A History of Sheffield Football 1857-1889: Speed, Science and Bottom By Martin Westby

This book provides a comprehensive review of the Sheffield football scene from 1793 until 1889, using research, some of which never before seen in the public domain. The book analyses all ninety-five clubs that existed during the period when Sheffield led the world of Association football and was a critical factor in the formulation of today’s world-wide rules and regulations.

This book first came out in 2017 and quickly sold out which gave me the opportunity to fully revise and update the book throughout in late 2018. The second edition has 28 extra pages, 20 new images and a new fold out map. New chapters were added celebrating the 160th anniversary of the 1858 Sheffield Rules and the argument why Sheffield can legitimately call itself the ‘Home of Football’.

As well as examining early Sheffield football this book also features other local clubs’ early histories from the surrounding area; Leeds, Bradford, Chesterfield Rotherham, Rawmarsh, Staveley, Elsecar, Mexborough, Worksop, Barnsley, Eckington and Doncaster.

This book is not just for South Yorkshire and Derbyshire football fans, it is for anyone with an interest in how Association football first started and then evolved.

This book is not available at Amazon and can only be purchased from this site and selected book shops.