Measures have been taken or sought since the fourteenth century to deal with the problem of disorder relating to football – a 1314 proclamation of Edward II declared:

“Forasmuch there is great noise in the city caused by hustling over large balls, from which many evils may arise, which God forbid, we command and forbid on behalf of the King, on pain of imprisonment, such game to be used in the city in future.”

Extract from a 2000 Parliamentary report looking at ways to prevent and tackle hooliganism at Euro 2000. Wikipedia clarifies the origin of the same quote: 

“In 1314, Nicholas de Farndone, Lord Mayor of the City of London issued a decree banning football in the French used by the English upper classes at the time. A translation reads: ”[f]orasmuch as there is great noise in the city caused by hustling over large foot balls [rageries de grosses pelotes de pee]^[30] in the fields of the public from which many evils might arise which God forbid: we command and forbid on behalf of the king, on pain of imprisonment, such game to be used in the city in the future.“ This is the earliest reference to football.”

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