NO SHINPADS-FINE!

Frank's fines are meaningful and this list is hung up in Chelsea's home changing areas, so players are in no doubt of their responsibilities. I suspect ALL the money goes to charity rather than the Christmas party?
Some other equipment stuff crucial for footballers, may be found in the link below.
https://baileyfootballblog.blogspot.com/2019/11/boots-and-balls.html



Walsall FC, the Swifts, have a similar fines' sheet! Not!


SO let's have a look at shin pads, shin guards or as they were known in Biblical times, around Goliath's legs, shields or "greaves", the word taken from the Old French, greve with an acute at the end.
Once the game of football got going it was soon obvious that shins had to be protected....consult the link above!

In 1809, the need for shin pads was realised in cricket when the LBW law changed. Later, Sam Weller Widdowson, from Hucknall and of Nottingham Forest and Nottinghamshire Cricket Club, in winter, cut his cricket pads down to fit his shins when he played football. Early on, they could be worn either inside the "stockings" or outside, with appropriate straps.
Widdowson played once for England, on March 13th 1880 in a 4-5 loss at the First Hampden. He helped formulate the 2-3-5 playing system, introduced a white flag for the ref to wave when decisions were being made, before linesmen and whistles were involved. This game was between Forest and Sheffield Norfolk FC.
He had a hand in the formation of the FA Amateur Cup tournament in 1893, oversaw the first floodlit games between Forest and County and in 1891 reffed the first game using goal nets.

More up to date in the shin pad world is George Dunn, who at 17 has recently signed for Chelsea and carries with him, shin pads that include a photograph of Burnley's manager Sean Dyche on the front, with a quote "I expect maximum effort".
Why? Well apparently George's dad looks like Sean???!! Yes, not pretty, but inspirational, apparently.

At my school, Collyers GS in Horsham (many years ago) we played an annual match, boys against staff. One of the staff was our groundsman, Jack Barnett, who couldn't play, but always had a go, wore shin pads made out of the Gardener's Weekly magazine and the Alsatian Breeders' Journal, shoved down his scout socks! I have to say I had to improvise similarly for one of my lads who forgot his pads and wouldn't have been allowed on the pitch without bits of the Daily Telegraph sellotaped around his shins and under his 1st XI socks. It hurt when he peeled them off.