The Pioneers

Podcast: The Industrial Roots of English Football

My guest is David Proudlove, whose new book Work and Play: The Industrial Roots of English Football looks at the…

2 months ago

There is no single ‘home of football’: Here’s who contributed what…

Clockwise from top-left: FA foundation plaque, London; Queen's Park FC (photo: Queen's Park FC); the Football League foundation plaque, Manchester;…

4 months ago

Football’s Pioneer Clubs: Where Are They Now?

Clockwise from top left: Sheffield FC, a mural to Cliftonville in Belfast, Koninklijke HFC, Albion FC [Photos: Sheffield FC/ author/…

5 months ago

How Football Got Started in Germany

Hertha Berlin fans at the Olympiastadion In April 2021, Pitch Publishing released my first book, Origin Stories: The Pioneers Who…

5 months ago

Billy Barnes in Bilbao: A Forgotten Trailblazer of Spanish Football

Athletic Club players acknowledge their supporters at San Mamés [Photo: Tom Wardle] In this guest post, Tom Wardle explores the…

8 months ago

Kit Evolution: Who wears what because of whom?

The Art of the Football Shirt, Brick Lane, London, some years ago Many people know the famous origin stories of…

9 months ago

Podcast: The Foundation of Celtic FC

Dr Michael Connolly's biography of Celtic FC founder, Brother Walfrid My guest is Dr Michael Connolly from the University of…

1 year ago

Podcast en Español: Los Orígenes del Fútbol

Bienvenidos a mi primer podcast en español. Vamos a ver como empezó el fútbol, desde los campos de las escuelas…

1 year ago

<strong>Discovering Everton’s roots: A Merseyside Odyssey</strong>

Goodison Park, England's first purpose-built stadium I recently went on both the Anfield and Goodison Park stadium tours and, having…

2 years ago

<strong>The Curious Beginnings of Football Clubs</strong>

The world's first football club, Sheffield FC, started as a cricket club [Credit: Sheffield FC] Many of the world’s most…

2 years ago