originated in the 15th century and the most famous golf course in the world, known as the Royal and Ancient Club, is at St. Andrew's. Lawn tennis was first played in Britain in the late 19th century. The most famous British championship is Wimbledon, played annually during the last week of June and the first week of July. Those are the most popular kinds of sport in the UK. But there are many other sports such as rugby, swimming, golf, horse-racing and the traditional fox-hunting. Questions: 1. What reputation do the British have? 2. What is the most popular game in Britain? 3. Where was the game of football first played? 4. When do amateur soccer players play in Britain? 5. What can every boy in Britain tell you? 6. How was rugby born? 7. What is the favourite summer sport? 8. Where does a typical cricket match take place? 9. Are British fond of sports? 10. When and where is the Football Association Cup final played?
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