Just one day to go now until the Cambridge Rules sculpture is unveiled! Each day this week, we have been counting down to the launch by highlighting the story behind the location of one of the stones. Cut into nine pieces, five travel around the world in cultural exchange and four remain on Parker’s Piece.

On Monday we went to Shanghai in China, on Tuesday we made the trip to North Chennai, in India and Wednesday saw us underneath a motorway in Cairo. Yesterday we were at a fantastic community stadium in Mombasa, Kenya – and today it’s the turn of an incredible football pitch for favela kids in Brazil…

When a Scottish railway engineer living in Brazil packed his son off to school in England in 1884, little did he know Charles Miller would return with two footballs, a set of rules, and become the father of the sport in this most iconic of footballing countries. Football is enmeshed in every part of Brazilian society, and in the Caracol community in Complexo da Penha, Street Child United’s Safe Space Programme runs a five-a-side football pitch for favela children to play, develop and learn life skills.

The stone will act as a bench from which to sit and watch some incredible football talent – as well as a place to contemplate the amazing view across Rio.

Find out more about the Safe Space Programme in Rio on the Cambridge Rules 1848 podcast.

Each day this week, we have been counting down to the launch of the Cambridge Rules 1848 sculpture on Saturday by highlighting the story behind the location of one of the stones. Cut into nine pieces, five travel around the world in cultural exchange and four remain on Parker’s Piece.

On Monday we went to Shanghai in China, on Tuesday we made the trip to North Chennai, in India, and yesterday we wree underneath a motorway in Cairo. Today we’re at a fantastic community stadium in Mombasa, Kenya. 

When Victor Wanyama came on for Spurs against Juventus in the Champions League this season, it was the latest entry in the fascinating story of Kenyan football which began when British settlers introduced the game in the early 20th century. In Mombasa, the Cambridge Rules stone will be installed at a brand new community stadium built
in the Bomu district to host local and professional games: Kenya’s street children soccer team is based next to the stadium and have been using it to prepare for the Street Child United World Cup.

A team selected from the Glad’s House orphanage, they aim to challenge the negative perceptions and treatment of street children.

Each day this week, we will be counting down to the launch of the Cambridge Rules 1848 sculpture on Saturday by highlighting the story behind the location of one of the stones. Cut into nine pieces, five travel around the world in cultural exchange and four remain on Parker’s Piece.

On Monday we went to Shanghai in China, yesterday we made the trip to North Chennai, in India, and today we’re underneath a motorway in Cairo…

One of the joys of football is that it can be played anywhere – from a patch of ground in the middle of a Cambridge park to an unused space under a motorway in Cairo. The Nafas project, which aims to use sport to empower children at risk in the Egyptian capital, set up their pitch in the Abageyah district to be a safe haven, and runs a number of leagues for boys and girls.

The beautiful street art on the concrete structures underneath the motorway confirm that this isn’t just a football pitch, however, it’s a home and focal point for an entire community brought together by the game – the perfect place for one of the Cambridge Rules stones.

Listen here to Karim Hosney founder of The Nafas Project reading the rules in Arabic.

Each day this week, we will be counting down to the launch of the Cambridge Rules 1848 sculpture on Saturday by highlighting the story behind the location of one of the stones. Cut into nine pieces, five travel around the world in cultural exchange and four remain on Parker’s Piece.

Yesterday we went to Shanghai in China, today we make the trip to North Chennai, in India…

When football began to thrive in India in the 20th century, North Chennai – the old part of the city with its fishing harbour and labourers – became a hotbed for star players who would turn out for well-known factory and company teams.

In that area today, the Karunalaya organisation use football to help rehabilitate and protect street children. Their girls team are playing in the Street Child World Cup in Moscow this month and have already become local heroes, just like both the famous Chennai players of the past and the current champions of the Indian Super League, Chennaiyin FC (managed by former Aston Villa boss John Gregory).

The stone will be placed where the girls practice their skills, a playground in the heart of the city at Karunalaya’s Center For Street & Working Children.

Founder Director Paul Sunder Singh says it will “remain a monument for football lovers” – as well as a reminder of football’s power for good.

Listen here to the rules read in Tamil by Paul.

karunalaya.logodesignchennai.in/

Each day this week, we will be counting down to the launch of the Cambridge Rules 1848 sculpture on Saturday by highlighting the story behind the location of one of the stones. Cut into nine pieces, five travel around the world in cultural exchange and four remain on Parker’s Piece.

We start today with the stone going to Shanghai, China…

Given that the earliest recorded form of a game where a ball had to be kicked into a net is not in England at all, but 3rd Century BC China, it’s apt that one of the stones is going to Shanghai. Shanghai Greenland Shenhua Football Club in its various historical guises is one of the oldest professional clubs in China, attracting the likes of Howard Wilkinson, Jean Tigana, Nicolas Anelka, Sergio Batista and Gus Poyet to coach one of the Chinese Super League’s biggest sides.

The stone will be situated at the Shanghai Greenland Shenhua training complex, which is at the centre of their impressive program developing a new generation of Chinese players. Their under 17 age group development team players made us a special video of them reading the 11 rules.

“As the chairman of the Shanghai Greenland Shenhua Football Club, I am very honoured to have the Cambridge Rules stone at our club,” said Mr Xiaohui Wu. “We believe that through our constant efforts and active progress, we want to let every Shanghai fan feel the infinite charm of football and enjoy a better life.”

作为上海绿地申花足球俱乐部的董事长，对于剑桥现代足球规则之石梦落户于我俱乐部，感到十分荣幸。剑桥大学是现代足球的发源地，诚如剑桥校训：此地乃启蒙之所和智慧之源（Hinc lucem et pocula sacra），而上海也恰好是中国大陆最早开展现代足球运动的城市。中国经济前进的步伐非常迅猛，足球运动也在一步步蓬勃发展，越来越多的人们愿意在到球场看球，喜欢去亲自体会踢球的乐趣，足球已经越来越多地融入到大家的生活中。作为世界500强企业的上海绿地集团，我们精心地运营着中国历史最悠久、底蕴最深厚的职业足球俱乐部——上海申花。“绿地，让生活更美好”是我们集团的口号，相信通过我们共同不断的努力和积极的进取，绿地申花足球俱乐部也可以让每一位上海球迷感受到足球的无限魅力，享受到更美好的生活。汉语中有 “叠石为山”一说，意为建功立业。那么由衷地希望可以通过这块剑桥现代足球规则之石安放在绿地申花俱乐部所带来的足球文化内涵和吉祥好运，让申花更为绚烂地绽放在中国和世界的足球版图中。

Shengjiong Qiu says “The goalkeeper is the last line of defense in the team, and most of them need to be like a meteorite. Hardness and perseverance. Even if the time goes by, the time will wear away some of the sharpness of my body, but I will be as loyal to guard Shenhua as the stone of Cambridge’s modern football rules, despite the wind and rain, it is always there!”

我是上海绿地申花足球俱乐部的守门员邱盛炯，这次我们绿地申花可以代表上海、代表中国、乃至亚洲迎接剑桥现代足球规则石的到来，感到非常的兴奋与喜悦。申花是我职业生涯中唯一效力的俱乐部，作为一名已过而立之年的老队员，我曾经入选过中国奥林匹克队，作为主力门将参加过2008年的北京奥运会，也经历过长时间作为替补守门员，只能在场下关注比赛的不甘与寂寞。多年的风风雨雨让我遍尝到足球所带来的高峰、荣耀、低谷和痛苦。这也是人生的缩影吧，虽然潮起潮落但依然要坦然面对。足球，作为世界上第一大运动必将永远受到世人的关注和喜爱，而有幸作为一名门将的我深爱着这份职业，守门员是球队里的最后一道防线，最需要如磐石一般的硬度和坚忍不拔。即便岁月逝去，时光会磨去些我身上的锋芒，但我一定会如剑桥现代足球规则之石那样忠诚地守护着申花，任凭风吹雨打，一直都在！