Late to the Game by Rob Grillo

Late to the Game tells the story of the origins of association football in Bradford and the story of its pioneering clubs. These copies are signed by the author, Rob Grillo. 

Until the end of the 19th century, rugby was the dominant winter sport in Bradford and to all intents and purposes 'soccer' had been crowded out. After aborted attempts to launch the so-called dribbling code in Bradford in the 1880s and 1890s, what made professional soccer a feasible commercial operation in Bradford - and what hastened the Manningham and Bradford clubs to abandon rugby - was the fact that the round ball game was so popular at a junior, local level among younger generations.

Rob Grillo provides extensive detail of the launch of the original amateur soccer clubs and competitions in the 6 decades through to the outbreak of World War Two.

Those interested in the history of Bradford City AFC will discover how it was that the formation of the Bradford & District Football Association in 1899 helped make possible the level of public interest in the new club in 1903.