Parker's Piece is a flat and roughly square green
common
Common may refer to:
Places
* Common, a townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland
* Boston Common, a central public park in Boston, Massachusetts
* Cambridge Common, common land area in Cambridge, Massachusetts
* Clapham Common, originally com ...
located near the centre of
Cambridge
Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge bec ...
,
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
, regarded by some as the birthplace of the rules of
association football
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
. The two main walking and cycling paths across it run diagonally, and the single lamp-post at the junction is colloquially known as
Reality Checkpoint. The area is bounded by
Park Terrace,
Parkside,
Gonville Place
Gonville Place is a road (part of the A603) in southeast central Cambridge, England.[Gonvi ...](_blank)
, and
Regent Terrace
Regent Terrace is a residential street of 34 classical 3-bay townhouses built on the upper south side of Calton Hill in the city of Edinburgh, Scotland. Regent Terrace is within the Edinburgh New and Old Town UNESCO World Heritage Site inscribed ...
. The Cambridge University Football Club Laws were first used on Parker's Piece and adopted by the Football Association in 1863. "They embrace the true principles of the game, with the greatest simplicity" (E. C. Morley, F.A. Hon. Sec. 1863). 'The Cambridge Rules appear to be the most desirable for the Association to adopt' (C. W. Alcock 1863, FA committee member and founder of the FA Cup).
The grass is mown and the area is known today chiefly as a spot for picnics and games of
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
and
cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...
, and serves as the games field for nearby
Parkside Community College
Parkside Community College is a secondary academy school with 600 places for children aged 11–16, situated in Cambridge, Cambridgeshire. It is part of the United Learning Cambridge Cluster, along with Parkside Sixth, Coleridge Community Colleg ...
. Fairs tend to be held on the rougher ground of
Midsummer Common
Midsummer Common is an area of common land in Cambridge, England. It lies northeast of the city centre on the south bank of the River Cam.
The common borders the River Cam and houseboats are often moored on the common's bank. The boathouse ...
. Daytime events and concerts are occasionally held on the Regent's Terrace side of Parker's Piece, while north-western quarter is still maintained as a venue for league cricket.
In 1838, a feast for 15,000 guests was held on Parker's Piece to celebrate the coronation of
Queen Victoria
Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...
. There is a
blue plaque
A blue plaque is a permanent sign installed in a public place in the United Kingdom and elsewhere to commemorate a link between that location and a famous person, event, or former building on the site, serving as a historical marker. The term i ...
dedicated to
Jack Hobbs
Sir John Berry Hobbs (16 December 1882– 21 December 1963), always known as Jack Hobbs, was an English professional cricketer who played for Surrey from 1905 to 1934 and for England in 61 Test matches between 1908 and 1930. Known as "The Mast ...
on the wall of the building known locally as Hobbs Pavilion.
History
![Parkers Piece 1907](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/af/Parkers_Piece_1907.png)
Before 1613, Parker's Piece was owned by
Trinity College Trinity College may refer to:
Australia
* Trinity Anglican College, an Anglican coeducational primary and secondary school in , New South Wales
* Trinity Catholic College, Auburn, a coeducational school in the inner-western suburbs of Sydney, New ...
.
In that year, the college exchanged it with the town of Cambridge for Garrett Hostel Green,
a site east of the
River Cam
The River Cam () is the main river flowing through Cambridge in eastern England. After leaving Cambridge, it flows north and east before joining the River Great Ouse to the south of Ely, at Pope's Corner. The total distance from Cambridge to ...
where the
Wren Library of Trinity College now stands. Parker's Piece takes its name from Edward Parker, a Trinity College cook who had leased the land from the college since 1587.
As a
cricket ground
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by strikin ...
, Parker's Piece was used for
first-class matches from 1817 to 1864.
In the 19th century, it was one of the principal sports grounds used by students at the
University of Cambridge
, mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts.
Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge.
, established =
, other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...
and the site of numerous
Varsity Match
A varsity match is a fixture (especially of a sporting event or team) between two university teams, particularly Oxford and Cambridge. The Scottish Varsity rugby match between the University of St Andrews and the University of Edinburgh at Murray ...
es against
Oxford
Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
.
Parker's Piece and football
In the 19th century, football was also commonly played on this ground, as is described in the following quotation from
George Corrie, Master of
Jesus College (1838): "In walking with Willis we passed by Parker's Piece and there saw some forty Gownsmen playing at football. The novelty and liveliness of the scene were amusing!"
Rules of football
Parker's Piece has a special place in the history of modern
football games
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly ca ...
, as it was here that several versions of the
Cambridge Rules were first put into practice. The
1863 Cambridge rules, advertised in sporting newspapers as newly created for a "game
hat
A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mecha ...
will be played on Friday, 20 Nov,
863
__NOTOC__
Year 863 ( DCCCLXIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place Byzantine Empire
* September 3 – Battle of Lalakaon: A Byzantine army confronts ...
at 2:15 p.m. on Parker's Piece",
played a significant role in the creation of the first laws of the
football association
The Football Association (also known as The FA) is the governing body of association football in England and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. Formed in 1863, it is the oldest football association in the world an ...
published in December of that year. A plaque has been mounted at Parker's Piece bearing the following inscription:
Modern passing tactics
The move by the
Cambridge University AFC
Cambridge University Association Football Club is an English football club representing the University of Cambridge. Official university publications have claimed that the club was formed in 1856, away from Parker's Piece in 1882 coincided with the side's significant role in the development of the modern passing,
combination game
The Combination Game was a style of association football based around teamwork and cooperation. It would gradually favour the passing of the ball between players over individual dribbling skills which had been a notable feature of early Associati ...
. In a detailed investigation into the evolution of football tactics based upon contemporary accounts, Adrian Harvey refers to the teams responsible for the ''early'' development of the passing game (including Sheffield, The Royal Engineers and Queens Park) but comes to the following conclusion about the finished, modern team product: "Curiously, the side that was generally credited with transforming the tactics of association football and almost single-handedly inventing the modern game was not a professional team but the Cambridge University XI of 1882. Contemporaries described Cambridge as being the first "combination" team in which each player was allotted an area of the field and played as part of a team in a game that was based upon passing". In a discussion by
CW Alcock
Charles William Alcock (2 December 1842 – 26 February 1907) was an English sportsman, administrator, author and editor. He was a major instigator in the development of both international football and cricket, as well as being the creator of t ...
on the history of a "definite scheme of attack" and "elaborate combination" in football playing style, he states in 1891: "The perfection of the system which is in vogue at the present time however is in a very great measure the creation of the last few years. The Cambridge University eleven of 1882 were the first to illustrate the full possibilities of a systematic combination giving full scope to the defence as well as the attack"
Proposed sculpture
In May 2013, the
Cambridge City Council
Cambridge City Council is a district council in the county of Cambridgeshire, which governs the City of Cambridge.
History
Cambridge was granted a Royal Charter by King John in 1207, which permitted the appointment of a mayor. The first recorde ...
proposed that a statue by artist Gordon Young, in the form of a
Subbuteo
Subbuteo ( ) is a tabletop football game in which players simulate association football by flicking miniature players with their fingers. The name is derived from the neo-Latin scientific name '' Falco subbuteo'' (a bird of prey commonly known a ...
referee on top of a circular plinth engraved with
Cambridge Rules be installed on Parker's Piece to mark the 150th anniversary of the publication of the 1863 Football Association rules and Parker's Piece's association with it. The proposal was rejected in June 2013 before public consultation due to negative feedback and concerns with
Hasbro
Hasbro, Inc. (; a syllabic abbreviation of its original name, Hassenfeld Brothers) is an American multinational conglomerate holding company incorporated and headquartered in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Hasbro owns the trademarks and products of ...
, which markets Subbuteo, and the possibility of significantly exceeding its original £88,000 budget.
Trial lighting
![cmglee Parkers Piece trial lighting](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5b/Cmglee_Parkers_Piece_trial_lighting.jpg)
For a four-week trial beginning January 2013, lighting bollards were temporarily installed along the northwest path, between
Reality Checkpoint and
Melbourne Place, as residents and students had claimed that Parker's Piece was unsafe after dark. Several attacks had previously occurred in the park.
Parkside
Parkside is the street on the north-east side of the park. Since 2006
[http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Cambridge/Anger-as-coach-stop-is-put-outside-school.htm ] it has been the terminus for long-distance coach services, visitor coaches and a stopping point for local bus services. The street is the location of the city's police and fire stations, and provides access to
Parkside Community College
Parkside Community College is a secondary academy school with 600 places for children aged 11–16, situated in Cambridge, Cambridgeshire. It is part of the United Learning Cambridge Cluster, along with Parkside Sixth, Coleridge Community Colleg ...
.
Gallery
Image:ISH WC Cambridge15.jpg, Looking towards Our Lady and the English Martyrs Church
The Church of Our Lady of the Assumption and the English Martyrs, also known as the Church of Our Lady and the English Martyrs (OLEM), is an English Roman Catholic parish church located at the junction of Hills Road and Lensfield Road in southeast ...
Image:Cambridge_Parkers_Piece_Catholic_Church.jpg, The Catholic church of Our Lady and the English Martyrs
The Church of Our Lady of the Assumption and the English Martyrs, also known as the Church of Our Lady and the English Martyrs (OLEM), is an English Roman Catholic parish church located at the junction of Hills Road and Lensfield Road in southeast ...
viewed from Parker's Piece.
Image:Cambridge_Race_For_Life_2011_Parkers_Piece.jpg, Race for Life
Race for Life is a series of fundraising events, organised by charity Cancer Research UK. They involve running, jogging or walking a 5-kilometre, 10-kilometre or 'Pretty Muddy' course and raising sponsorship for doing so. The money raises funds fo ...
2011 at Parker's Piece. The turreted building in the background is the De Vere University Arms Hotel.
Image:Reality_Checkpoint.jpg, Detail of the Reality Checkpoint lamp-post
Image:Parker's Piece toilets Cambridge 01.jpg
Image:Parker's Piece toilets Cambridge 02.jpg
Image:Parker's Piece toilets Cambridge 04.jpg
Image:Cambridge Parkers Piece Bicycle Racks.jpg
Image:Reality Checkpoint Cambridge England.jpg
Image:A cricket match on Parker's Piece - geograph.org.uk - 1333315.jpg
See also
*
Christ's Pieces
Christ's Pieces or Christ's Piece is a Victorian park in the east of central Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England, with flower beds, ornamental trees and a memorial garden to Diana, Princess of Wales.
*
Jesus Green
Jesus Green is a park in the north of central Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England, north of Jesus College. Jesus Ditch runs along the southern edge Jesus Green. On the northern edge of Jesus Green is the River Cam, with Chesterton Road (the ...
References
{{Cambridgeshire CCC
Parks and open spaces in Cambridge
History of the University of Cambridge
Sport at the University of Cambridge
Cricket grounds in Cambridgeshire
History of football in England
Sports venues in Cambridge
Sports venues completed in 1817