Football's first ever rule book goes on display

The British Library in London has put the 1863 FA Minute Book, containing the first written rules of association football, on display alongside the Magna Carta and a copy of Shakespeare's First Folio.

Handwritten and compiled 150 years ago, the rulebook has been valued at £2.5m and is considered one of the most significant documents of modern social history.

The book has gone on display at the library's Sir John Ritblat Treasures Gallery and is the centrepiece of a larger exhibition on football, marking the 150th anniversary of The Football Association (FA).

Greg Dyke, chair of The FA said: "The importance of the 1863 FA Minute Book cannot be underestimated. Without it, quite simply, the world would be without its most popular sport."

For more information on the British Library's exhibition on football, click here.