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The Ball: Football’s Olympic Torch

The Ball 2014

The Ball is a symbol of tradition, fair play and respect and a celebration of football’s capacity to bring people together all over the world.

New Model Army’s “Beautiful Game”

The Ball kicks off at the site of the first official game to FA rules, which was toasted with “Success to football irrespective of creed or class”. Sheffield FC, the world’s oldest football club, predates this game by 5 years — yet its values of “Integrity, Respect and Community” reveal that the game was universally considered to have inclusion and tolerance at its core.

https://youtu.be/74uSbcdyjgA

The Ball supports Sheffield FC’s campaign to rebuild and relocate to Olive Grove, the original Home of Football. It also visited some of football’s earliest clubs in the Americas in its role as “Protector of Football” in the 1857 Football “Club of Pioneers” programme, which celebrates the heritage of the beautiful game and helps to connect some of its pioneering clubs.

The Ball 2018 left England on 25th March 2018 and travelled to the World Cup in Russia.

The Ball 2014 kicked off from England on 9th Jan 2014 and headed to the World Cup in Brazil.

The Ball 2010 left England on 24th Jan 2010 headed to the Opening Ceremony in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The Ball 2006 travelled from London to the Opening Ceremony in Munich, Germany.

The Ball 2002 was carried 7000 miles across Europe and Asia to the World Cup finals in Korea & Japan.