Whipping Toms
Plaque on the Hawthorn Building, DMU. Although folk football does not appear to have been played in Leicester on a large scale, there are records of games being played in…
Hallaton Bottle Kicking
Bottle kicking ‘dummy’ displayed at Market Harborough museum comes from the Leicestershire village of Hallaton. It had a very important role in the wonderfully bizarre Leicestershire custom – bottle kicking.…
Fosse’s First Professional Player
Leicester Fosse, in their fifth year of existence, running two teams and with a membership of just over 40, signed their first professional player – 20 years old, 5ft 4…
Leicestershire’s First Cup Competition
Shepshed FC 1887-88: Back Row, F Elliott (Referee), A. Smith, W Danvers, J. Waring, E. Savage. Centre Row, J. Bennett, S. Waldon, A. Kidger, W. Johnson. Front Row, E. Needham,…
Violent Nature of Football
The violent nature of football in the 1880s attracted the attention of the world-renowned medical journal, The Lancet. In 1885 they published an article entitled “The Perils of Football” which…
Loughborough v Aston Villa : Birmingham Senior Cup 1893-94
The official programme/handbill for the Loughborough v Aston Villa Birmingham Cup match – Saturday 10 March 1894, Athletic Grounds, Loughborough. The fortunes of the professional association football in Loughborough have…
Play To The Whistle
In 1884 Joseph Hudson, an English toolmaker from Birmingham developed the world’s first sports whistle – the ACME Thunderer – and since then has been used globally by football referees…
Ashby Footballer Manslaughter Case – 1878
William Bradshaw, aged 18, a leather worker was charged with the manslaughter of Herbert Dokerty on 28 February 1878. A football match was played at Ashby-de-la-Zouch on 27 February between…
Hard Labour for Fosse Striker
Harry Trainer, 42 King-street, Leicester Fosse’s leading scorer in the 1895-96 season, was charged with being drunk and disorderly and using obscene language, in Leicester Market-place, on the 19 August…
Samuel Sudbury – Fosse’s First “outsider”
The following interview with Samuel Sudbury by the Chief Sports writer of the Leicester Mail in November 1947, provides a fascinating insight into the early days of Leicester Fosse.