Google celebrates Ebenezer Cobb Morley's 187th birthday with doodle: The man who wrote the rules of football

Google doodle celebrates the 187th birthday of Ebenezer Cobb Morley, father of the Football Association.

Morley (1831-1924), the first man to write down the rules of football, was born 187 years ago today.

He was a Hull-born solicitor who relocated to Barnes in London in 1858.


He was a keen sportsman and enjoyed rowing, founding the Barnes and Mortlake Regatta in 1862 and competing in the Grand Challenge Cup at Henley in 1864.



Morley created history by being the first to set the rules of the beautiful game down on paper.

Prior to Morley, football was chaotic, with no organised competitions and multiple regional variations making matches confusing affairs to take part in.

Morley convened a meeting at the Freemason’s Tavern in Holborn on 26 October 1863 - a historic gathering attended by representatives from such future giants of the sport as Blackheath, Perceval House, Kensington School, the War Office, Crystal Palace, the Crusaders, Charterhouse and No Names of Kilburn.

Morley’s original laws of the game, consisted of 13 rules which became the standard of play across the whole of England.

The Football Association (FA) was born, with Morley serving as its first secretary and later president. He served on Surrey County Council for Barnes (1903–1919) and was a Justice of the Peace.