Made in Sheffield

Made in Sheffield the ancestral home of football

ITSA GOAL posts are “Made in Sheffield” where Association Football was born and first played.

THE FIRST FOOTBALL CLUB – THE FIRST FOOTBALL MATCH – THE FIRST FOOTBALL DERBY GAME  – THE FIRST FOOTBALL GROUND  – THE FIRST FLOODLIT FOOTBALL MATCH  – THE FIRST GOAL POSTS  – THE FIRST CROSSBAR  & THE FIRST MINI SOCCER GOAL.

 

Goal posts being installed at Wembley stadium before the 1936 Football Association Challenge Cup Final between Arsenal and Sheffield United. Wooden crossbars and uprights were used to make football goals in the days before extruded aluminum. In the background is the podium where a conductor in a white suit used to lead community signing before the footballers anthem” Abide with Me” as the finale before kick off.

Goal posts being installed at Wembley stadium before the 1936 Football Association Challenge Cup Final between Arsenal and Sheffield United. Wooden crossbars and uprights were used to make football goals in the days before extruded aluminum. In the background is the podium where a conductor in a white suit used to lead community signing before the footballers anthem” Abide with Me” as the finale before kick off.

Sheffield & Association Football

Recognized by F.I.F.A as the oldest football club in the world Sheffield F.C who currently compete in the Football Association Non-League pyramid  were founded in 1857. Initially members of the club played between themselves much the same as they did in the local golf clubs of the time. They were varied games married men against single men ,older men against younger men and chosen teams from club members. 

The second oldest team is also Sheffield based: Hallam F.C. who still play on their original ground, the oldest continually used existing football ground in the world.Sheffield F.C.,on the other hand, have played on numerous grounds in and around Sheffield since their formation.

The very first football challenge match between constituted football clubs was at the Hallam ground on Boxing Day 1860 and this fixture continues to this day and is the oldest derby game in the world. 

Forms of rugby type football that kicked ,punched, carried by hand and generally tried to force objects into opposing goals took place for many centuries prior to 1857 however Sheffield F.C pioneered the modern rules and practices of soccer, including corner kicks, free kicks for fouls, no use of hands other than goalkeepers, throw-ins ,heading,the first goal posts  and the use of crossbars to determine the goal as a target area.

When professional football started Sheffield F.C. decided to maintain their amateur status and play for no other reward than the love of the game.  Other local teams Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday who at that time decided to reward players went on to be more successful local teams both winning the F.A.Cup and League Championships. 

It is with this historical background that ITSA Goal developed the very first uPVC portable goal in a bag. With the concept of smaller proportional goals and pitches for children less players for more touches Mini-Soccer was born. The Football Association adopted the idea and the game has been introduced nationwide. Other innovative patented products have followed and the company has been the driving force behind safety and innovation in goal post design for over three decades. “Innovation that nets results”.

 This is why Sheffield is recognized the world over as being the Home of Football.

Association Football born in Sheffield played around the world

 

John Wilson – Itsa Goal Post Ltd – Sheffield -The Inventor of Mini Soccer Goals

Before the introduction of smaller portable children’s football goals by our company, it was “Jumpers for goals”. When John Wilson decided to make the very first 12’x 6’ Mini Soccer Goal from wood and pea netting in 1959 he did not realize that this would eventually change the way football would be played by future children around the world. Read more about the creation of mini soccer goals CLICK HERE