1 - 1 v Nelson (H) 19/11/2024 The Origins of Rugby and Association Football in Southport (1872-1889)
Updated Second Edition OUT NOW
The Town’s Game first edition is still available to buy on Amazon throughout the world.
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Kindle Edition: £4.99 or free for Kindle Unlimited Subscribers
Hardback: £19.99
Written by Daniel J. Hayes
Foreword by Michael Braham
Updated Second Edition OUT NOW
The Town’s Game by Daniel Hayes is a well-researched and engaging exploration of the formative years of football and rugby in a unique Victorian town setting. One of the book’s strengths is its level of detail; Hayes brings to life the local figures, clubs, and cultural forces that influenced Southport’s early sports history. He combines thorough historical research with accessible writing, making the book appealing to both sports enthusiasts and local historians.
This expanded second edition features newly discovered insights, updates on lineage and club formation dates, enhancing the depth and accuracy of the narrative. With meticulous research, Hayes delves deeply into the cultural and historical significance of the clubs and individuals who shaped Southport’s early sports scene, all against a backdrop of shifting societal norms and increasing leisure time for the working class.
The Town’s Game provides a rare dual focus on rugby and association football, setting it apart from many other regional football histories. It complements broader works on Victorian sports history by capturing the nuanced evolution of football in Southport, from initial grassroots clubs to the emergence of professionalism. This local focus enriches the broader narrative of English football’s rise and highlights the unique role of communities like Southport in shaping the nation’s sporting landscape.
Complete with line-ups, results, and historical reports, The Town’s Game is a definitive work for sports historians and fans of Southport’s rich heritage, capturing the era’s spirited debates, rule changes, and the growing rivalry between association and rugby football. Hayes’ engaging prose invites readers to appreciate the legacies left by the town’s early sports pioneers and the game they brought to life.
This book delves into the previously unknown to unearth what really happened. It’s the untold story.
David Walshe, Secret Sand Land (@hiddensouthport), author of ‘Sandy Tracks’
I think Dan has stumbled upon one of the most important historical links that I, and I am sure everyone else was unaware of. It is a significant discovery.
Michael Braham, co-author of ‘The Sandgrounders: The Complete League History of Southport FC’
The Town’s Game, by Daniel Hayes, includes results, with line-ups wherever available, for Southport Football Club (Rugby), Southport Olympic (Rugby), Southport Wasps (Rugby), Southport Hornets (Rugby), Southport Football Club (Association), Southport Wanderers (Association) and Southport Recreation (Association), between the years 1872 and 1889.
