The emergence of Association Football in The Potteries, 1840-1880: people, clubs, and governance

During the nineteenth century, association football emerged as one of the most popular sporting activities in Britain. The city of Stoke-on-Trent, more commonly referred to as The Potteries, was a hotbed of football activity throughout this period, yet the area has been overlooked in scholarly studies of the association game. This thesis is the first academic study to examine the development of football in The Potteries and focuses on the period 1840 to 1880. It contributes to the growing literature concerning the historiography of the game by presenting a regional study which demonstrates how football evolved in a localised context. Three key themes are considered: clubs, people, and governance. First, this thesis explores the emergence of the first generation of formal association football clubs in The Potteries and analyses their origins, structure, and activities. Second, it utilises a combination of two biographical methods, prosopography and individual biography, to analyse the lives of the men that were actively involved in the game as players and administrators. This includes a mass prosopography that identifies 247 recreational football players and biographical accounts of two key figures that drove the development of the game in the region. Third, it examines how football evolved from an informal recreational activity, that was played on an ad hoc basis with few written rules, into the most popular sport in The Potteries, which was played regularly under the governance and jurisdiction of the Staffordshire Football Association. This thesis utilises detailed archival research which draws heavily upon local newspapers, diaries, and census materials to provide fresh insight into a previously unseen football culture. Furthermore, this thesis seeks to be more than just a regional football history. It considers varying themes that encompass urban, economic, and social history whilst simultaneously showcasing the history and heritage of The Potteries