This plaque is to mark the origin location of the world’s first club to be established in connexion with a hotel or public house.
The York Athletic Sports & Football Club formed from the York Hotel in Broomhill, Sheffield in 1861. Like many early Sheffield clubs, they formed from the existing York Cricket Club also associated with the York Hotel. Their first President was none other than Sheffield FC founder Nathaniel Creswick. The club played games at Endcliffe Park but in late 1863 appear to be the victims of a bankrupt landlord (Mr Hield). We can find no match reports during 1864 or later.
A briefly lived but hugely important club since many now famous football clubs can trace their origins back to links with hotel or pubs. To name a few are, Liverpool, Chelsea, Sheffield Wednesday, Wrexham, Blackburn, Sunderland, Brentford & Ipswich.
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