By Paul Holland
October 25 2002

JOHN NICHOLSON

John Nicholson was born in Attercliffe and trained for the legal profession as the chief clerk to a Sheffield solicitor. He was secretary to the Attercliffe Football Club, became Assistant secretary of the Sheffield & Hallamshire Football Asocciation and was considered the ideal candidate for the post of Secretary of the Sheffield United Cricket & Football Club when United became a limited compmany in 1899. So it proved to be as he occupied the post with distinction in the peroid when the club had its finest years.

He became 'one of the best club secretaries in the League', was 'one of the city's ablest legislators ...and no official did more in the growth and development of Sheffield minor football'. At verious times, he honourary treasurer, honourary secretary and President of the powerful Midland League, he remained a member of the council of the local F.A. and in connectionwith cricket, President of the Yorkshire Council League.

He had an amazing knowledge of Football laws, rules and regulations and was universally admired but he was not a football manager in the modern football sense. He would travel to sign up players and on one occasion, held up the departure of a train in Crewe station to sign future international, Bert Lipsham.