The Famous Yorkshiremen: The Forgotten History of Redcar's Footballing Pioneers

The epic two-century-spanning story of one northern seaside town and its pioneering but forgotten football teams.

Redcar’s Steelmen put the North-East firmly on the footballing map: making FA Cup history, launching the careers of early England internationals and helping to create the game we know and love. Yet today, they’re a mere footnote in the history of more illustrious footballing neighbours.

The Famous Yorkshiremen charts their untold story: from formation of the first Redcar club, through unexpected success and disastrous decline, to the teams now battling to cement their place back at Northern football’s top table.

It’s a rip-roaring yarn packed with goals and grassroots glory. But it’s also the tale of a team defined by its location: formed, and forged, in the white-hot heat of the steelworks. To this day, as the town’s fortunes pivot on the boom and bust cycle of British industry, tourism and the North-South divide – so too do their footballing ambitions.