Skip to main content
  • 0Shopping Cart
Leeds Museums & Galleries
  • Our venues
    • Abbey House Museum
    • Leeds Art Gallery
    • Leeds City Museum
    • Leeds Discovery Centre
    • Leeds Industrial Museum
    • Kirkstall Abbey
    • Lotherton
    • Temple Newsam
    • Thwaite Watermill
  • What’s on
    • School Holiday events
  • Engage
    • Learn
      • Learning resources
    • Young people
    • Special Educational Needs and Access
    • Volunteer with us
    • Support us
    • Communities
    • Activities for kids
  • Venue hire
    • Leeds Museums & Galleries Weddings
  • About us
    • News
    • Blog
    • Podcast
    • Our Collections
    • Our Strategy
    • Colonial Histories
    • Policies
    • Careers
    • Contact us
  • Shop
  • Search
  • Menu
You are here: Home1 / News2 / Sporting chance to relive city’s Olympic glory days

Sporting chance to relive city’s Olympic glory days

News
Objects from All to Play For

Generations of the city’s sporting heroes are being celebrated in a new exhibition looking at the unique history of competition, games and play in Leeds.

Boxing gloves worn by the city’s own double Olympic champion Nicola Adams and a bike and kit belonging to Horsforth’s Alistair Brownlee, the only athlete to hold two Olympic triathlon titles, are among a glittering array of memorabilia on display in Abbey House Museum’s All to Play For.

Their impressive triumphs are heralded alongside the likes of Saima Hussain, England’s first female Asian rugby league player and former University of Leeds student Claire Cashmore, who represented Team GB at the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing.

Tributes to legendary sports stars of the past, including Leeds cycling icon Beryl Burton, who won more than 90 domestic championships and seven world titles, and Leeds and Great Britain Rugby League star John Holmes, from Kirkstall, who lifted a World Cup at the age of just 20, are also part of the exhibition.

As well as acclaimed professional and international athletes, All to Play For also celebrates the accomplishments of those who have tested their skills in amateur games and sports at all levels, with a dazzling cabinet stuffed with accolades awarded for everything from darts and billiards to hairdressing and rose-growing on show.

Kitty Ross, Leeds Museums and Galleries’ curator of social history, said: “The sheer scope and scale of objects we have been able to gather for this exhibition illustrates the enduring love of sport, play and competition that has existed for different generations and communities in Leeds through the ages.

“Across so many different levels and disciplines, people in Leeds have clearly had a desire to come together and participate in competition in the pursuit of glory, medals, trophies or just the pure love of playing the game.

“Seeing so much sporting history gathered together not only demonstrates the city’s timeless competitive spirit, it also gives us a chance to reflect on the power of sport and play to bring people together and create unique memories, experiences and friendships.”

Parts of a vast collection of Leeds United memorabilia, including programmes and pennants from the 1960s up until today, which were donated by the family of a lifelong fan of the Whites, also features in the exhibition.

They are displayed alongside scarves and shirts worn by players and fans at the club’s famous Elland Road home.

Councillor Jonathan Pryor, Leeds City Council’s executive member for economy, culture and education, said: “Leeds has an incredibly rich sporting history and sport has played such an integral role in our culture and heritage over the centuries.

“It’s fitting that we celebrate the accomplishments of those history-makers who put Leeds on the sporting map but it’s also amazing to see how the sheer joy of playing and competing has clearly meant so much to the city and its communities.”

All to Play For has been brought together with the help of local clubs and a team of volunteers.

18 January 2023
Share this entry
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on WhatsApp
  • Share on Pinterest
  • Share on LinkedIn
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Share on Reddit
  • Share by Mail
https://museumsandgalleries.leeds.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/atpf800x400.jpg 400 800 Sara Merritt https://museumsandgalleries.leeds.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/lmg_logo_black.png Sara Merritt2023-01-18 09:34:442023-03-07 15:42:28Sporting chance to relive city’s Olympic glory days

Related Categories

  • News

Latest Posts

  • Lego figurines of David Bowie. A person in the background is wearing Bowie style makeup and reaching for the figurines.Starman super fan helps museum celebrate Bowie’s golden years08 March 2023 - 11:54 am
  • Museum’s old school mule is still alive and kicking20 February 2023 - 10:55 am
  • Poppy Wingate: Temple Newsam’s Golfing Pioneer30 January 2023 - 3:18 pm
  • Leeds Art Gallery’s new show will be a love letter to art in Leeds30 January 2023 - 10:49 am
  • The Greener Museum: A Case Study For Sustainably Redisplaying A Museum Gallery26 January 2023 - 3:39 pm

ABBEY HOUSE MUSEUM

Opening Hours

Monday: closed
Tuesday – Friday: 10am – 5pm
Saturday: 12 – 5pm
Sunday: 10am – 5pm
Last admission: 4.30pm

Plan your visit

Address

Abbey Walk
Kirkstall
Leeds
LS5 3EH

Location

Get directions with Google Maps

Stay connected. Sign up to receive email updates on our exhibitions, events, and more.

Facebook of Abbey House Museum Instagram of Leeds Museums and Galleries Twitter of Leeds Museums and Galleries Youtube of Leeds Museums and Galleries

Subscribe for updates

LEEDS ART GALLERY

Opening Hours

Monday: Closed
Tuesday-Saturday: 10am – 5pm
Sunday: 11am – 3pm

Plan your visit

Address

The Headrow
Leeds
LS1 3AA

Location

Get directions with Google Maps

Stay connected. Sign up to receive email updates on our exhibitions, events, and more.

Facebook of Leeds Art Gallery Instagram of Leeds Art Gallery Twitter of Leeds Art Gallery Youtube of Leeds Art Gallery

Subscribe for updates

LEEDS CITY MUSEUM

Opening Hours

Monday: closed*
Tuesday – Friday: 10am – 5pm
Saturday & Sunday: 11am – 5pm

*Open Bank Holiday Mondays 11am – 5pm

Plan your visit

Address

Leeds City Museum
Millennium Square
Leeds
LS2 8BH

Location

Get directions with Google Maps

Stay connected. Sign up to receive email updates on our exhibitions, events, and more.

Facebook of Leeds City Museum Instagram of Leeds City Museum Twitter of Leeds City Museum Youtube of Leeds Museums and Galleries

Subscribe for updates

LEEDS DISCOVERY CENTRE

Opening Hours

Visits by appointment only.

Please note that our free drop-in public store tours are currently unavailable.

Plan your visit

Address

Leeds Discovery Centre
Off Carlisle Road
Leeds
LS10 1LB

Location

Get directions with Google Maps

Stay connected. Sign up to receive email updates on our exhibitions, events, and more.

Facebook of Leeds Discovery Centre Instagram of Leeds Museums and Galleries Twitter of Leeds Museums and GalleriesYoutube of Leeds Museums and Galleries

Subscribe for updates

LEEDS INDUSTRIAL MUSEUM

Opening Hours

Mon: closed (open bank holiday Monday only 10am-5pm)

Tues – Fri: 10am – 5pm

Sat – Sun: 12 – 5pm

(last admission one hour before)

Plan your visit

Address

Canal Road
Leeds
LS12 2QF

Location

Get directions with Google Maps

Stay connected. Sign up to receive email updates on our exhibitions, events, and more.

Facebook of Leeds Industrial Museum Instagram of Leeds Museums and Galleries Twitter of Leeds Museums and Galleries Youtube of Leeds Museums and Galleries

Subscribe for updates

KIRKSTALL ABBEY

Opening Hours

Monday: closed*
Tuesday – Sunday: 10am – 4pm
Last admission: 3.30pm

*Open Bank Holiday Mondays 10am – 4pm

Plan your visit

Address

Abbey Road
Kirkstall
Leeds
LS5 3EH

Location

Get directions with Google Maps

Stay connected. Sign up to receive email updates on our exhibitions, events, and more.

Facebook of Kirkstall Abbey Instagram of Leeds Museums and Galleries Twitter of Leeds Museums and Galleries Youtube of Leeds Museums and Galleries

Subscribe for updates

LOTHERTON

Opening Hours

Open Daily

Estate opens: 8am
Hall: closed (guided tours only from 7 Jan)
Wildlife World: 10am – 4pm
Estate closes: 6pm
Last entry 45 mins before estate closing time

Plan your visit

Address

Lotherton Lane
Aberford
Leeds
LS25 3EB

Buy tickets

Location

Get directions with Google Maps

Stay connected. Sign up to receive email updates on our exhibitions, events, and more.

Facebook of Lotherton Instagram of Lotherton Twitter of Lotherton Youtube of Leeds Museums and Galleries

Subscribe for updates

TEMPLE NEWSAM

Opening Hours

House : Tues – Sun: 10.30am – 5pm
Home Farm: Tues – Sun: 10am – 4pm
Last entry 45 minutes before

Plan your visit

Address

Temple Newsam Road
Leeds
LS15 0AE

Buy House tickets
Buy Farm tickets

Location

Get directions with Google Maps

Stay connected. Sign up to receive email updates on our exhibitions, events, and more.

Facebook of Temple Newsam Instagram of Temple Newsam Twitter of Temple NewsamYoutube of Temple Newsam

Subscribe for updates

THWAITE WATERMILL

Opening Hours

Mon – Fri: closed (open Tues – Fri: 10am – 4pm during the Leeds school holidays)

Sat – Sun: 12 – 4pm

Last admission: 3pm

Plan your visit

Address

Thwaite Lane
Stourton
Leeds
LS10 1RP

Location

Get directions with Google Maps

Stay connected. Sign up to receive email updates on our exhibitions, events, and more.

Facebook of Thwaite Watermill Instagram of Leeds Museums and Galleries Twitter of Leeds Museums and GalleriesYoutube of Leeds Museums and Galleries

Subscribe for updates

LOGOS, FOOTER LINKS, COPYRIGHT

Our venues Accessibility Privacy Terms of use Contact us
Leeds City CouncilArts Council England
Leeds City CouncilArts Council England
Join the conversation
Facebook of Leeds Museums & GalleriesInstagram of Leeds Museums & GalleriesTwitter of Leeds Museums & GalleriesYoutube of Leeds Museums & Galleries
Join the conversation
Facebook Page of Abbey House MuseumInstagram of Leeds Museums & GalleriesTwitter of Leeds Museums & GalleriesYoutube of Leeds Museums & Galleries
Join the conversation
Facebook Page of Leeds City MuseumInstagram of Leeds City MuseumTwitter of Leeds City MuseumYoutube of Leeds Museums & Galleries
Join the conversation
Facebook of Leeds Discovery CentreInstagram  of Leeds Museums & GalleriesTwitter of Leeds Museums & Galleries Youtube  of Leeds Museums & Galleries
Join the conversation
Facebook of Leeds Industrial MuseumInstagram of Leeds Museums & GalleriesTwitter of Leeds Museums & Galleries Youtube of Leeds Museums & Galleries
Join the conversation
Facebook of Kirkstall AbbeyInstagram of Leeds Museums & GalleriesTwitter of Leeds Museums & Galleries Youtube of Leeds Museums & Galleries
Join the conversation
Facebook of LothertonInstagram of LothertonTwitter of Lotherton Youtube of Leeds Museums & Galleries
Join the conversation
Facebook of Temple NewsamInstagram of Temple NewsamTwitter of Temple Newsam Youtube of Leeds Museums & Galleries
Join the conversation
Facebook of Thwaite WatermillsInstagram of Leeds Museums & GalleriesTwitter of Leeds Museums & Galleries Youtube of Leeds Museums & Galleries
Our venues Accessibility Privacy Terms of use Contact us
Copyright © Leeds City Council 2023

Scroll to top

Cookies - We use cookies to help improve your experience of using our website. For more information about the cookies we use see our privacy page. If you continue without changing your cookie settings we assume that you are happy with our use of cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time by following the instructions on our cookies page.

Don't show this message again

Cookie and Privacy Settings



How we use cookies

We may request cookies to be set on your device. We use cookies to let us know when you visit our websites, how you interact with us, to enrich your user experience, and to customize your relationship with our website.

Click on the different category headings to find out more. You can also change some of your preferences. Note that blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience on our websites and the services we are able to offer.

Essential Website Cookies

These cookies are strictly necessary to provide you with services available through our website and to use some of its features.

Because these cookies are strictly necessary to deliver the website, refusing them will have impact how our site functions. You always can block or delete cookies by changing your browser settings and force blocking all cookies on this website. But this will always prompt you to accept/refuse cookies when revisiting our site.

We fully respect if you want to refuse cookies but to avoid asking you again and again kindly allow us to store a cookie for that. You are free to opt out any time or opt in for other cookies to get a better experience. If you refuse cookies we will remove all set cookies in our domain.

We provide you with a list of stored cookies on your computer in our domain so you can check what we stored. Due to security reasons we are not able to show or modify cookies from other domains. You can check these in your browser security settings.

Google Analytics Cookies

These cookies collect information that is used either in aggregate form to help us understand how our website is being used or how effective our marketing campaigns are, or to help us customize our website and application for you in order to enhance your experience.

If you do not want that we track your visit to our site you can disable tracking in your browser here:

Other external services

We also use different external services like Google Webfonts, Google Maps, and external Video providers. Since these providers may collect personal data like your IP address we allow you to block them here. Please be aware that this might heavily reduce the functionality and appearance of our site. Changes will take effect once you reload the page.

Google Webfont Settings:

Google Map Settings:

Google reCaptcha Settings:

Vimeo and Youtube video embeds:

Other cookies

The following cookies are also needed - You can choose if you want to allow them:

Privacy Policy

You can read about our cookies and privacy settings in detail on our Privacy Policy Page.

Privacy and data