Work & Play

What role has industry played in the growth and development of English football? Where did some of the country’s most famous clubs come from? And do those links between industry and football still endure today? These are the questions at the heart of Work and Play: The Industrial Roots of English Football, and David Proudlove answers them with real care and depth.

The book traces the origins of clubs born out of coal mines, shipyards, factories and railways, showing how football was woven into the fabric of working-class life. Proudlove takes us through post-industrial cities, towns and villages, revisiting grounds (and former grounds) where these clubs still cling to life. He talks to supporters, volunteers and officials, and also weaves in his own experiences, making it as much about people and communities as it is about football history.

What I loved most was the way the book breaks down industry by type—coal mining, shipbuilding, car manufacturing, the railways—and shows how each of these produced teams and traditions. It evokes a bygone world where corporate social responsibility wasn’t a PR exercise run by a marketing department, but something tangible:

employers trying to give their workers pride, identity and purpose. Football was one of the ways they did that, and Proudlove does a brilliant job of capturing the sense of community and meaning that came out of it.

It’s packed with case studies and fascinating stories that bring forgotten connections to life. This is the kind of book you can dip in and out of, and every time you’ll stumble on a club or a tale you didn’t know about. For anyone interested in football’s roots and the deep ties between work, place and play, it’s a superb read.