1836: I Became a Literary Giant in Great Britain

Chapter 307 The Alice Rule and Modern Football

Cambridgeshire, Cambridge University.

Unlike the scenery in London, this place presents a completely different picture.

The ancient college stands on both banks of the Cam River, nestled among the greenery, where glimpses of grey stone walls, soaring towers, and secluded courtyards can be seen.

If London is a noisy and crowded metropolis, then Cambridge is an ancient city surrounded by universities, rivers, meadows, and historic buildings.

The weather is exceptionally good today; it's a rare sunny day in winter.

On the grass, a group of young people around 20 years old are chasing a ball.

(The picture shows Cambridge students playing football at that time)

Their enthusiasm was so high.

Even though it had just rained yesterday, and there was still puddles of water between the grass roots, making a squelching sound when you stepped on them, it didn't dampen their enthusiasm.

That's right, they were playing football.

In fact, the history of football is quite long.

Leaving aside Cuju in the Far East, various folk games involving kicking and catching the ball to compete for target locations already existed in medieval Europe.

However, this game is vastly different from modern football. Not only does it lack a fixed number of players, a playing field, and standardized rules, but goals can even be scored with either hands or feet.

So the origin of the Hand of God is ancient.

Sometimes the number of participants can reach dozens or even hundreds. Those who know it's football might mistake it for a brawl. Some matches even result in serious injuries or deaths, as they escalate into village feuds... For this reason, many towns in British history have banned this game.

In modern Britain, football has practically entered the era of public schools.

The reason for this is that the focus of football development gradually shifted from folk games in rural towns to public schools in England, where a series of rules were also established.

The term "public school" does not refer to public schools, but rather to a group of prestigious schools with a long history that are exclusively for boys.

Of course, their fees are also quite high.

Among the most famous public schools in Great Britain are Eton College, Harrow School, Rugby School, and so on.

Eton College is most famous for producing politicians, prime ministers, and nobles... Robert Walpole, the first British prime minister, graduated from Eton. The Duke of Wellington also graduated from there. Even in the literary world, Shelley briefly attended, and George Orwell later graduated from there. Robert Peel, Churchill, Nehru, and Byron all graduated from Harrow School...

Lewis Carroll, the author of *Alice's Adventures in Wonderland*, was a graduate of Rugby School.

Some public schools even date back to 1382. These schools can be considered models of the elite education system of the British Empire today. It could be said that stepping into a public school is like having one foot in the door of Oxford or Cambridge.

That said, while this was a major step forward for football, it also led to a serious consequence.

For example, Eton College is a typical football-oriented school, which basically does not run with the ball, but emphasizes footwork.

Rugby School, on the other hand, is the most typical example of a ball-carrying style. Their rules allow for running with the ball in your arms, and also for tackles...

This is vividly demonstrated in the football program at Cambridge University.

There's no other reason than that this place brings together students from all the major public schools in England.

It's fair to say that Cambridge University today is a hodgepodge of football rules.

This was quickly demonstrated in the current match.

These young people playing football on the grass didn't wear the uniform jerseys of later generations. Some wore white shirts and dark vests, while others simply wore their long coats from class, even though they were a bit cumbersome when running.

They came from different public schools in England. Some came from Eton, some from Harrow, and some from Rugby.

"Send it to me quickly!"

A brown-haired youth shouted and rushed forward.

Instead of passing the ball, his teammate grabbed it and charged toward the opposite goal.

"Put it down, hey!"

However, the young man carrying the ball had only run a few steps when he was knocked to the ground, and the ball slipped from his hands and rolled into the puddles on the grass.

Immediately, more than a dozen people swarmed forward to grab the ball.

Yes, this is the current state of British football.

There was no referee, no whistle, no clear formation, and not even a clear indication of a foul.

Finally, a tall student managed to get the ball. But instead of passing it, he did the same as the previous student, tucking the ball under his arm and charging forward with his head down.

"James, here you are again."

A chorus of boos erupted from the crowd.

"Put the ball down quickly."

"Why should we? According to our school's rules, this is perfectly reasonable."

"What else can you do besides catching balls?"

"At least we know how to win the game."

Joyful laughter erupted from the crowd of onlookers.

On the field, the tall student was unable to successfully reach the goal.

Because he was tackled by three people.

The game has restarted.

This is the current state of football in England; even at a place like Cambridge, students still play their own games...

Under the trees on the hillside, several students who hadn't participated in the competition were shaking their heads with smiles.

They were discussing this game without rules.

"It's the same old story, everyone's just playing their own game."

"But we can't spend half an hour discussing the rules every time we play, can we? At this rate, our whole afternoon will be wasted..."

He won't be able to play many games.

Just then, a student named Darian made a novel suggestion.

"Gentlemen, have any of you seen Lord Michel's latest work?"

"Of course, Alice in Wonderland is absolutely fantastic!"

"Oh, I see, you mean..."

'

As expected of Cambridge University students, everyone's minds work very quickly.

Darian hadn't yet voiced his opinion, but the moment he mentioned Alice in Wonderland, everyone understood what he meant.

In Lord Michel's Alice in Wonderland, there is also an absurd football match.

In fact, for young people who love playing football, what attracts them most when reading Alice in Wonderland isn't the fantastical dream world, but Lord Michel's description of the football match.

The people present were all amazed by Lord Michel's descriptions of football matches.

The football matches described by this lord, though absurd and laughable, are a hallmark of Alice in Wonderland.

Taking absurdity to its extreme with a straight face...

This absurd football match, however, still has the most basic rules.

And what's most amazing is that these rules seem quite reasonable to the young people at Cambridge University.

"Why don't we play according to the rules of football set by Lord Michel?"

Darian's opinion quickly won the approval of his companions.

Indeed, instead of arguing and getting bogged down in which school's football rules to follow, it's better to focus on the real issue.

It would be better to simply use the rules invented by Lord Michel.

After all, this lord wields such influence, and his noble gentlemanly character and golden heart have earned him the respect of many students at Cambridge University.

Since the rules of football were invented by Lord Michel, they must be quite fair...

So they quickly summarized Lord Michel's football rules based on Alice in Wonderland.

While the football field couldn't be strictly replicated as described by Lord Michel in *Alice's Adventures in Wonderland*, the playing area was still roughly divided...

There's no time like the present, so these young men quickly assembled their team and prepared to play a football match today according to Lord Michel's rules.

Initially, the players were quite unfamiliar with Lord Michel's new set of football rules.

Many players are still playing according to the old rules, which is quite brutal.

The most controversial rule at this point is undoubtedly "kicking," which, simply put, allows direct kicks to the opponent's shin.

In many modern football traditions, this behavior is even seen as a symbol of courage, resilience, and masculinity.

But in reality, this is quite dangerous. Because if you keep kicking, it could very well turn into kicking someone.

Therefore, naturally, many people oppose this style of play.

But those who support this style of play believe that removing this rule would mean removing courage and boldness from football... If we're not allowed to kick, is it still football that men play?

You won't end up like those Frenchmen, will you?

There are many more controversial rules like this.

For example, is it possible to run with the ball in your arms? Or is it possible to tackle?

In fact, this difference in rules directly led to the divergence of two different ball sports in later generations.

That's right, it's football and rugby...

Although they originated from similar sources, their different understandings of the rules ultimately led them to develop in drastically different directions.

Soon, the tall James made a big mistake.

He aimed directly at his opponent's shin and delivered a powerful blow.

The student opposite collapsed in pain, just as James was about to make his run into the box.

He received a red card.

Under Lord Michel's new football rules, this means he must leave the field immediately, and his team cannot field any more players.

Although James was ejected from the game, he remains a staunch supporter of American football.

Although he had great respect for Lord Michel's talent and character.

However, Lord Michel still considered the set of football rules he invented to be too weak.

Our English football needs courage and masculinity!

"These rules are far too weak. What our Great British Empire needs is courage..."

'

Of course, another fan of Lord Michel in the team immediately confronted him.

Yes, it was Darian who made the suggestion.

"In my opinion, these rules are by no means cowardly. This is what a gentleman's game should be."

"James, let me ask you this: if kicking your shin is always allowed, how many people will still want to play football?"

James remained silent.

In fact, even the rugby players themselves later felt that this kicking motion, where the player kicks the shin, was too barbaric...

And the most direct consequence of this style of play is that fewer and fewer people are willing to play football... After all, for most people, I'm just here to exercise, not to get injured.

Finally, this barbaric rule was banned when the football league was founded in 1871.

With one player sent off, it was ten against eleven, so the outcome of the game was no longer in doubt.

The match ended quickly.

Although the match is over, its impact is only just beginning.

"Lord Michel's rules do seem quite good."

"That's right, at this style of play, you could play many matches in one afternoon."

Although this was just a small test, many players found that the game became more fluid, which made them enjoy playing more.

Moreover, unified rules eliminate those disputes.

The only problem is that they aren't entirely familiar with Lord Michel's set of football rules...

"I only realized today that football matches can be so exciting."

"Indeed, Lord Michel is a man of great stature. He can make not only stories more interesting, but even football matches become more entertaining under his influence."

The effects of these new rules were so immediate.

Not only can the players experience this firsthand, but many spectators at the stadium also feel that, thanks to Lord Michel's new rules, football matches are now much more entertaining than before.

And so quickly, the influence of this competition and Lord Michel's rules began to spread far and wide.

It even spread from Cambridge back to London.

Although many football players don't take these so-called new rules seriously.

However, Lord Michel still had to be given face.

However, after they actually tried it according to these rules...

I can only say it's really good!

What kind of miserable life did I live before?

Besides, Lord Michel is a true genius.

Not only can he write captivating stories and defeat cholera, but he's also incredibly skilled in sports... Is there anything this genius can't do?

Soon, the set of football rules, proposed by Lord Michel in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and compiled by Cambridge University, was adopted.

This became the standard football rule in London and even throughout the UK.

Now, London players no longer need to worry about which school's rules to follow in this match.

At the same time, due to the restrictions imposed by these rules, those barbaric playing styles have disappeared from the football field...

Privately, everyone refers to Lord Michel's rules as the Alice Rules or the Cambridge Rules.

In the not-too-distant future, this became the origin of modern football.

Just as this wonderful chemical reaction between literature and football was colliding in London...

Another wondrous event concerning Alice's Adventures in Wonderland also occurred thanks to Michelle's efforts...

It's safe to say that Londoners are truly blessed with Michelle's presence...

In an era lacking in entertainment, what Michelle did was nothing short of a groundbreaking feat.