エリス少年はサッカーの試合中にボールを手で持って走ったのか?

19世紀まではサッカーもラグビーもルールが整備されておらず、原始フットボール(Medieval football)がその源流であった。1880年の記事によれば、1823年の原始フットボールにてエリス少年がボールを持って「前に」走ったそうである。

Football and Athletics (Meteor, No. 157, Dec. 22, 1880)

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A leading article in the Times newspaper, the leading journal of Europe, a few weeks past, on the Rugby School Football Rules and Play, as contrasted with the Association Rules, has prompted me to write a few words on the game of football, as played at Rugby in my time, 1813-20. The last time I played at Bigside in the Close was just 60 years ago, and my recollections of the game extend to 67 years.

When I was entered at the School, after the summer holidays of 1813, a considerable portion of the Close south of the wall of the Headmaster's garden, was parted off by a paling and the space thus enclosed filled with the debris of bulding materials, for the School House and School buildings, as originally designed, were just finished. A range of barns, partly tiled, partly thatched, adjoining the Dunchurch Road, fitted up  temporarily as Schoolrooms, were in existence and used as such, and near to these stood the famouse "Treen's Tree." The published views of the Schools, sheds and buildings, as they appeared in 1809, we owe to Mr. Edward Pretty, then the Drawing Mastger of the School. He was one who did much for the School in preserving its features as it existed in 1809, and subsequently as the new Schools were gradually engrafted on the site of the old Schools. I think, therefore, that his memory ought to be preserved and not consigned to oblivion. He failed from want of patronage to complete a work he had commenced on the History of the School, the credit of which has been given to another.

In 1813, the available space for the playground was not more than four acres at the most. There was an island, the mound is still existing but the moat is gone, and the appearance altogether sadly altered from the past, and not for the better. The island was in a separate field from the Close, and the southern part of the present Close was divided into fields, and formed a small dairy farm. Cricket and Football at Bigside were played at the northwest corner of the Close, adjoining the Dunchurch Road. One of the goals was erected on the site of the Chapel, not then in existence.

When preparations for the erection of the Chapel were made, and the ground enclosed for that purpose, circa A.D. 1817-18, Bigside both at Cricket and Football was removed to that part of the Close lying immediately south of the Headmaster's garden wall. The procedure at Bigside of Football was then as follows: all fags were stopped on going out after there o'clock calling-over (I should add that the Fifth Form only, which was then next to the Sixth Form, was exempt from fagging) and compelled to go into the Close, except those specially exempt, by having to attend the French Master, Drawing Master, or Drill Sergeant, the times for which, being extras, were taken out of the half-holidays, and consequently littele was learned. When, then, all had assembled in the Close, two of the best players in the School commenced choosing in, one for each side. One of these players in my time was an athlete in the Lower Fourth Form, then the lowest form in the Upper School. After choosing in about a score on each side, a somewhat rude division was made of the remaining fags, half of whom were sent to keep goal on the one side, the other half to the opposite goal for the same purpose. Any fag, though not specially chosen in, might follow up on that side to the goal of which he was attached. Some of these were ready enough to mingle in the fray, others judiciously kept half-back, watching their opportunity for a casual kick, which was not unfrequently awarded them. Few and simple were the rules of the game: touch on the sides of the ground was marked out, and no one was allowed to run with the ball in his grasp towards the opposite goal. It was Football, and not handball, plenty of hacking but little struggling. As to costume, there were neither flannels nor caps, the players simply doffed their hats, and coats, or jackets, which were heaped together on either side near the goals till the game was over. All were scratch matches, one boarding house was never pitted against another, and there was no Cock House. There were no Old Rugbeian matches; Railways had not commenced to pervade the land, and Rugby was a good twelve hours journey from London. With Oxford there was no direct communication. Once a year, at the Easter speeches, the School used to be re-visited by Old Rugbeians from Oxford, but these never amounted to more than a score in number, if so many. After the games of the day were concluded, however vigorously they may have been contended, all further remembrance of the game was consigned to the limbo of oblivion, our tasks to be learned at night were sufficiently onerous to allow little leisure for discussion, and there was no Meteor in which the incidents of each game could be recorded.

In the latter half year of 1823, some 57 years ago, originated though without premeditation, that change in one of the rules, which more than any other has since distinguished the Rugby School game from the Association Rules.

A boy of the name of Ellis ---William Webb Ellis--- a town boy and a foundationer, who at the age of nine entered the School after the midsummer holidays in 1816, who in the second half year of 1823, was, I believe, a praepostor, whilst playing Bigside at football in that half year, caught the ball in his arms. This being so, according to the then rules, he ought to have retired back as far as he pleased, without parting with the ball, for the combatants on the opposite side could only advance to the spot where he had caught the ball, and were unable to rush forward till he had either punted it or had placed it for some one else to kick, for it was by means of these placed kicks that most of the goals were in those days kicked, but the moment the ball touched the ground, the opposite side might rush on. Ellis, for the first time, disregarded this rule, and on catching the ball, instead of retiring backwards, rushed forwards with the ball in his hands towards the opposite goal, with what result as to the game I know not, neither do I know how this infringement of a well known rule was followed up, or when it became, as it is now, a standing rule. Mr. Ellis was high up in the School, and as to scholarship of fair average abilities. He left School in the summer of 1825, being the second Rugby Exhibitioner of that year, and was entered at Brasenose College, Oxford. He subsequently took Holy Orders and at a later period became incumbent of the church of St Clement Danes Strand, London. He died on the continent some years ago. When at School, though in a high Form. Mr. Ellis was not what we should call a "swell," at least none of his compeers considered him as such; he had, however, no lack of assurance, and was ambitious of being thought something of. In fact he did an act which if a fag had ventured to have done, he would probably have received more kicks than commendations. How oft it is that such small matters lead to great results!