The Development of Sport in the Potteries during the Nineteenth Century: An Initial Survey

Abstract

Throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the pottery and ceramic industry in Britain became synonymous with a collection of six towns located in North Staffordshire. These towns would later amalgamate and become the modern city of Stoke-on-Trent, with the area commonly referred to as The Potteries. However, whilst the industrial history of The Potteries has received considerable scholarly attention, few researchers have sought to examine the development of sport in the area. During the nineteenth century, Britain underwent a ‘sporting revolution’ where modern forms of sport began to emerge, be codified and grow significantly in popularity. This paper provides an initial survey of the development of sport in The Potteries and considers the four most prominent activities that became established in the area–athletics, association football, cricket and horse racing–whilst also considering the importance of ‘the wakes’ in facilitating the popularization of sport.