First floodlit football match at Bramall Lane. Source: Picture Sheffield.
Sheffield’s population grew at an astonishing rate in Victorian times creating an increasing demand for entertainment, sport and other leisure activities. Sheffield was not generally known as a culture-loving place but its first two theatres, the Theatre Royal and the Adelphi, were popular, as were the music halls on West Bar. Concert halls thrilled audiences with top opera stars while circuses, held in spectacular venues, attracted the best shows on the road. Sheffield parks held large scale entertainments; halls and public buildings staged well attended concerts, balls and equestrian events. Sheffield’s population grew at an astonishing rate in Victorian times creating an increasing demand for entertainment, sport and other leisure activities.The Sheffield School of Design exhibitions gave opportunities to view works of art and, towards the end of the nineteenth century, the Guild of St George, Weston Park Museum and the Mappin Art Gallery displayed quality paintings.
Watching or taking part in sport was an ideal antidote to working in Sheffield’s heavy industries. In 1857 two members of Sheffield Cricket Club formed the world’s first football club, Sheffield FC. Bowling and tennis were popular in Sheffield’s parks, millponds provided space for swimmers in summer and ice skaters in winter, and proximity to the Peak District encouraged walkers, runners, cyclists, climbers and cavers.
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