The phrase "you base football-player" appears in William Shakespeare's tragedy, King Lear.
It is spoken in Act 1, Scene 4 by the character Kent (disguised as Caius), while he is berating Goneril's steward, Oswald.
Context of the Quote
At this point in the play, Oswald has been disrespectful to King Lear. Kent trips Oswald and insults him with a string of colorful epithets, culminating in this line:
"I'll not be struck, my lord."
— Oswald
"Nor tripped neither, you base football-player."
— Kent
Historical Context
In Shakespeare's time (the late 16th and early 17th centuries), football was not the professional, regulated sport we know today. It was a violent, chaotic game played in the streets, often associated with the "lower classes" and public disorder. By calling Oswald a "base football-player," Kent is insulting his social standing and suggesting he is a rowdy, low-bred ruffian.
