Wings of Steel

Iain Paterson's quest to uncover the story of his great uncle, once described as the best outside-left in Britain. It transpires that George Robertson was Motherwell's first international player, the man responsible for Sheffield Wednesday becoming known as the Owls - and the figure at the heart of a mysterious football riot in pre-WWI Dublin.

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Wings of Steel tells of Iain Paterson's quest to uncover the story of his great uncle, a football star before World War I with Motherwell, Sheffield Wednesday and Scotland - once described as the best outside-left in Britain. Among the treasured mementoes inherited from his late grandmother was a shoebox full of photographs of family and friends long departed - the most fascinating being those of an unknown young man in vintage football kit sporting a Scottish cap dated 1910. As Iain discovered, his mother's older brother was Motherwell's first international player, the man responsible for Sheffield Wednesday becoming known as the Owls - and the figure at the heart of a mysterious riot following an international match in politically sensitive 1913 Dublin. Wings of Steel aims to set the record straight on many inaccuracies attached to George's story over the years, and to discover where George finally ended his days.