In 1874 the Nottingham Forest skipper Sam Weller Widdowson decided to protect his shins with modified cricket pads, cut down to size.
Widdowson made 1 appearance for England in 1880, by which time he had already been chairman of Forest for a year.
Initially the shin guards were seen as a novelty, and were even a source of derision. They were also something of a luxury (only one player in the unnamed Scottish team above seems to be wearing them). Partick Thistle, on the other hand are far better protected...
