The World's First Football Superstar – The Life of Stephen Smith

A fascinating biography of Stephen Smith, one of the giants of English football in the Victorian and Edwardian eras, who won the League Championship on five occasions along with one F.A. Cup during his time playing for Aston Villa. Remarkably, Smith continued to work as a miner whilst playing for Villa and left to join Portsmouth in the newly-formed Southern League in 1901 due to the increased earning opportunities available in the fledgling league. He then went on to become the first-ever player-manager at New Brompton (later to become Gillingham), finishing his career at this club. Published in 2022.

Size: 162mm x 240mm – 278 pages.