Spireites, Spital and clodhoppers: early football in North East Derbyshire

Abstract

ABSTRACT The Sheffield footballing subculture of the late 1850s and early 1860s was the first major example of its type in the world. However, just a few miles further south was an area called North East Derbyshire. Clearly because of its proximity to Sheffield, there was every chance that, in terms of a ‘nearest neighbour’ theory, the game would probably spread to that area of the country. Football first manifested itself in Chesterfield, the leading town of North East Derbyshire, and led to the formation of a town club and, later, to an organization based on a tobacco factory in the Chesterfield suburb of Spital. Both teams were successful and even helped each other out with players on a regular basis. However, in the next decade a first class side would rise in Staveley, a small village based around an iron and coal works. The team would have huge success over a 20-year period and would challenge even the well-established Sheffield clubs. However, this was not just a clash of footballing styles but became almost a class conflict. Sheffield teams, often though not exclusively, middle class in make-up, feared visiting Staveley as, it must be said, that the home team was particularly uncompromising. This article was written in the belief that Chesterfield, as one of the oldest clubs, would be the centre of the narrative. This author was wrong. Staveley took over and provided an insight into early working-class football in mid-to-late Victorian England.