William Chesterman (22 December 1837 – 6 January 1930)[1] was a British sportsman and industrialist. By his own confession a "weak but ardent footballer",[2] Chesterman served as secretary of Sheffield Football Club from February 1862 to September 1866, replacing club founder Nathaniel Creswick in this role;[3][4][5] he also acted as treasurer of the club during that period. Chesterman was succeeded in both these roles by Harry Chambers. In February 1866, Chesterman proposed the idea of a match between Sheffield and a representative FA team, subsequently leading the "Sheffield" team in the historic London v Sheffield football match in March of that year. Chesterman continued to be associated with Sheffield FC for decades. He was a member of the committee in 1889, when the club took the decision to remain amateur.[1]
William Chesterman | |
|---|---|
.png) Portrait of William Chesterman, from 1914 | |
| Born | 22 December 1837 |
| Died | 6 January 1930 (aged 92) Sheffield |
| Nationality | English |
| Occupation | Industrialist |
| Known for | Secretary of Sheffield Football Club |
Although he was no longer secretary of Sheffield FC at the time, Chesterman represented the club at the 1867 meeting of the Football Association (FA).[6] At that meeting, which was attended by only six representatives, Chesterman was elected to the FA's committee. He continued to serve on the FA committee until 1871.[7]
As an industrialist, Chesterman was the principal partner of James Chesterman and Co, a manufacturer of measuring instruments. Chesterman's father, James, had founded the company after inventing a spring-loaded tape measure with an automatic recoil mechanism.[8] As a result of his prominence in business, Chesterman served as Master Cutler from 1880 to 1881.[9]
Notes
edit- ^ a b Westby (2017), p. 37
- ^ "Sheffield United F.C.: The Winning of the Cup". Sheffield Daily Telegraph: 12. 5 September 1899.
- ^ "Sheffield Football Club". Sheffield Daily Telegraph: 5. 8 February 1862.
- ^ "Sheffield Football Club". Sheffield Daily Telegraph: 10. 29 September 1866.
- ^ Westby (2017), p. 23
- ^ "The Football Association". Bell's Life in London (2341): 9. 2 March 1867.
- ^ n.a. [Geoffrey Green] (1953). History of the Football Association. London: Naldrett Press. pp. 82–83.
- ^ "An Ex-Master Cutler". Sheffield Daily Telegraph: 8. 7 January 1930.
- ^ "Cutlers' Feast". Sheffield Daily Telegraph: 5. 3 September 1880.
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References
edit- Westby, Martin (2017). A History of Sheffield Football 1857-1889. England's Oldest Football Clubs. ISBN 978-0-9556378-2-7.