What was there before Bramall Lane?

[JJ Sefton]

Fields, I think. The site was chosen because it was away from the city's built up areas...

As early as 1854 Michael J. Ellison, a cricket enthusiast, had become worried at the way the town’s rapid expansion was threatening many of the existing sporting grounds. He put together a proposal whereby his employer, the Duke of Norfolk, would offer some of his land to build a cricket pitch. The sight chosen was Bramall Lane which had “the advantage of being free from smoke” and a committee was formed to get the project off the ground. A subscription list was opened whereby shares could be bought for £5 and would guarantee free entry into the ground. The ground was leased to the Sheffield United Cricket Club for ninety nine years and the United Committee of Management was formed which was to run the ground for the benefit of all the local clubs, eventually including Broomhall, Caxton, Milton, Sheffield and The Wednesday. On April 30th 1855, the first cricket match took place at the Lane.


Bramall Lane in 1868

Chapter 1 – Sheffield and its Football to 1889

No one knows where football began. There is evidence of a ball game, similar to football in the basics, being played by the ancient Chinese...

triumphanddisastersufc.blogspot.com

 

[tyke1889]

This is a great site, works better on a larger screen, but will work on a phone at a push.

Edit, it doesn't go back far enough to answer the OP but still a great site

Georeferenced Maps - Spy viewer - National Library of Scotland

maps.nls.uk

 

[Moan? Nope-I saw Longhorn]

Probably something else that Wednesday had before us and gave to us.

Crabs ?

 

[Sean Thornton]

It was a huge blue and white pyramid, the biggest ever built, for Ban Nan, the God of 50000 attendances and also, mass delusion.

The interior walls are covered in drawings of children sat on Grandads knee, mouths open in wonderment at his stories.

It was taken down piece by piece when the council wanted rates paying. Legend says it will be rebuilt once the FA and Sheffield Council agree to pay for it.

 

[petcharlie]

I've got it. Lady Bramall in the centrefold. Tits like spacehoppers, but downstairs needs a trim. Looks like a busted sofa....

 

[petcharlie]

I've got it. Lady Bramall in the centrefold. Tits like spacehoppers, but downstairs needs a trim. Looks like a busted sofa....

Careful what you say mate I married her. I went for a pint at my local and a guy asked me what road I lived on and he told me he had made love with every woman on my street except one. When I got home I told my wife what the man said and she said it will be that stuck up cow at number 13. Er Er.