Did Henry VIII Bend It Like Beckham?

Photo: King Henry VIII liked nothing more than a kickabout with his mates.

David Beckham and Ronaldo might have specially-made football boots which cost a fortune, but they weren't the first - by a long way.

Dr Maria Hayward, an expert at Southampton University, has discovered that Henry VIII - the Tudor King who had six wives - owned a pair of football boots.

Photo: A very happy football crowd!

The shoes, costing four shillings (nearly £100 in today's money) were made by his personal shoemaker, Cornelius Johnson, in 1525. Dr Hayward found them in an inventory (a list) of the king's clothes made when he died in 1547.

We don't know what the football boots looked like, but it's unlikely they were anything like the boots worn today. They were probably heavier than the normal shoes of the time and made of especially strong leather.

Photo: Some of today's football boots cost even more than Henry's did!

They needed to be strong because football during the 16th century, when Henry VIII was king, was a very tough game. 'Football in Tudor times was a very vicious game, with no teams and no rules, so it was not a game for gentlemen,' said Dr Hayward.

According to a Tudor writer called Sir Thomas Elyot, it was a game of 'beastly fury and extreme violence'. It is known that it was especially popular on Shrove Tuesday (Pancake Day) and Henry VIII even tried to ban the game because it so often led to riots and violence.

Photo: Henry VIII - but not wearing his football boots!

Looking at pictures of Henry VIII today, you might imagine that if anything, rugby or wrestling were his favourite sports. In fact, the king was a keen sportsman who enjoyed tennis, riding and jousting.

If you're interested in Henry VIII and want to find out more about his life and times, the Royal Palace at Hampton Court is a good place to go; and you can see his massive suit of armour at the Royal Armouries at HM Tower of London.

Photo: If Henry was alive today, he'd enjoy a visit to The National Football Museum.

You can also find out about the history of football at the National Football Museum at Deepdale, in Preston, Lancashire.

What do you think Henry VIII would look like playing football? Draw us a picture of him wearing his football boots and send it to us - we might put it up on our website!