Football Associations and Development of Football Leagues in Tanganyika, 1929-1960

Abstract

This paper explores the history of football development in Tanzania from 1929 to 1960. Specifically, the paper examines the history of football associations and their subsequent contributions in the development of football leagues in Tanzania during that period. This paper significantly focuses on important actors such as the media, sports sponsors, individuals and the government. In order to better achieve this, the study adopts a qualitative research approach which draws its primary information from archives, newspapers and oral interviews. It also consults secondary data from books, theses and journal-articles to understand the ways in which football associations developed football in the period of study. The researchers generally argue that football became popular and took a new shape that completely defined its spread and growth as a more organised sport in the late 1920s. This came after the formation of the first colonial football association in Dar es Salaam district. This stage sparked off the proliferation of football associations that also emerged as voluntary entities to organise and promote football in their respective districts across Tanganyika from the early 1930s to 1950s.