The South West Film and Television Archive (SWFTA) is the regional film archive for the South West of England. Established in 1993, SWFTA's core collection comprises of the combined programme libraries of Westward Television and TSW (Television South West). The archive also cares for a significant number of donated film collections, both amateur and professional, dating back to the early 1900s.
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Field Pushball
Pushballers grapple with oversized ball
From the collection of:
Overview
Pushball is an eleven-a-side football match with a difference. Pushball is typically a heavy six-feet in diameter leather ball and is pushed, lifted or thrown over a bar or a goal line. The game was invented by Moses G. Crane of Newton Massachusetts in 1891 while at university. The game was played in England for the first time at Crystal Palace in 1902 and became popular with the military who could play on expansive parade grounds.
The modern inflatable pushball is much lighter and designed to be a promotional opportunity for businesses rather than a sport. At large public sporting or musical events crowds engage to pass the pushball over heads and subliminal branding may leave a lasting impression on an audience. In 1971 the Australians revived it as sogball and the pushball was vinyl-clad. Comically no pushball has ever been seen imprinted with Olympic rings!
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