Sport in Great Britain. Football

 The British have a reputation for being mad about sports. The most popular spectator sports are cricket (in summer) and football (in winter).  In fact they like watching sports more than playing them. 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".

Football = Soccer  Football has been called the most popular game in the world, and it certainly has a great many fans in Britain.  The game of football was first played in Britain, and later people began to play football in other countries.  There is no national football team in Great Britain. England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their separate football clubs, which compete in European and World Cup matches.

The History of Football  Football originated with kicking games played by people in ancient times.  Games similar to football were played in China as early as 400 ВС.  Many rules changed and each person interpreted the rules differently. But the modern version of football came from England.  It started as a game involving kicking and handing, but later this branched off into two separate sports: rugby and football, which is what the Americans call soccer.

The rules of play for soccer are simple.  A team is composed of 11 players: a goalkeeper, backs, half-backs and forwards. The captain of the team is usually the oldest or the best player.  The football pitch should be m long and m wide. It is divided into two halves by the halfway line. In the middle of the field there is a centre circle and there is a goal at each end.  In front of each goal is the goal area and the penalty area. There is a penalty spot inside the penalty area and a penalty are outside it.  A game of football usually lasts for one and a half hours. At half-time, the teams change ends. The aim of each team is to score as many goals as possible.

Football field (pitch)

 The final of the football competition in Britain takes place every May at the famous Wembley stadium in London. Some of the best known clubs in England are Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea and the Arsenal.

Wembley Stadium  is England's national football stadium, located in Wembley Park.  It opened in 2007 and was built on the site of the previous 1923 Wembley Stadium.  The earlier Wembley stadium, originally called the Empire Stadium.  It is a UEFA category four stadium. Its capacity is 90,000 places. It is the second largest stadium in Europe.  It is also the sole home venue of the England national football team.

 The England national football team represents England in football and is controlled by The Football Association, the governing body for football in England.  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.

Major honours FIFA World Cup  Winners (1): 1966  Fourth place (1): 1990 UEFA European Football Championship  Third place (1): 1968  Semi-final (1): 1996 Summer Olympics (as England Amateurs)  Gold Medal (3): 1900, 1908, 1912

David Robert Joseph Beckham (born 2 May 1975)  is an English former footballer.  He has played for Manchester United, Preston North End, Real Madrid, Milan, Los Angeles Galaxy, French Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain, and the England national team. And also he as the first English player to win league titles in four countries. He was a captain of England national team for six years during which he played 58 times. He has 115 career appearances to date.  He announced his intention to retire at the end of the 2012–13 Ligue 1 season on 16 May 2013, and on 18 May 2013, played what was likely his final game of his storied 20-year career.

 Beckham was born at Whipps Cross University Hospital in Leytonstone, London, England. He is the son of Sandra Georgina, a hairdresser, and David Edward Alan "Ted" Beckham, a kitchen fitter.  His parents were fanatical Manchester United supporters who would frequently travel to Old Trafford from London to attend the team's home matches. David inherited his parents' love of Manchester United, and his main sporting passion was football.  He regularly played football in Ridgeway Park, Chingford, as a child, and attended Chase Lane Primary School and Chingford Foundation School.  Beckham's professional career began with Manchester United, making his first-team debut in 1992 aged 17.  In international football, Beckham made his England debut on 1 September 1996, at the age of 21.  Beckham has twice been runner-up for FIFA World Player of the Year and he was the first British footballer to play 100 Champions League matches.

He is married to Victoria Beckham and they have four children: three sons Brooklyn Josef, Romeo James, Cruz David and one daughter Harper Seven.

Answer the following questions:  What is the most popular sport in England?  What are the most famous football clubs in England?  What is the official home playground of England national football team?  What do you know about Wembley?  What major honours does England have?  What outstanding sportsmen of our country do you know?  What could you tell about David Beckham’s childhood? About his achievements? About his family?