<em>La semaine anglaise</em> means the shorter working week from Monday to Saturday afternoon for industrial workers in Britain.<sup>1</sup> This freedom to engage in leisure activities every Saturday from 2pm was enshrined in the Factory Act 1850. Amongst growth in most leisure activities, the singular growth of football coincides with the granting of this freedom.<br><br>In Victorian Britain, young men migrated en masse from rural areas to large cities as a result of industrialisation, bringing with them their enthusiasm for football.<sup>2</sup> Although previously regarded as a sport for the uncivilised, football was increasingly perceived as less harmful than other pastimes such as gambling, drinking or trade unionship.<sup>3</sup> This perception aligned well with the aims of the clergy and philanthropists, keen to keep young men out of trouble. Many famous clubs, such as Everton, Manchester United and Arsenal, were born as local teams organised by the clergy or by independent groups of workers coming together.<sup>4</sup><br><br>With the rise of regional rivalries and better transport, football became an established spectator sport of Victorian society; at the inaugural FA Cup, an estimated two thousand spectators descended on London’s Kennington Oval on Saturday, 16 March 1872.<sup>5</sup><br><br>Soon after, following the formation of the Football League in 1888, regular fixtures began across Britain. The games took place on Saturday afternoons, barring the occasional mid-week match; there was even confusion at the first ever Sunday fixture in January 1974, as Saturday fixtures had become deeply ingrained.<sup>6</sup><br><br>For many in Britain today, 3pm on a Saturday is dedicated to football, a cultural phenomenon sparked off by the 1850 Factory Act.<br>