Fosse v Luffs

Fosse v Luffs is a story filled with drama, excitement, controversy - and violence - about a footballing rivalry as intense as any in modern English football. The Fosse (forerunner of Leicester City) were the dominant club in the town of Leicester, and Loughborough (the Luffs) were the biggest and most successful team in the county of Leicestershire. Each encounter between these two sides was a battle for supremacy within the county. Fosse v Luffs charts the growth of the rivalry, from amateur games played in front of a handful of family and friends to Football League encounters witnessed by 10,000-plus spectators, with thousands more eagerly awaiting the outcome. Drawing on extensive newspaper research, Nigel Freestone brings to life this forgotten era when football was a bone-crunching game and not for the faint-hearted. It's a must-read for anyone interested in Leicester City FC, Victorian sport or local history.

Nigel Freestone is former head of science at an East Midlands university and a lifelong Leicester City fan. He has had several hundred articles published in a broad range of newspapers and magazines, from New Scientist and Angling Times to Chemistry and Industry and Auto Express, and has compiled football crosswords for numerous Football League club programmes. He is author of The Blue Army Quiz Book and the highly acclaimed 365 Days of Motoring.