"World’s Oldest Football Pitch in Scotland Challenges England’s Origin Claim, Expert Says"

Scotland’s Historic Claim: Football’s Origins May Lie North of the Border

The anthem “It’s Coming Home,” synonymous with English football pride, might need a rewrite. A new study suggests the “beautiful game” could have originated in Scotland two centuries before England’s formal adoption, challenging long-held beliefs about football’s history.

Historians point to a 17th-century football pitch in Kirkcudbrightshire as the sport’s earliest known organized site. Ged O’Brien, a sports archaeologist and former president of the Association of Sports Historians, claims this discovery undermines England’s claim as football’s birthplace. The site predates England’s Football Association (founded in 1863) by over 200 years and even Sheffield FC—the world’s oldest club—by centuries.

Sports historian Ged O’Brien at the site believed to be football’s earliest pitch.

Evidence from the Archives
The key clue emerged from 1630s letters by Reverend Samuel Rutherford, who condemned parishioners at Anwoth Old Kirk for playing “foot-ball” on Sundays at Mossrobin Farm. Frustrated by their defiance, Rutherford ordered stone barriers built across the field to halt games. O’Brien’s team later discovered a line of 14 stones at the site, with soil analysis dating them to Rutherford’s era.

“This wasn’t a boundary wall—it was a deliberate barrier to stop football,” explained archaeologist Phil Richardson. The flat, open space, surrounded by natural slopes, formed a “natural amphitheater” ideal for matches.

Scotland’s 1895 team. Historians link early Scottish dominance to centuries of organized play.

Rewriting Football History
Traditional narratives credit English public schools with codifying football in 1863. However, O’Brien argues Scots were playing structured games much earlier. “This wasn’t chaotic ‘mob football’—they had rules, played weekly, and avoided violence to stay fit for work,” he said. The site’s multiple access paths suggest it was a regional hub, reinforcing the idea of established, regular play.

Scotland’s early success against England—including a 2-1 victory in their first official 1872 match—supports this theory. “They were 200 years ahead,” O’Brien noted.

A 1903 match between England and Scotland, showcasing early rivalry.

A Scottish Legacy
The findings, featured on BBC Scotland’s A View From The Terrace, highlight Scotland’s overlooked role in football’s evolution. While England formalized rules in the 19th century, Scots may have laid the groundwork centuries prior. As O’Brien asserts, “This is the grandparent of modern football—and it’s Scottish.”

The Anwoth site, now a contender for football’s birthplace.

The episode is available on BBC iPlayer.