This is a brief guide to researching records related to sports history within our collections here at Explore York Libraries & Archives.

Cricket team posing with bats and mascots
South Bank Workmen’s Cricket Club at the Knavesmire, August 1925 [Reference: ypsou_10135]

York has a rich sporting history that ranges from professional horse racing and football through to amateur clubs where York resident’s devoted their time to taking part in a wide variety of sporting activities.

Getting started

York’s sporting archives give insight into the social history of the city, and how residents spent their leisure time both as participants in sporting activities and as spectators of the professional teams. York’s sporting history tells the story of its different communities, through the geographical, social and economic life of the city and its surrounding villages. Much of York’s early sporting infrastructure was established by the city’s biggest employers such as Rowntrees and the North Eastern Railway in the nineteenth century. These archives also document land and buildings around the city were built or adapted for sporting purposes.

A seperate collection guide for the York City Football Club is available.

To help you begin your research there are some introductory resources below.

Archive collections

The community collections include the archives of various local sports teams. Our community collections include the archives of many local sports teams. These collections document how the sports clubs were run, as well as the sporting and social activities they undertook. York’s civic collection (archives created by City of York Council and its predecessors) offer useful information about York’s sporting facilities and history.

  • Acomb Bowling Club [Reference: ABC]
  • York and District Amalgamation of Anglers [Reference: AOA]
  • Bootham Bowling Club [Reference: BBC]
  • Clifton Cycling Club [Reference: CCC]
  • York Charity Cricket Cups [Reference: CUP]
  • Ebor Cycling Club [Reference: ECC]
  • Hugh Murray Archive [Reference: HMU]
  • York Hoboes Rambling Club [Reference: HRC]
  • York Inset Scooter Club [Reference: ISC]
  • LNER York Employees Amateur Swimming Club [Reference: LNE]
  • York Mountaineering Club [Reference: MNT]
  • York North Eastern Rifle Club [Reference: NER]
  • Railways Athletic Association [Reference: RAA]
  • The Ramblers [York Group] [Reference: RAM]
  • Rawcliffe Tennis Club [Reference: RAW]
  • York City Rowing Club [Reference: ROW]
  • Yorkshire Ouse Sailing Club [Reference: SAI]
  • Yorkshire and Humberside Sports Council [Reference: SPC]
  • St Leonard’s Slow Walks Club [Reference: SWC]
  • York Tradesmen’s Cricket Club [Reference: TCC]
  • York Angling Association [Reference: YAA]
  • York Amateur Bowling Association [Reference: YAB]
  • York City Football Club [Reference: YCF]
  • York Rugby League Club [Reference: YRC]
  • York Civic Archive [Reference: Y] School records within Y/EDU give information about sports practiced in schools, as well as historic photographs of school sports teams. Y/PPT includes several plans and images of York’s sporting facilities, both planned and realised.

Our archive collections can be searched and browsed on the archive catalogue: https://archives.exploreyork.org.uk/index.php/

You can find more information on how to search the archive catalogue on the ‘How to Search’ webpage: https://archives.exploreyork.org.uk/how-to-search

To book an appointment to access our archive collections and find details of our opening times and how to book an appointment, please refer to our ‘Visiting us’ webpage: https://exploreyork.org.uk/archives/visiting-us/

Library resources & special collections

Gregson, Keith. ‘Sporting ancestors : tracing your family’s athletic past’, Stroud : History, 2012 [Shelf mark: 929.1072 PEO]

  • Wilson, Van. It’s How You Play the Game : Olympic Sports in York, York : York Archaeological Trust, 2012 [Shelf mark: 796.48(Y)]
  • Unknown author, ‘An historical list of all the plates and prizes run for, on Clifton, and Rawcliffe Ings…’, Jackson. J. 1748 [Shelf mark: Y 798]

Our local history and special collections can be searched and browsed using our library catalogue: https://catalogue.exploreyork.org.uk/client/en_GB/default/

Other resources accessible at Explore York
  • Microfilmed local newspapers available in our Family History Room

Online resources from Explore York

York-related resources held in other collections
  • Borthwick Institute for Archives hold records relating to various local sports teams and facilaities: www.york.ac.uk/borthwick/
  • National Railway Museum holds records relating to the LNER Builders football team founded at the York Carriage Works: www.railwaymuseum.org.uk

Other research guides & resources