AH Sport challenge: Hockey more popular

How can you make hockey (that is field hockey for Canadians and Americans), a much more popular sport than it is nowadays?
Could it be more popular than the rugby codes in Australasia or South Africa?
How about having it a more dominant sport compared with football in Europe and/or Cricket on the Indian Subcontinent/Caribean?
 
I know variants on field hockey have been played for thousands of years. Perhaps some emperor from Roman times to Mediveal times takes a liking to the sport, lays down codefied rules and slowly over the years the sport exports itself and its rules to other countires. Perhaps even organized clubs form as early as the 1700's. If you give field hockey a few hundred years head start maybe it grows in popularity and maintains itself before soccer and all that take hold.
 
I know variants on field hockey have been played for thousands of years. Perhaps some emperor from Roman times to Mediveal times takes a liking to the sport, lays down codefied rules and slowly over the years the sport exports itself and its rules to other countires. Perhaps even organized clubs form as early as the 1700's. If you give field hockey a few hundred years head start maybe it grows in popularity and maintains itself before soccer and all that take hold.

Would people have the free time and wealth to play organized sports that long ago however?

Modern hockey was formed in the UK, partly as a sport by cricketers in the winter months. It wasn't until a few decades later that the game spread to the low countries and France. Perhaps if cricket spreads to those countries hockey could follow? Or maybe it could remain a permanent sport in the Olympics after 1908?
 
Would people have the free time and wealth to play organized sports that long ago however?

Modern hockey was formed in the UK, partly as a sport by cricketers in the winter months. It wasn't until a few decades later that the game spread to the low countries and France. Perhaps if cricket spreads to those countries hockey could follow? Or maybe it could remain a permanent sport in the Olympics after 1908?

haha that was the one thing I was hoping no one would bring up, and the answer is no:p

I'm not really sure. It just looks to me like hockey has been and always was a sideshow to soccer, cricket, etc. The only way I could see it becoming more popular is if people just...I dunno liked it more:p
 
haha that was the one thing I was hoping no one would bring up, and the answer is no:p

I'm not really sure. It just looks to me like hockey has been and always was a sideshow to soccer, cricket, etc. The only way I could see it becoming more popular is if people just...I dunno liked it more:p

:D
I find that hockey is the most interesting team sport to watch, very fast, and very skillful. It's a shame it gets so little airtime.

Could it have more of chance if it succeeded where ice hockey couldn't, perhaps? In places like the Southern United States, where Ice Hockey rinks are too expensive to build and maintain, people instead play field hockey?
 
:D
I find that hockey is the most interesting team sport to watch, very fast, and very skillful. It's a shame it gets so little airtime.

I actually find it a crappy spectator sport, but that's a matter of opinion.

Maybe if it was a summer sport, rather than a winter sport it would have a better shot, although it would be competing with cricket, rather than football and the rugby codes.
 
I actually find it a crappy spectator sport, but that's a matter of opinion.

As a hockey player I suppose that I find it better to watch, knowing all the rules and skills, and also trying to learn from the professional players. I used to play rugby and cricket (a long time ago, albeit) and also living in a country where those sports are very popular it makes them good to watch as well. I guess it's why I don't like watching sports which I am not too familar with.

Maybe if it was a summer sport, rather than a winter sport it would have a better shot, although it would be competing with cricket, rather than football and the rugby codes.

Perhaps- Hockey and football have very similar rules (hockey adopted many of it's rules from football) so perhaps you could have football clubs playing it in the off-season, like cricket clubs did. It would use a different skill set however, but tactically its very similar.
 

Ak-84

Banned
Wish away British India and after 1947 Pakistan. They dominated Hockey, Pakistan from 1960-1995, and India before. Perhaps if that is not the case you have a game which grows in popularity not just in the few W European countrys where it is big (or reletivly big) but all over Europe.

Success of the national team is the surest way to get it popular. Not exactly an advertisment for the game, when your national team is busy celebrating because it actually got a goal of Pakistan in the last match.
 
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