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…

4 weeks 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;…

3 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/…

4 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…

7 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…

12 months 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

Discovering Everton’s roots: A Merseyside Odyssey

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

The Curious Beginnings of Football Clubs

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