From Horbury to Wembley: before football came home

“They think it’s all over…”

It’s Wembley, 1966.

Geoff Hurst scores the goal that seals England’s 4-2 World Cup final victory against West Germany.

The ball he smashes into the back of the net is a handmade Slazenger Challenge 4-Star made in Horbury.

The Slazenger Challenge balls were selected after a fierce competition. Skilled workers made them to exacting standards. They made around 400 for the 28 games of the tournament. 100 years of refined craftsmanship went into the balls.

So, how did we get here?

Cover of The Dunlop Gazette, July 1966

On the ball: William Sykes

A Sunday school teacher tasked 16 year-old William Sykes with making two footballs in 1866. He could never have imagined that exactly a hundred years later his pupil’s company would supply the balls for the World Cup finals!

William Sykes’ first footballs were a Whitsuntide treat for his peers. Sykes had no pattern or model to work from. They were probably the first leather footballs ever made in Yorkshire.

Sykes bought his saddlery for £19 in 1870. The Victorian period saw a huge growth in popular sport. From 1866 factories closed at Saturday lunchtime. Many workers chose to spend their extra free time watching or playing sports.

Professionals and amateurs needed equipment. Sykes was quick to tap into this captive market. They were soon making products for football, cricket and tennis.

Sykes Zig-Zag football, 1930s. This design was selected for the 1934 World Cup finals in Italy. It was also used in several FA Cup finals in England.

Supplying the beautiful game

Sykes returned to football production in 1880. They made six dozen over two years.

Sykes became a leading employer in Horbury. It employed 60 skilled wood and leather workers and apprentices. The new Yorkshire Athletic Manufactory opened in 1896. It produced equipment for such varied sports as croquet, badminton, boxing and billiards.

By 1903, the firm offered 44 different footballs, 22 shin guards and seven types of football boot. Their products were sold worldwide and used at major competitions.

Viking Zig-Zag football, 1950s. This ball features the Slazenger branding and the William Sykes Zig-Zag brand. The ball is covered with signatures of sporting stars including Joe Davis (snooker), Cec. Coldwell and Derek Hawksworth (Sheffield United FC), Charles Simpson (cricket), Brian Clough (football).

Sykes / Slazenger and the 1966 World Cup footballs

Football manufacturing in Horbury continued after Sykes merged with Slazenger in 1942. It peaked with the 1966 World Cup. Slazenger supplied around 400 balls across the 28 games of the World Cup.

Slazenger beat the manufacturers of over 100 other balls to the honour of supplying the footballs for the 1966 World Cup finals. The selection process was totally anonymous. Balls were not allowed to feature any company branding. Instead, they were identified by number.

The footballs had to meet several strict criteria. FIFA judges weighed the balls to make sure they were between 14 and 16 ounces. The chosen ball also had to be between 27 and 28 inches in circumference.

Geoff Hurst’s hat-trick sealed England’s famous victory in the final. 400 million people watched worldwide as a ball made in Horbury took centre stage.

Orange Slazenger Challenge football, 1966. Made by Ken Schofield at the Slazenger factory. This ball was made for the 1966 tournament but stayed in Horbury. The ball follows tournament rules by not having any branding. It also features an innovative lace-less design.

Ken Schofield

Ken Schofield was a skilled craftsman. He produced a range of products for Slazenger. He handmade many footballs at the company, including the Slazenger Challenge 4 Star balls for the 1966 World Cup finals. Ken continued to repair balls for local clubs into his retirement.

In 2015 Ken’s family kindly donated his footballs, tools and equipment to the Wakefield Museums and Castles collection.

Ken Schofield making World Cup footballs at Slazenger in Horbury, 1966

‘A happy family’: The Slazenger Sports and Social Club

The Horbury factory finally closed its doors in 1986. In 2000, Dunlop Slazenger also closed the Normanton golf ball plant. This ended a proud tradition of local sports manufacturing. Today, the Slazenger Sports Club is the last surviving reminder of the company in Horbury.

From the business’ earliest days as William Sykes Ltd, workers had played in company sports teams. In 1950 Mrs Slazenger officially opened a new sports ground and pavilion near the factory. The Sports and Social Club became the hub of the Slazenger community.

Dunlop Slazenger staff at Horbury celebrate the company receiving the Queen's Award for Industry in 1971