In answer to your PS (since I know nothing about soccer, other than that my 6 year old son plays it), Americans did not devise the word soccer, it comes from your side of the pond (assuming you are in UK). I guess we took off the "a" and added an "er" to accommodate our lazy accents.
Wordorigins.org
"Soccer
Soccer is an abbreviation for Association Football. The Football
Association was formed in London in October 1863 when representatives
of eleven clubs and schools met in an attempt to standardize the rules
of the game. One of the rules prohibited the carrying of the ball, a
rule that would lead to the Rugby-oriented clubs leaving the
Association several months later. The name Association Football was
coined to distinguish it from Rugby.
By 1889, the abbreviation socca' was in use, and the spelling soccer
had made its appearance by 1895."
Last edited by jhill3535; 05-06-08 at 11:06 AM.
Reason: left out "not"
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