FOSSE V LUFFS: LEICESTERSHIRE’S FORGOTTEN FOOTBALL RIVALRY by Nigel Freestone

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.

(Publisher: Pitch Publishing Ltd. February 2022. Hardcover: 352 pages)