William Chesterman

1837-1930 (Age 92)

The Sheffield Foot Ball Club

Original Sheffield Foot Ball Club player, by his own admission “…a weak but ardent footballer…” in 1866 suggests the idea of a contest between the two leading Associations of the day, Sheffield & London, a fixture partially responsible for the popularity of the fledgling sport in the public’s imagination…

In the freezing February of 1867, William arrives at the fledgling Football Association’s General Meeting in London carrying a letter of support from the Sheffield Association for the struggling organisation, urging them…

“Don’t give up! ”

(The F.A, barely three years old, at this point, was struggling to sell its vision for the game to sporting southerners who much preferred the ‘Handling Game’ to the Association’s “Rugby with the Feet”…)

…after which such sterling words of encourgement from their thriving northern counterparts, the floundering F.A, (barely even three years old at this point…) decide against dissolution & vow to fight on…‍ ‍

His father, John, had been responsible for inventing the…

‍ ‍‘spring-loaded tape measure with automatic recoil ’…