The Derby Game: A History of Local Rivalries

The book "Derby Game" explores the wild and chaotic history of Derby Shrovetide Football, a century-long struggle to kill a tradition and the fanatical resistance of players and supporters. It covers the rise of local derbies, the roots of rivalries, and how they became part of a global language as Britain exported football to the world.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 256 pages
Publication date: 27 February 2023
Publisher: Pitch Publishing Ltd

The high-profile derby games of today evoke a fervent atmosphere and occasional brawls, but Derby Shrovetide Football was truly wild. One mob squared off against the other, engaging in a fierce battle of wits and muscle. Players demolished walls, plunged into freezing rivers, and even crawled through sewers. Thousands of fans flooded the streets, and civilized behavior was suspended. However, why did this game attain national notoriety and then fade away in 1846? The Derby Game delves into the century-long struggle to extinguish a tradition and the unwavering resistance of players and supporters. It is a captivating tale of mobs and magistrates, police officers and brickbats, dragoons and defiance. The book then explores the rise of the local derby, as football fever grips the UK. It covers the early clashes between local rivals in the Victorian football hotspots, tracing the origins of some enduring rivalries and distinguishing between friendly derbies and hostile ones. Discover how the derby became part of a global language as Britain exported football to the world.

Weight: 294g
Dimension: 216 x 139 x 23 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781801504232