SHEFFIELD RULES, OK?

Just to get the new season roaring along,  I’m reading “Hatters, Railwaymen and Knitters”, written by Daniel Gray, who travels through the country, casting a wry look at England and football. Sheffield gets a chapter, because we all know that the “Sheffield Rules” heavily influenced the Laws of the Game. Gray writes that these rules restricted hacking and handling and allowed the forward pass. He also tells us that the rules introduced corner flags, umpires, corners, goal kicks, throw ins, crossbars, the halftime change of ends and the tradition of drawing cup ties from a hat. Sheffield FC side even taught London how the head the ball, in a match played at Battersea Park in 1866, a technique created when handling the ball by outfield players was outlawed. Sheffield Wednesday’s Jimmy Lang became the first paid player in 1876, paid by a cutler who did not expect him to work during the day. The first floodlit game at Bramall Lane in 1878 attracted a 20,000 crowd, Sheffield also gave the world printed fixture cards, football columnists, shin pads and a Saturday evening sports’ paper, still produced as the “Green ‘Un”. Bramall Lane has had football played there since 1862 and therefore becomes the oldest football club. Rab Howell, famed for playing in the very successful Sheffield United side of the late 1890s, is the only English  international of gypsy birth. Another "first".

You can also find reference to United’s William “Fatty” Foulke who at 20 stone was a legend in goalkeeping and entertainment. Red Sheffield had great success in that period before the First World War and indeed won three Cup Finals and were runners up in the league during a four year period. Playing in the “Khaki Cup Final” in 1915 did not please everybody in the country when most were at war or going to join up. Of course, the FA and the Government had put their heads together and decided that the final should go ahead against Chelsea, to raise morale in the country. It certainly raised United’s as they won 3-0. The next final was not until 1920.