Sheffield Wednesday FC and the Tommy Crawshaw family open up their archives to support the Sheffield Football Treasures Day
The 27th of October 2018 marks the 160th anniversary of the writing of the 1858 Sheffield Rules and we are celebrating this important historical moment with the Sheffield Football Treasures Day on 25th October. This day represents the growing momentum surrounding our campaign to raise awareness that Sheffield is indeed the Home of Football.
The free event will feature all the best football treasures that Sheffield FC, Hallam FC, Sheffield & Hallamshire County FA, Sheffield Wednesday and Sheffield United can offer as well as the current FA Cup, which will be on display and you will be able to have your photograph taken alongside it on the day.
We are incredibly fortunate in that Sheffield Wednesday FC have agreed for the first time (to my knowledge) to exhibit some of their football treasure that normally stays locked up in the club archive. Thanks to Peter Law the club’s archivist the day will feature many previously unseen items.
1874/5 fixture card (the oldest known printed artefact relating to Wednesday)
1880-1886 Wednesday FC Minutes books
1881 club letter headed ‘Wednesday Cricket and Football Club’
1896 FA Cup victory dinner menu card
1899 share prospectus
1900 notification of extraordinary A.G.M.
1900 First Annual Report and Balance Sheet
1904 League Champions celebration dinner menu card
1907 FA Cup victory dinner menu card
1907 Railway handbill for FA Cup final
1928/29 Season ticket (championship winning season)
1929/30 Alf Strange International Cap
1929/30 souvenir prog v Arsenal to celebrate League Championship
1935 FA Cup Final programme
1959/60 Ron Springett International Cap
That impressive list is joined by a collection of memorabilia from the Tommy Crawshaw family. We are incredibly honoured that Tommy’s great grandson is attending the Football Treasures day and bringing a treasure trove of artefacts.
Thomas Henry Crawshaw (27 December 1872 – 25 November 1960) played almost his entire League career with Sheffield Wednesday. Crawshaw was a centre-half whose career lasted from 1894 to 1908 during which time he played a total of 465 games in all competitions, scoring 27 goals. Tommy was born in Sheffield and was brought up in the Park Hill area of the town along with his brothers Percy and George. Both of his brothers played football with Percy appearing nine times for Wednesday while George played for Worksop Town for many years. Tommy Crawshaw’s early football was played with local clubs Park Grange and Attercliffe, in 1893 he moved to play for Heywood Central in the newly formed Manchester Football League and his good form attracted the attention of Sheffield Wednesday in April 1894.

Honours
Two FA Cup Wins: 1896 and 1907
Two League Championships: 1902/3 1903/4
10 Caps for England and 1 International Goal
Exhibits to be displayed at the Football Treasures Day
Player Medal produced by Sheffield Wednesday to commemorate two Division One Wins in 1902/03 and 1903/04.
Two FA Cup Winners medals from 1895/96 and 1906/07. Tommy is the only Wednesday player to succeed in two FA Cup finals.
Three England Caps-two against Scotland and one against Wales.
Six gold medals for appearances for the English Football League side
Plus some other treasured artifacts.
Come and see these amazing items AND MUCH MORE at the FREE Sheffield Football Treasures Day which is being held at Sheffield Central Library on October 25th between 10.30 and 2.30.
Book your interest here https://bit.ly/2yfGFTC
This is the first time many of their precious items have ever been displayed and it is certainly the first time in 160 years that they have all been in the same room at the same time.
I have fully revised and updated my book ‘A History of Sheffield Football 1857-1889: Speed, Science and Bottom’ to coincide with this important anniversary. The new book has 28 extra pages, 20 new images and a new fold out map. It features new chapters celebrating the 160th anniversary of the 1858 Sheffield Rules and the fact that Sheffield is the Home of Football.
You can buy the book here: http://bit.ly/2qYw0r0
