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Stuart Sheard

@dropkickbooks.bsky.social
145 followers 275 following 110 posts

Was a rugby player - League and Union. Now a writer of books and articles on both codes. Interested and involved in Rugby Heritage. Books available from: YorkBookShop.com York City, Leeds United and left wing politics.

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Stuart Sheard @dropkickbooks.bsky.social · 11h
In the Yorkshire Post on 4th October 1939 Jim Brough, Leeds rugby league International, was named in the Roundhay RUFC XV for the game against an Army XV. On 5th October it was announced that Brough wouldn't be allowed to play in the game. A decision that surprised many rugby people in Yorkshire.
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Stuart Sheard @dropkickbooks.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
The story of how the club was formed is told in 'The Other Rugby' For more information check out: dropkickbooks.com
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Stuart Sheard @dropkickbooks.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
On the 18th September 1977 Rotherham Rangers Amateur Rugby League Club played its first league game.
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Stuart Sheard @dropkickbooks.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
On 12th September 1939 the Rugby Football Union announced that all rugby union fixtures were cancelled for the duration of the War and then this happened.
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Stuart Sheard @dropkickbooks.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
The Northern Union (Rugby League) was formed on 29th August 1895 at a meeting held at the George Hotel in Huddersfield. One of the clubs at the meeting was Liversedge, the strongest of the three clubs in the Spen Valley. www.dropkickbooks.com/blog/post.ph...
dropkickbooks.com
Rugby in Spen Valley
The version of football that we know today as rugby first became established in the Spen Valley in the early 1870s when the Heckmondwike club was formed. Cleckheaton Football Club followed in 1875, wi...
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Stuart Sheard @dropkickbooks.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
The Northern Union (Rugby League) was formed on 29th August 1895 at a meeting held at the George Hotel in Huddersfield. One of the clubs at the meeting was Liversedge, the strongest of the three clubs in the Spen Valley. www.dropkickbooks.com/blog/post.ph...
dropkickbooks.com
Rugby in Spen Valley
The version of football that we know today as rugby first became established in the Spen Valley in the early 1870s when the Heckmondwike club was formed. Cleckheaton Football Club followed in 1875, wi...
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Stuart Sheard @dropkickbooks.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
Who were the James brothers? www.dropkickbooks.com/blog/post.ph...
dropkickbooks.com
The James Brothers
The trials and tribulations of two talented rugby players.
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History and Heritage Yorkshire @handhyorkshire.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
"The real problem was abandonment. When the pits closed and the mills shut down, they weren’t replaced with secure, well-paying jobs. Over the decades, these towns didn’t just lose employment, they lost their banks, their community centres, their local shops and their sense of pride."
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Stuart Sheard @dropkickbooks.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
In 1906 the Northern Union reduced the number of players on each side from 15 to 13. In 1907 Warrington won the first 13 a side Challenge Cup final. www.dropkickbooks.com/blog/post.ph...
dropkickbooks.com
1907 Challenge Cup - The first 13 a side cup competition
The clubs that took part in the 1906/07 Challenge Cup fielded teams with thirteen rather than fifteen players.
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Stuart Sheard @dropkickbooks.bsky.social · 29/05/2026
Before 1987 a rugby union club was able to manage its own fixtures. www.dropkickbooks.com/blog/post.ph...
dropkickbooks.com
Before Leagues
Was club rugby union better when a club was able to manage its own fixtures?
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History and Heritage Yorkshire @handhyorkshire.bsky.social · 18/05/2026
Manor. Around 1400, the Percy family exchanged their Wharram holdings with the Hylton family. It was the subsequent landlords who later initiated the sheep-farming evictions that played an important part in the village's demise.
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History and Heritage Yorkshire @handhyorkshire.bsky.social · 18/05/2026
establishing new peasant houses (tofts and crofts) that allowed the village to reach its peak population of roughly 200 residents. They actively managed the manorial focus of the village. demolishing the South Manor and shifting the community's administrative centre to the newly constructed North
The site was excavated extensively between 1950 and 1990, revealing evidence of continuous occupation for approximately 600 years before it was abandoned, likely due to conversion of the land for sheep farming Image: Judy Catterall / The Old Mill Pond at Wharram Percy / CC BY-SA 2.0
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History and Heritage Yorkshire @handhyorkshire.bsky.social · 18/05/2026
🧵 For years the prominent Percy family were the primary medieval landlords of Wharram Percy, and their influence shaped its development, expansion, and subsequent division. Under their control in the 12th and 13th centuries, the village expanded and the layout was changed. They
The ruin of St Martin's Church in the abandoned medieval village of Wharram Percy, served the community for centuries before the village was deserted in the 1500s. It is one of the largest and best-preserved deserted medieval villages in the UK and has been intensively excavated by archaeologists since 1950 The site is situated within a valley in the Yorkshire Wolds, a region known for its distinctive chalk geology. Image: David Incoll, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
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Stuart Sheard @dropkickbooks.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
Rossington Hornets - a rugby union club in a rugby league stronghold. www.dropkickbooks.com/blog/post.ph...
dropkickbooks.com
Rossington Hornets rugby union club
The story of Rossington Hornets rugby union club
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Stuart Sheard @dropkickbooks.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
Rossington Hornets - a rugby union club in a rugby league stronghold. www.dropkickbooks.com/blog/post.ph...
dropkickbooks.com
Rossington Hornets rugby union club
The story of Rossington Hornets rugby union club
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Stuart Sheard @dropkickbooks.bsky.social · 21/04/2026
On the 20th April 1940 the final of the Yorkshire Rugby Football Union's Wartime Cup was played at Odsal Stadium, Bradford. www.dropkickbooks.com/blog/post.ph...
dropkickbooks.com
The Yorkshire Wartime Cup
On the 20th of April 1940 a rugby union cup final was played at a rugby league club's ground.
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Stuart Sheard @dropkickbooks.bsky.social · 21/04/2026
On the 20th April 1940 the final of the Yorkshire Rugby Football Union's Wartime Cup was played at Odsal Stadium, Bradford. www.dropkickbooks.com/blog/post.ph...
dropkickbooks.com
The Yorkshire Wartime Cup
On the 20th of April 1940 a rugby union cup final was played at a rugby league club's ground.
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Stuart Sheard @dropkickbooks.bsky.social · 05/04/2026
On the 5th April 1977 the first ever Rotherham amateur rugby league club was formed. www.dropkickbooks.com/blog/post.ph...
dropkickbooks.com
Rugby league arrives in Rotherham
How the first ever Rotherham rugby league club came into existence.
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Stuart Sheard @dropkickbooks.bsky.social · 05/04/2026
On the 5th April 1977 the first ever Rotherham amateur rugby league club was formed. www.dropkickbooks.com/blog/post.ph...
dropkickbooks.com
Rugby league arrives in Rotherham
How the first ever Rotherham rugby league club came into existence.
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Stuart Sheard @dropkickbooks.bsky.social · 30/03/2026
On the 30th March 1983 International rugby league was played at Scarborough. Some interesting names in the British team. www.dropkickbooks.com/blog/post.ph...
dropkickbooks.com
Scarborough International
Over recent years International rugby league has been played in a number of towns and cities that wouldn't be considered to be in the 'heartlands' of the game.
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Stuart Sheard @dropkickbooks.bsky.social · 25/03/2026
There are now fifty blog posts - Rugby League - Rugby Union - History and Heritage on: www.dropkickbooks.com
dropkickbooks.com
Drop Kick Books – Preserving Rugby’s Past: History, Clubs & Stories
Discover the rich history of rugby. We publish books and blog stories shining a light on clubs, personalities & events from both rugby union and rugby league.
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Stuart Sheard @dropkickbooks.bsky.social · 24/03/2026
The Australian Aboriginal Rugby League tour 1996 www.dropkickbooks.com/blog/post.ph...
dropkickbooks.com
The Australian Aboriginal Tour 1996
In 1996 the first Aboriginal rugby league tour of England took place.
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Stuart Sheard @dropkickbooks.bsky.social · 24/03/2026
The Australian Aboriginal Rugby League tour 1996 www.dropkickbooks.com/blog/post.ph...
dropkickbooks.com
The Australian Aboriginal Tour 1996
In 1996 the first Aboriginal rugby league tour of England took place.
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Stuart Sheard @dropkickbooks.bsky.social · 13/03/2026
Only people of a certain age will remember this rugby league publication! www.dropkickbooks.com/blog/post.ph...
dropkickbooks.com
Rugby League Magazine
In the days before the Internet, websites and social media, rugby league fans had to rely on newspapers and magazines for rugby league stories, match reports and gossip about the game.
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Stuart Sheard @dropkickbooks.bsky.social · 13/03/2026
Only people of a certain age will remember this rugby league publication! www.dropkickbooks.com/blog/post.ph...
dropkickbooks.com
Rugby League Magazine
In the days before the Internet, websites and social media, rugby league fans had to rely on newspapers and magazines for rugby league stories, match reports and gossip about the game.
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Stuart Sheard @dropkickbooks.bsky.social · 26/02/2026
Rugby in Tadcaster. A small town that between 1880 and 1969 had seven rugby clubs. www.dropkickbooks.com/blog/post.ph...
dropkickbooks.com
Rugby in Tadcaster
The story of Tadcaster's rugby clubs.
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Stuart Sheard @dropkickbooks.bsky.social · 11/02/2026
On this day in 1933 Askern Welfare played Wigan in the Rugby League Challenge Cup. www.dropkickbooks.com/blog/post.ph...
dropkickbooks.com
Askern Welfare v Wigan
The day that Askern Welfare played Wigan in the Rugby League Challenge Cup
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Stuart Sheard @dropkickbooks.bsky.social · 11/02/2026
On this day in 1933 Askern Welfare played Wigan in the Rugby League Challenge Cup. www.dropkickbooks.com/blog/post.ph...
dropkickbooks.com
Askern Welfare v Wigan
The day that Askern Welfare played Wigan in the Rugby League Challenge Cup
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Stuart Sheard @dropkickbooks.bsky.social · 29/01/2026
On 29th January 1908 the All Golds played York at Clarence Street. www.dropkickbooks.com/blog/post.ph...
dropkickbooks.com
The All Golds in York
The 1907/08 New Zealand tour of Australia and Great Britain arrived in York on the 29th January 1908.
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Stuart Sheard @dropkickbooks.bsky.social · 29/01/2026
On 29th January 1908 the All Golds played York at Clarence Street. www.dropkickbooks.com/blog/post.ph...
dropkickbooks.com
The All Golds in York
The 1907/08 New Zealand tour of Australia and Great Britain arrived in York on the 29th January 1908.
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Stuart Sheard @dropkickbooks.bsky.social · 26/01/2026
Unfortunately, there were no 'giant killing' acts in the 2nd round of the 2026 Rugby League Challenge Cup. That wasn't always the case. Follow the link to read about a century of 'giant killers' www.dropkickbooks.com/blog/post.ph...
dropkickbooks.com
A century of giant killers
The Rugby League Challenge Cup started life as the Northern Union Challenge Cup in 1897. The competition was re-named the Rugby League Challenge Cup in 1922 when the Northern Union became Rugby Footba...
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Stuart Sheard @dropkickbooks.bsky.social · 16/01/2026
The story of Yorkshire rugby union in World War Two. www.dropkickbooks.com/books/post.p...
dropkickbooks.com
Let Them Play By All Means
Let Them Play By All Means is the story of Yorkshire rugby union during World War Two, one of the most difficult times in the lives of many people in Britain, and a largely unrecorded period in the hi...
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Stuart Sheard @dropkickbooks.bsky.social · 16/01/2026
On 17th January 1984 New Zealand Universities RL team played England Universities. In the England team was a player who played a part in helping England win the 2003 RU World Cup. www.dropkickbooks.com/blog/post.ph...
dropkickbooks.com
New Zealand Universities 1984 Tour
The New Zealand Universities team was the first student representative side to tour the UK.
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Stuart Sheard @dropkickbooks.bsky.social · 16/01/2026
The story of Yorkshire rugby union in World War Two. www.dropkickbooks.com/books/post.p...
dropkickbooks.com
Let Them Play By All Means
Let Them Play By All Means is the story of Yorkshire rugby union during World War Two, one of the most difficult times in the lives of many people in Britain, and a largely unrecorded period in the hi...
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Stuart Sheard @dropkickbooks.bsky.social · 16/01/2026
On 17th January 1984 New Zealand Universities RL team played England Universities. In the England team was a player who played a part in helping England win the 2003 RU World Cup. www.dropkickbooks.com/blog/post.ph...
dropkickbooks.com
New Zealand Universities 1984 Tour
The New Zealand Universities team was the first student representative side to tour the UK.
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Curiosity @curiosityhull.bsky.social · 15/01/2026
Why Does Hull Have Two Rugby Teams But Only One Football Team? Sports writer Tony Collins gets to the bottom of a mystery that keeps sports fans awake at night. Supplementals: tinyurl.com/58tjt8ym @hulllibraries.bsky.social @collinstony.bsky.social @hullfcofficial.bsky.social @hullkr.bsky.social
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Stuart Sheard @dropkickbooks.bsky.social · 12/01/2026
Rugby was first played in Barnsley 152 years ago. To read about what happened next follow the link: www.dropkickbooks.com/books/post.p...
dropkickbooks.com
Rugby in Barnsley
This book tells the story of rugby in Barnsley over the past one hundred and fifty years.
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Stuart Sheard @dropkickbooks.bsky.social · 12/01/2026
Rugby was first played in Barnsley 152 years ago. To read about what happened next follow the link: www.dropkickbooks.com/books/post.p...
dropkickbooks.com
Rugby in Barnsley
This book tells the story of rugby in Barnsley over the past one hundred and fifty years.
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Stuart Sheard @dropkickbooks.bsky.social · 09/01/2026
Barnsley Football Club On the 10th January 1874 the first ever game of rugby in Barnsley was played at the Shaw Lane Ground. To read the match report - a work of art Follow the link: www.dropkickbooks.com/blog/post.ph...
dropkickbooks.com
Barnsley Football Club
The first ever game of rugby in Barnsley was played at Shaw Lane on the 10th of January 1874.
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Stuart Sheard @dropkickbooks.bsky.social · 09/01/2026
Barnsley Football Club On the 10th January 1874 the first ever game of rugby in Barnsley was played at the Shaw Lane Ground. To read the match report - a work of art Follow the link: www.dropkickbooks.com/blog/post.ph...
dropkickbooks.com
Barnsley Football Club
The first ever game of rugby in Barnsley was played at Shaw Lane on the 10th of January 1874.
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Stuart Sheard @dropkickbooks.bsky.social · 02/01/2026
On Saturday the 3rd of January 1903 Barnsley Rugby Union Club played its first game. To read about the game check out: www.dropkickbooks.com/blog/post.ph...
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Stuart Sheard @dropkickbooks.bsky.social · 02/01/2026
On Saturday the 3rd of January 1903 Barnsley Rugby Union Club played its first game. To read about the game check out: www.dropkickbooks.com/blog/post.ph...
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Stuart Sheard @dropkickbooks.bsky.social · 18/12/2025
What happened to Headingley? For most of the 20th century it was the strongest rugby union club in Yorkshire. www.dropkickbooks.com/blog/post.ph...
dropkickbooks.com
Headingley Football Club
What happened to Headingley?It was Yorkshire’s leading rugby union club for over a century.
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Stuart Sheard @dropkickbooks.bsky.social · 18/12/2025
What happened to Headingley? For most of the 20th century it was the strongest rugby union club in Yorkshire. www.dropkickbooks.com/blog/post.ph...
dropkickbooks.com
Headingley Football Club
What happened to Headingley?It was Yorkshire’s leading rugby union club for over a century.
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Stuart Sheard @dropkickbooks.bsky.social · 15/12/2025
Read the story of when Askern Welfare played Wigan in the Rugby League Challenge Cup. www.dropkickbooks.com/blog/post.ph...
dropkickbooks.com
Askern Welfare v Wigan
The day that Askern Welfare played Wigan in the Rugby League Challenge Cup
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Stuart Sheard @dropkickbooks.bsky.social · 12/12/2025
150 years of rugby in Barnsley. This article appeared in the Barnsley Chronicle newspaper on 13th December 1873. The story of what happened next is told in Rugby in Barnsley 1874 - 2024.' Follow the link to buy the book. www.dropkickbooks.com/books/post.p...
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Stuart Sheard @dropkickbooks.bsky.social · 12/12/2025
150 years of rugby in Barnsley. This article appeared in the Barnsley Chronicle newspaper on 13th December 1873. The story of what happened next is told in Rugby in Barnsley 1874 - 2024.' Follow the link to buy the book. www.dropkickbooks.com/books/post.p...
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Stuart Sheard @dropkickbooks.bsky.social · 09/12/2025
Rugby books - both codes - available via: www.dropkickbooks.com/books/ Delivered in time for Christmas
dropkickbooks.com
Books | My Website
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Stuart Sheard @dropkickbooks.bsky.social · 08/12/2025
Were there any amateur rugby league clubs in South Yorkshire before World War Two? Click on the link below to find the answer. www.dropkickbooks.com/blog/post.ph...
dropkickbooks.com
Rugby league in South Yorkshire before World War Two
In the 1920s there was some interest in rugby league in the south of the county.
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Stuart Sheard @dropkickbooks.bsky.social · 04/12/2025
After yesterday's sad news about Salford's winding up order I thought I would post an article I wrote in 2009 about happier times at the club. www.dropkickbooks.com/blog/post.ph...
dropkickbooks.com
David Watkins
I had watched David Watkins on television playing rugby union for Wales and the British Lions and when he changed codes in October 1967 I thought, as I am sure many other people did, that his signing ...
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