Entries by Martin Westby

The 140th Sheffield Association Challenge Cup Final tonight at Bramall Lane

The Sheffield & Hallamshire County FA Senior cup final is played tonight at Bramall Lane for the first time since the 1940s. The tournament is the oldest County Cup in England ,which started in the 1876/77 season, so tonight’s final is the 140th ever contested. Shaw Lane FC and Frickley Athletic FC are this year’s finalists, the County […]

Wednesday FC turn professional 130 years ago this month

In April 1887 five Wednesday FC players formed a break away football club called Sheffield Rovers and threatened to leave unless Wednesday started paying wages. The gamble worked and the full story is in my new book that is available for order now at this link.

Sheffield FC win the F.A. Amateur Cup. 113 years ago, today

Sheffield FC claimed its greatest ever prize by beating Ealing FC 3-1 at the Bradford City ground, and lifted the F.A. Amateur Cup. F.E.M. Chambers played as a back for Sheffield FC in the victory, his father was Harry Waters Chambers, the club’s very first Hon. Sec. back in 1857. It was the Chamber’s family […]

Sheffield United’s 128th Birthday this week

As Sheffield United head over to Oldham FC today looking for three more points towards promotion to the Championship, we remember 22nd March 1889. 128 years ago, Charles Stokes called upon Charles Clegg as a fellow member of the Bramall Lane Ground Committee to solicit his opinion as to the formation of a new football […]

150 years ago: The Football Association discusses ‘dissolving’

In March 1867 things were not going well for the Football Association. Four years after the launch at the Freemasons tavern, Ebenezer Cobb Morley considered dissolving the organisation because of the lack of interest in clubs taking up the code. Only six people attended the 12th February 1867 F.A. Annual General Meeting “Mr. MORLEY said […]

140 years ago today -First ever Sheffield Association Challenge Cup Final Tie

Heeley FC and Sheffield Wednesday FC played in the final of the first ever Sheffield Association Challenge Cup (1876/77),played at Bramall Lane. “The Sheffield Football Association Challenge Cup. Decidedly the most interesting match of the Sheffield football season was that which took place on Saturday afternoon, at Bramall Lane Ground, between those two well-known clubs, Wednesday […]

153 years ago today : The Sheffield Great Flood

No new Sheffield football clubs were formed in this year, no doubt as a result of the Great Flood, an unparalleled disaster that (with the exception of maritime disasters) was the greatest loss of life in the Victorian era in Britain. On the night of 11 March 1864, assisted by a strong south-western gale, the […]

Youdan Cup. Results of the First Round

“Sheffield – Youdan’s Football Cup. The first series of matches played by some of the Sheffield football clubs for the silver cup presented by Thomas Youdan, Esq, to the clubs of the town and neighbourhood took place at Sheffield, on Saturday last, the 16th last, with the following results: – First Draw; 1. United Mechanics […]