Original 1863 football rule book valued at 2.5 mln pounds

The original football rule book that has gone on display ay the British Library, along with treasured works like the Magna Carta, has reportedly been valued at 2.5 million pounds.

According to the Daily Express, described as one of the most historically important documents of all time, the FA Minute Book, written in 1863, is now being shown at the British Library as part of the Football Association's (FA) 150th anniversary celebrations.

The report further said that the dog-eared, moth-eaten, leather-bound book that helped shaped the sport into a global phenomenon, had stated just 13 rules of the game, and is showcased alongside Shakespeare's First Folio and Captain Scott's diary.

The book, handwritten and compiled by FA's first chairman Ebenezer Cobb Morley, had included rules, which stated that neither tripping nor hacking shall be allowed and that no player shall use his hands to hold or push his adversary.

According to the report, one of the other rules was that no player should wear projecting nails, iron plates, or gutta percha on the soles or heels of his boots.

The book forms the centrepiece of a special football exhibition featuring a 1930s referee's guide, complete with 20 diagrams to explain the offside rule, the report added.