Story perspectives

1885 School Magazines Reveal Birth of “Soccer” Term

6/14/2026

29 3

Summary

Story summary

Historian Andy Mitchell found three 1885 school-magazine uses of “soccer” (“socker”), noting the terms were spoken then and may have appeared in other prints.
Szymanski says 1880s students coined “soccer” by cutting “association” to “soc” and adding “-er.”
Szymanski and Silke-Maria Weineck found “soccer” used with “football” into the 1980s before “football” dominated.
The term spread to Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Canada and United States, where some apologise for using it.

1 of 1

Story summary

Historian Andy Mitchell found three 1885 school-magazine uses of “soccer” (“socker”), noting the terms were spoken then and may have appeared in other prints.
Szymanski says 1880s students coined “soccer” by cutting “association” to “soc” and adding “-er.”
Szymanski and Silke-Maria Weineck found “soccer” used with “football” into the 1980s before “football” dominated.
The term spread to Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Canada and United States, where some apologise for using it.