ABSTRACT
In the half-century since the Anglo–Egyptian War, football had developed from a foreign game played by British soldiers to a mandatory part of the school curriculum and a significant part of everyday life. In addition to being instructed in modern, Western military tactics, the Egyptians were also encouraged to play football, first against other Egyptian army teams and later against Royal Army teams. Sports such as football were also considered important team-building and training tools in the army. British army officers thus organized games involving the new Egyptian army with similar goals. The cultural effects of British regimental football teams playing games and tournaments in the major cities of Egypt were seen rather quickly. Football clubs associated with factory or industrial labor such as Al-Sekka Al-Hadid were quite common in England in the late nineteenth century, and dozens of such clubs existed throughout the empire.
