Greenland UK has helped celebrate the birth of modern football with a new sculpture at the heart of Cambridge.
The Cambridge Rules 1848 project – which has been supported by Cambridge City Council – has unveiled a sculptural piece to mark the birthplace of the modern game in Parker’s Piece, by Parkside and Mill Road in Cambridge, on Saturday 12 May 2018.
The global project seeks to celebrate the worldwide spread of the beautiful game and its importance in global culture.
The sculpture, by artists Alan Ward and Neville Gabie, is inscribed with the original Cambridge Rules, also known as The Laws of the University Foot Ball Club, in many different languages.
In addition to the sculpture, the artists have developed an online archive bringing together stories from football fans to provide a unique insight into what football means to them.
Shanghai Greenland Shenhua Football Club has been one of two global partners, alongside Street Child United, that has supported the project.
The sculpture itself was unveiled by Executive Councillor Anna Smith as part of a day of celebrations, including a ‘town vs gown’ football match and the publication of a commemorative newspaper telling the story of the commission.
To reflect the global spread of the game, a partner sculpture will be shipped to Shanghai Greenland Shenhua’s ground in Shanghai, as Mr Taotao Song, UK Managing Director Greenland, explains:
“We are extremely pleased to be able to support this project. Our own part of the 1848 sculpture – our stone inscribed with the rules of the game – will now start its long journey across the globe.
“It’ll be installed in our Kangqiao training ground to inspire our next generation of footballers, and to remind them that the game they love so much is shared by others all over the world.
“Football provides a very important connection between different cultures, countries and communities – acting as a shared heritage that we can all enjoy and celebrate.“