A hundred years ago, the Jewish population in Sheffield was fewer than 1,000 out of the half-million total population. But many of these Jews loved sport, and wanted to play it.
There was a major problem. Observant Jews could not play on Shabbat, when most organised team sports were played. And mainstream sporting bodies required avoidance of sport on the Christian sabbath. So much for the British weekend.
There was a solution: mid-week sport. A few sporting leagues catered for those who enjoyed a half day off during the week. Here was an opportunity for the Jewish community. So in 1922 the Sheffield Jewish Athletic Club formed a cricket team, with 33 registered players, and joined the Sugg Thursday League. It was firmly bottom of the lowest division by July that year.
Later in the decade, a Jewish Athletic football team joined the Sheffield Thursday Friendlies League, affiliated to the local County FA. It competed against teams of local pawnbrokers, chemists, bank clerks, tram workers and shop assistants. It did rather better than the cricket team, winning the League in 1927-28.
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