Popular recreation was pre-industrial sports and pastimes mainly associated with the peasant/lower class. This could also refer to popular past times at that time. Pre industrial popular recreation accurately reflected society and life in pre industrial Britain. The different activities and sports were supported by a strict class system (The feudal system) sometimes they shared activities such as cock fighting, sometimes they took part in different activities, mob football was predominately lower class and past time such as lawn tennis were upper class. In some cases the different classes had different roles within the sport, for example in hunting the upper class would take part in the actual hunt and the lower class would organise the dogs and tend to the animals.
Bare knuckle boxing
Bare knuckle boxing was a popular sport that has heavily influenced modern day boxing. Like many pre industrial past times bare knuckle boxing was simple with very primitive methods, had very few rules and was violent which reflected the harsh eighteenth century rural life. It was one of few sports in which upper and lower classes were involved. Some members of the gentry sponsored a lower class fighter and they became their patron. The patron would arrange the contest, put up a stake or wager money and give board and lodging to the performer. The fighters were usually from very poor background and this gave them a chance to earn money fame and status. The patron however did this for prestige and popularity. Modern day boxing is similar in many ways to bare knuckle boxing; there are accepted rules such as not striking a downed opponent, In 1853 London prize fighting ring rules were introduced which stated that fights had to take place in a 24 feet square ring, if the fighter was knocked down he had thirty seconds to rise to his feet and biting, head butting and hitting below the belt were declared