@julianhuppert shocked at laughable monument to football at Parkers Piece. Pls intervene. Le Tour will be shocked. pic.twitter.com/BNXw0jYIdr
— PMcL (@patsudan) September 5, 2013
On the 5th of September 2013 @Padsudan tweeted drawing attention to a plaque which has appeared on a bin on Parker’s Piece commemorating the codification of the modern rules of football on the piece.
Cambridge MP Julian Huppert has commented on the siting of the plaque saying:
I presume that’s temporary
A previous plaque is on the cricket pavilion; where only those looking for it will find it.
At the West Central Area Committee on the 5th of September 2013 I used the “open forum” session to ask councillors what was going on in relation to the commemorative bin:
Richard Taylor I don’t know if you’ve seen today on Twitter there’s been some comments about the bin on Parker’s Piece where there’s a plaque for the commemoration of 100 years [I got that wrong] after the football rules were codified on Parker’s Piece. Just what’s going on with that plaque going on the bin?
Cllr John Hipkin There are gender issues
Richard Taylor This is not the statue. This is a plaque which has gone on a bin.
It just looks a bit ridiculous, it looks like it’s a pitch by the council to try and get on the front page of the tabloid papers by not doing something like a fabulous statue but by putting a little plaque on a bin.
Executive Councillor for Green Spaces Andrea Reiner [Shakes her head indicating no knowledge]
Cllr Knightley You’ve caught all of us on that one; we shall look forward to researching it and seeing if it is ours.
Council officers responsible for projects on green spaces were present so would have presumably interjected if this was a council project.
Reenactment
Earlier this year I watched some original rules football played on Parker’s Piece:
Photo: Original rules football on Parkers Piece pic.twitter.com/I6y6AAUjcy
— Richard Taylor (@RTaylorUK) July 6, 2013
My View
Cambridge ought mark the codification of the rules of football on Parker’s Piece much more appropriately. I would install a monument and information board without taking up any of the green space. It’s something the city as a whole should make more of.
I wonder if the plaque is a bit of activist campaigning by those seeking better recognition of Parker’s Piece’s role in the history of football?
5 responses to “Councillors Deny Knowledge of Bin to Commemorate Codification of Football Rules”
The Cambridge News now has an article: Football milestone will be commemorated after all – with a plaque on a bin
The bin and the plaque are owned by the council and it is not a prank.
How is it possible for something like this to be done without the relevant ward councillors or executive councillor responsible for green spaces knowing about it?
Phil Rodgers has suggested the plaque marks 400 years since the City acquired Parker’s Piece from Trinity College in 1613.
The wording of the plaque appears consistent with this interpretation :
A blue plaque (or something like it if a blue one can’t commemorate an event) would be a reasonable solution (not on a bin, mind.) Y/N?
On the 8th of October 2013 at a Cambridge City Council committee meeting Cllr George Owers spoke against plans for selected artists to be paid to come up with ideas for an alternative piece of public art to commemorate the codification of the rules of football:
Liberal Democrat Cllr Reiner, the councillor making the decision, didn’t say anything at all in response, she merely ignored Cllr Owers and approved the spending of £115,000 on the project.