The evolution of the Football Pitch

You've got to wonder what the majority of men did with their weekends before someone first kicked a pig's bladder in anger. We'd make the poorly informed guess that they went to church, worked the fields and partook in old fashioned pastimes, like shove ha'penny.

Mercifully, you don't have to rely on our ill-informed speculations to discover how the humble football pitch has changed over time.

The educated minds of Compost Direct have put together a chart documenting the history of pitches, from the evolution of turf structure to the changes in the laws that govern its layout. There's even a stat on the number of blades of grass required for the 'perfect' pitch.

We're off to put in a request that the Wembley caretakers reveal the total blades on their turf. We'll let you know how it goes.

(Image: Compost Direct/Shutterstock)