Who's Who

Teachers Notes

Note: Most of the work in this section, once started, can be used as ongoing tasks for early finishers, or as a standby when the weather wrecks play times or outdoor games lessons.

Task 1

Most places have a coat-of-arms and most town halls are able to provide a picture if you cannot find one in a book in the local library. Examine the picture carefully to see if it gives any clues about local history.

Does it have a motto? If so find out what it means, it may not be in English.

Does your local football club use this crest or has it adopted an emblem with a modern design? If it has try to find out when.

Task 2

Make a collection of football club cards. Cards should all be the same size say 20 x 10cm. One card is required for each club.

The object is for the children to collect as much information as they can about their teams from newspapers, families, library, radio and television, websites, football programmes.

The front of the cards must contain:

the name of the club

the nickname of the club

the name of the ground

a picture or drawing of the badge

pattern and colour of home kit

Use the back of the card to record any other useful facts about the club. This information can be read out to the class by the discoverer at appropriate times.

As the cards are completed, display them on the classroom wall around a large map of England. Join the cards to ‘their towns’ by string.

Note: A copy of ‘Football Grounds of Great Britain’ by Simon Inglis obtainable from a library is a most useful book to have in the classroom.

Task 3

Use the class collection of football cards to find out what percentage of football clubs still use their city insignia as their badge. These are easily identified by their complicated coat of arms designs.

For example: Say you have created cards for 75 clubs and of those 23 have insignia badges.

The percentage = number of clubs with insignia badges divided by the total number of clubs x 100, Use Calculators.

The calculation is 23 divided by 75 x100 = 32% (rounded up to nearest whole number)

Use this method to find the percentages for individual leagues. Translate the answers into block graphs or pie charts, perhaps using a computer. Display the lists and the graphs with the map.

Task 4

Use the cards to list the clubs in emblem groups:

large birds

large animals

small birds

small animals

weapons

knights, castles and similar emblems

landmarks

others

Work out the percentages. Translate the answers into block graphs or pie charts, perhaps using a computer. Display the lists and the graphs with the map.

Study and draw as many new style club badges as possible. For example: They are a good source of modern graphic design work. Most football clubs have web sites where their badges are displayed.

Task 6

Make a class scrap book by collecting cuttings from football programmes and newspapers which refer to football teams by their nicknames or use ground names instead of mentioning the club. For example:

The Gunners and Highbury - Arsenal

The Owls and Hillsborough - Sheffield Wednesday

The Lions and The Den - Millwall

The Magpies and St James Park - Newcastle United

The Robins and Ashton Gate - Bristol City

Play verbal memory games at odd moments, eg: At which ground do The Robins play? or In which city is Ashton Gate.

Task 7 - Class Discussion

Ninety years ago part of the training of the West Bromwich Albion team was a gentle stroll down a country lane in their everyday clothes. How do you think this compares with the training of a football team today?

Why is it important to change out of ordinary clothes into PE kit for a PE lesson?

Why is it important for all school children to have regular PE lessons - whether they like it or not?

These drawings of footballers can be used as templates. Better still the class can design their own players; the one receiving the majority vote to be used by the whole class. It is important that everyone works to the same scale to create the pictograph.

As players are ‘kitted out’ display them on the classroom wall in the form of a pictograph according to their shirt colours. Make sure:

to create a player for every club and

a category for every player

For example:

Task 10

Using the same method of calculation as previously to work out the colour percentages and the pattern percentages. Display these on a ‘large shirt’ alongside the pictograph. For example:

Colour- Total of all red patterns equals colour red

Patterns - Total of all stripes (every colour) equals stripes

Task 11 - Changes in football kit fashions

Use the photographs and sketches in this section, together with any the children may be able to find, to help to create a Fashion Cavalcade of players and supporters. Arrange the fashions from the late nineteenth century to the present. Do not forget the women supporters. Today there are also womens football teams - see Womens Football

Task 12

Many children will understand the meaning of sponsorship having perhaps been sponsored themselves for a walk, a race, a swim or other activity to raise money for ‘good causes’. Arrange a class discussion on sponsorship. Invite opinions on the following points:

Do large and famous clubs attract sponsorship more easily than small lesser known clubs or do they find it more difficult because they require such vast amounts of money?

Might a smaller club find it easier to attract a small local company?

Which do you think needs the sponsorship most, the large famous club or the small lesser known club? Consider the income and expenditure of both.

It is easy to see what a football club gains from sponsorship but what do you think is the benefit to the sponsor?

After a time sponsors must assess the value to their company of a sponsorship. What do you think they would consider important?

Task 13

Design a modern badge and a kit for a school team - football or any other sport - in any colour and pattern you like. Remember to include the name of a sponsor. Choose an ‘honourable’ nickname to complete the new image.