Beyond the Yalla Dog

A matter of life and death – or much more important than that – it certainly has longevity!

From Homer the Greek to Homer Simpson men enjoy playing ball, or at least watching others playing ball –  and currently in Florence we have a Museum of Ancient Football, with some surprising artefacts on display to prove that men – and women – have always enjoyed playing ball!

These lovely ladies below – apparently working out with weights and enjoying a game of beach volleyball  with a water melon – have been dressed in their bikinis, waiting to go on display here, since the 4th Century AD!

Beach Volley Ball circa 4century AD

These guys moreover – who didn’t bother to dress for the occasion at all – have been chasing a ball round a large vase since 500 years BC!

Footballers 5 century BC

But best of all for me was a man teaching his son how to do “keepie uppies” – perhaps also making it slightly more challenging by balancing on the side of the bath (if the folded towel behind him has any significance!) – they started honing their skills in 4th century BC!

Keepie – Uppies a la Greque

Florence, being Florence , has this message for anyone who doubts the Florentine place in Football History – They have written below “It should be stated once and for all that the clear trace linking the rough training of the Roman Legions to the “Football” of English colleges passes through Centro Fiorentino, – Florentine Historic Football”.

Calcio Fiorentino

So I guess that’s all there is to be said about that then – once and for all Forza Fiorentina!