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NOTTINGHAM FOREST HISTORY
17 January, 1874

Shin pads first used (1874*)

On this day in Nottingham Forest history in 1874* Sam Weller Widdowson may have first worn football shin pads for Forest.

Innovations and firsts

First use of innovations later adopted widely
Cut down Cricket pads were first used in football.
Cut down Cricket pads were first used in football. Image: State Library of South Australia / CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Sam Weller Widdowson may have taken one of football’s most practical steps forward by wearing early shin pads in a Forest match.

Widdowson, a Forest player and Nottinghamshire cricketer, is widely credited with inventing football shin pads in 1874. The traditional story says he cut down a pair of cricket pads and strapped them outside his stockings for protection. At first, the idea was mocked, but it later spread through the game and became a normal part of football equipment.

Cut down Cricket pads were first used in football.
Cut down Cricket pads were first used in football. Image: State Library of South Australia / CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The exact first match is not known. The date used here, 17 January 1874, is a possible date rather than a proven one. Forest played Sheffield Norfolk away that day, and Widdowson is listed in the Forest line-up. A later version of the shin-pad story links the incident to a Forest match against a Sheffield side in 1874, although some retellings appear to confuse the opponent.

* Date note: 17 January 1874 is included as a possible date only. Sources support the wider claim that Widdowson introduced shin pads in 1874, but they do not confirm this exact match as the first use.

Sources

Trent Bridge; The Guardian; The City Ground; Nottingham Forest historical records

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Notts County 0–2 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 3–0 Blackburn
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Vitória SC 1–1 Nottingham Forest
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Portimonense 1–2 Nottingham Forest Sporting CP 4–1 Nottingham Forest
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Udinese 1–0 Nottingham Forest Barcelona 1–0 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 2–1 Bayer Leverkusen
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Nottingham Forest 0–1 Leeds
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Nottingham Forest 0–0 Tottenham
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Aston Villa 1–2 Nottingham Forest
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Crystal Palace 14:00 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 16:30 Arsenal
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Ipswich 20:00 Nottingham Forest
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Brentford 15:00 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 17:30 Manchester City
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Nottingham Forest 20:00 Chelsea
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Hull City 20:00 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 15:00 Brighton
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Manchester United 16:30 Nottingham Forest
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Newcastle 19:30 Nottingham Forest
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Manchester City 15:00 Nottingham Forest
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Chelsea 15:00 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 15:00 Manchester United
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Nottingham Forest 20:00 Newcastle
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