WORK AND PLAY. Publication date: October 21, 2024

Key features
• Fascinating story of how industry helped fuel the growth and development of              English football
• Exclusive dialogue with those involved in football across post-industrial cities,             towns and villages, including club officials, volunteers and supporters
• David is the author of When the Circus Leaves Town: What Happens When                Football Leaves Home, writes a weekly column for the North Staffordshire                  newspaper The Sentinel, and is a regular contributor to the Forgotten Football            Clubs blog
• Photo selection, including colour pictures from David’s collection

What role has industry played in the growth and development of English football? What were the origins of some of the country’s most famous clubs? Do the links between industry and football still endure today? Work and Play: The Industrial Roots of English
Football takes a look at the roots of some of English football’s most famous clubs, and how the relationship between industrial communities and football clubs still survives at a local level throughout the semi-professional and grassroots game. Writer David Proudlove visits post-industrial cities, towns and villages around the country, examining the places and facilities—including grounds and former grounds—that sustain clubs that were born as work teams. He talks to supporters, volunteers and club officials, while sharing his own experiences, and celebrating the continued survival of these clubs in this fascinating exploration of the ties between football and industry.