Football, invented by the poor and stolen by the rich.
I'm sure you're aware the existence of The Cambridge Rules certainly represent a valid counterpoint to the presumed point of that statement though, eh?
The unintended reality of that statement is the implication that the presumed freedom of expression felt by those playing football should always be subject to the prospect of oppression from those with status and power, when in reality it's just one of a number of sports that are historically easily played by anyone with the correct gear - limbs and a ball.
It's just a statement that needed the power of the words 'Poor' and 'Rich', and like every other contrived statement that implies the North as the poor and the South as the wealthy oppressors, it utilises particular words that feed a BS narrative that has historical basis built on waffle - the dumb af assumption that everyone up North has been shafted by everyone down South.
I'm sure that some might dismiss me as anti-North by now - they can crack on.
It must be said, however, that there are many Northerners who really can't deal with my views - some even get quite punchy, but I won't stand for their BS., and that is precisely what it is.
There's not a single person on the planet who'll convince me that we in the South-West have it easier than them up North because facts don't lie. I've worked and lived in many places around the country - including plenty of Northern towns/cities - the poverty and levels of social neglect are very similar.
One of the problems we have in the South-West is the stereotype presumed upon all of us because of simple, basic af, ignorance - wealthy bumpkins who don't know what struggle is, and/or privileged buffoons who snort and chortle at the presumed misfortune of everyone else.
The statement, in reality, should read -
"Football - created by the free, exploited as a tool by people who seek to politicise anything they can to feed their conformist agenda."
But that sounds more clunky, accurate but clunky.
The statement itself sounds like something from a film - profound and rebel-rousing, but it is as insipid and uninspiring as a Tory promise.
It amounts to nothing beyond words, simply because it is nothing beyond words.
It sounds good though, so I'm sure I'll hear and read it many hundreds more times in my lifetime, but it really does mean absolutely nish.