See four of the nine oldest Association Football Cups in the world (including the very first)

I am giving a talk as part of the Off the Shelf Book Festival on my new book called “A History of Sheffield Football 1857-1889: Speed, Science and Bottom” at the Creative Lounge at the Showroom Cinema, Paternoster Row on Wednesday 25 October 7.30pm. You can book here: http://bit.ly/2g3vkNi

The exciting news is that four of the nine oldest Association Football Cups in the world will be on display as part of the presentation. These cups represent the true artefacts of the Association football game and have never been in the same room at the same time before:

Youdan Cup 1867 – World’s Oldest Association Cup
Sheffield Association Challenge Cup 1876/77 – England’s first County Association Cup
Sheffield New Association Challenge Cup 1877/78- World’s 6th Oldest Association Cup
Wharncliffe Charity Challenge Cup 1878/79 – England’s first Charity Association Cup (Glasgow Cup started 1877)
Plus the Lewis Cup of 1892

(Pictured is the Sheffield Association Challenge Cup 1876/77)

The talk takes place the day after the 160th anniversary of the foundation of the world’s first football club – Sheffield FC and the hour-long talk will look at the four sole survivors of the 95 football clubs that existed in Sheffield in the period 1857 to 1889 and will feature maps, videos and statistics that are not currently in the public domain. After the talk we will open it up to a question and answer session and we hope to have official representatives from Sheffield FC, Hallam FC, Wednesday FC ,United and the Sheffield &Hallamshire County F.A. present, so that between us we should be able to answer any questions that you may have about the Victorian era of Sheffield football.

After the event I will be available to sign and dedicate my book “A History of Sheffield Football 1857-1889: Speed, Science and Bottom” and it will be priced at just £10.00 instead of the usual £15.95.

Come and find out why Sheffield is the true home of Association football.

If you cannot attend and wish to purchase the book it is available here:

Read the reviews for the book. http://bit.ly/2vaEMXN