Sheffield: The Home of Football
As the author of A History of Sheffield Football 1857-1889: Speed, Science and Bottom, I was approached by Sheffield Libraries to design and write the content for a free to downloadable app that offers a walking guide to the heritage of Sheffield football, it is called ‘Sheffield: The Home of Football. It covers the rich history of the four remaining clubs (out of the 95 that existed between 1857 and 1889) and the Sheffield & Hallamshire County F.A. (England’s first County Association)
To download the app to your telephone you need to search in your app store for Sheffield the Home of Football.
The walk is just over 4.7 miles and while visiting the ten stops you will be introduced to the places and the people that made Sheffield the home of Association football. Enhanced with audio clips and map mash-ups showing Sheffield in the 1850s and today; you will be transported back to the Victorian era when the world’s first football club started.
The journey will cover the second half of the 19th century telling the stories of the first football derby, the world’s oldest Football Cup and the ancient football grounds where the games were played, many now long gone. It begins at the tomb of Nathaniel Creswick at Heeley Parish Church, the co-founder of the world’s oldest football club, Sheffield FC, and finishes at Highfield Library, the site of Wednesday’s first ground.
Obviously, the app is designed to be walked but the heritage of Sheffield football can be just as easily be viewed from your favourite armchair from anywhere in the world
There is a Facebook Group set up to support the app; just search for Sheffield the Home of Football once you have logged in to Facebook. Or click on this Facebook link..
