Entries by Martin Westby

Have your picture taken with the F.A. Cup next month in Sheffield

We are combining the 160th anniversary of the Sheffield Rules with a  ‘Sheffield Football Treasures Day’ on Thursday October 25th at the Central Library Reading Room 10.30am – 2.30pm Join Sheffield football historians for a special day celebrating Sheffield’s unique status as the true home of football. It’s a day to bring in your treasured […]

The Famous Night when a Sheffield team secured the European Cup

Peter Darling and colleagues find the stolen European Cup, May 1982 With the Champions League starting tonight I thought it was a good time to remember the time 36 years ago when the European Cup was played for on West Street. Peter Darling tells the story: “It was gone 2am, and I was on patrol […]

Sheffield Football Treasures Day

Thursday 25th October Central Library Reading Room 10.30am – 2.30pm Join Sheffield football historians for a special day celebrating Sheffield’s unique status as the true home of football. It’s a day to bring in your treasured Sheffield football memorabilia, or to leave an oral record of your best Sheffield footballing memories and moments. The library […]

No public football played in Sheffield in the 1840s

This interesting insight came up on twitter last month from the Chatto Book of dissent Whilst folk football was thriving north of Sheffield around Thurlstone and Penistone is seems that within the confines of Sheffield there was no where left for the working classes to kick a ball around. It would be 1857 when the […]

Wharncliffe Charity Cup announced 140 years ago today in 1878

The Wharncliffe Charity Cup was an invitational knockout charity competition, taking the name of its sponsor, the Earl of Wharncliffe, and was designed to raise money for local good causes. The title of world’s oldest charity football cup belongs to Glasgow but the Wharncliffe Charity Cup is England’s first.It began in 1878/79, ceasing in 1983/84 […]

First ever Sheffield & Hallamshire County FA AGM : 130 years ago today

The Sheffield Football Association is England’s oldest county FA and formed in January 1867 -over 151 years ago. In 1877 a competing organisation was formed called the Sheffield New Football Association -it would change its name in 1881 to the Hallamshire Football Association and by the1880/81 season it had more clubs than the Sheffield Football […]

The Wednesday F.C. changed their name today in 1929

Glyn Thompson sent me these original documents showing a confirmed date of  12th July 1929 for when Wednesday FC officially became Sheffield Wednesday FC. You can read more about Sheffield football history in my book ‘A History of Sheffield Football 1857-1889: Speed, Science and Bottom‘ Link to book page –  http://bit.ly/2qYw0r0 It is a lengthy […]

Sheffield United hold the record as the only club to field 10 England internationals in a league match

There are two ex-Sheffield United players in this year’s World Cup squad for Russia but things were much better last century, with ten England internationals regularly playing for United for the entire 1903/04 season. As part of my ongoing research for my book ‘A History of Sheffield Football 1857-1889: Speed, Science and Bottom’  http://bit.ly/2qYw0r0 this is […]