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Sheffield F.C.
Full name	Sheffield Football Club
Nickname(s)	The Club, The Ancients
Founded	October 24, 1857
Ground	Bright Finance Stadium, Dronfield, England
Capacity	1,500
Chairman	Richard Tims[1]
Manager	Dave McCarthy
League	Northern Premier League Division One South
2006-07	Northern Counties East League Premier Division, 2nd
Home colours 　 Away colours

Sheffield F.C. are an amateur English football club, whose main claim to fame is the fact that they are the world's oldest club, having been established in 1857. They currently play in the Northern Premier League Division One South.

The team was originally based on various grounds around Sheffield, including Bramall Lane, now home of Sheffield United.

Sheffield participate in the oldest local football derby in the world (known as the 'Sheffield' or 'Rules' derby) against arch-rivals Hallam F.C.

The club has no connection to either of the two local professional teams, Sheffield United or Sheffield Wednesday, other than the hometown and the pitches played on. Despite long having lost its status as Sheffield's top team to them, the original Sheffield club has been able to survive thanks to their fans' dedication and their heritage.

History

In 1855, members of a Sheffield cricket club organised informal kick-abouts without any official rules. On October 24, 1857 Nathaniel Creswick and William Prest, two Old Harrovians formed the Sheffield Football Club. The Sheffield club is officially recognised by FIFA as the oldest football club in the world. It is also the oldest documented club, in any code of football, in England. Despite claims to the contrary, the Sheffield F.C. is considered the oldest football club in the world. ^[2]

Creswick and Prest were responsible for drawing up the club's rules of play in 1857, a code referred to as the Sheffield Rules. At the time, before the formation of the Football Association (FA), many different kinds of football were popular in England. For example, each of the various public schools played football according to their own individual rules, and these varied widely.

The first Sheffield Rules were distinctive. For example, there was no offside rule, opposing players could be pushed, and a player catching the ball would get a free kick. Australian rules football, which began to develop the following year, resembles the original Sheffield code in all of these respects. The similarities probably resulted from the common influence of earlier codes such as the Cambridge Rules). Initially, Sheffield FC games were played among club members themselves and took the format of "Married v Singles" or "Professionals v the Rest".

Sheffield's near neighbour, Hallam, was formed in 1860 and in 1861 the two clubs first played each other in a local derby which is still contested today. By 1862 there were 15 clubs in the Sheffield area who all adhered to the Sheffield Rules. These rules were later adopted by the Sheffield Football Association when it was formed in 1867. By this time the club had decided only to play teams outside Sheffield in order to seek a bigger challenge.

They became members of the FA in December 1863. On 31 March 1866, there was a match between a team representing Sheffield and one representing London clubs, at Battersea Park. Rules that differed only slightly from the FA rules was used. However, Sheffield continued to play by their own rules, with modifications, until they adopted the FA rules in 1878.

Thursday Wanderers

Thursday Wanderers were a team founded by Sheffield F.C. players who wished to play in the Sheffield Challenge Cup. Sheffield Club had decided not to play in any local matches, so many of their players started playing on Thursdays. The team operated each season from 1876-77 until 1878-79, winning the Cup in their final year. The side was briefly revived in the early 1880s.^[3]

Decline

Its decline from the top echelon of football began with the introduction of professionalism in July 1885, with the amateurs of Sheffield failing to compete with professional teams, losing heavily that year to Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest and Notts County.

After the legalisation of professionalism Sheffield Club suggested to the FA the creation of a cup exclusively for amateur clubs. This would become the FA Amateur Cup and gave Sheffield their first ever cup success in 1904.

League history since World War II

Sheffield joined the Yorkshire League in 1949, remaining in that competition until it merged with the Midland League to form the Northern Counties East League in 1982. During their 33-year stay in the Yorkshire League, their only divisional title was the Division Two crown in 1975-76. After joining the new league, initially in the lower divisions, they twice won the Division One title in 1988-89 and 1990-91, and held Premier Division status continuously from 1991 to 2007. In 2006-07, they finished second in the Premier Division, their highest position ever, and subject to the latest round of restructuring of the National League System should be accepted into the Northern Premier League Division One for 2007-08.

F.A. Competitions

The club have had their fair share of success in national competitions, with an FA Amateur Cup win in 1903-04, and a Wembley appearance in the 1976-77 FA Vase final (although they lost the replay at the City Ground, Nottingham to Billericay Town. In the more senior FA Cup, they have not graced the competition proper since the 1880s, but they did make the quarter finals on three occasions in the 1870s.

Grounds

Sheffield club have played at a number of grounds around Sheffield. Initially they played at Bramall Lane, the home of the cricket club they were derived from, but as Bramall Lane grew and Sheffield faded from local prominence it was difficult for them to fill the ground. Use of the ground was made impossible when Sheffield United were formed as the home club of Bramall Lane.

The following century saw Sheffield F.C. become nomads, before settling at Abbeydale Park. During the 1990s they played at Hillsborough Park, Owlerton Stadium and Don Valley Stadium before purchasing some land next to the Coach and Horses pub in Dronfield that was previously being used by the Coach and Horses pub team.

Today

Sheffield F.C. are now based at the Bright Finance Stadium (formerly called Coach & Horses Ground and sometimes referred to as the Stadium of Bright) in Dronfield, Derbyshire, the first ground they have owned themselves. They play in the Northern Premier League Division One South, which is directly below the Northern Premier League Premier Division in the National League System. There are now 2 senior teams, 9 junior teams, 1 women's team (formed by a merger with Norton FC) and 1 disability team.

They have recently started a membership drive, notable members are Sven-Göran Eriksson, Sepp Blatter and Michael Vaughan. They have also enjoyed links with Real Madrid since both clubs received the FIFA Order of Merit and there are plans to play a match against them to celebrate their 150th Anniversary. The BBC also recently made a documentary of the club's history, which was broadcast during the 2007 World Snooker Championship (which Sheffield hosts).

Current squad 2007-08 Season

No. Position Player GK Jamie Holmshaw DF Jon Boulter DF Gavin Smith DF Paul Smith DF Tom Jones DF Karl Colley DF Craig Marsh DF Andrew Brownrigg DF Darryl Winter MF Miles Thorpe

No. Position Player MF Ian Robinson MF Pete Davey (Def/Mid) MF Darren Holmes MF Matt Roney MF Chris Dolby FW Rob Ward FW David Wilkins FW Stuart Dove FW Gary Townsend (Mid/Fwd) FW Vill Powell

Honours

FA Amateur Cup	Winners	1903-04
FA Vase	Runners-up	1976-77
Yorkshire League Division Two	Champions	1976-77
Yorkshire League Cup	Winners	1977-78
Whitbread Trophy	Winners	1987-88
Northern Counties East League Premier Division	Runners-up	2006-07
Northern Counties East League Division One	Champions	1988-89, 1990-91
Northern Counties East League Cup	Winners	2000-01, 2004-05
Northern Counties East League Cup	Runners-up	2002-03, 2005-06
Sheffield and Hallamshire Senior Cup	Winners	1993-94, 2004-05, 2005-06

Other Awards

FIFA Order of Merit awarded in 2004. (Real Madrid is the only other club in the world to receive this award)

Famous Players

Rob Whitfield - future manager of Port Vale FC played for Sheffield F.C. between 2000 and 2002.

Dave Blakemore - Veteran defender played with passion and grace for Sheffield F.C. Between 2000 and 2002.

References

External links

• Official site
• "Behind the Flag", a large fan site
• The original football club

Northern Premier League Division One South 2007/08  •  • [ e]
Alsager Town | Belper Town | Brigg Town | Cammell Laird | Carlton Town | Colwyn Bay | Goole | Grantham Town | Gresley Rovers | Kidsgrove Athletic | Nantwich Town | Quorn | Retford United | Sheffield | Shepshed Dynamo | Spalding United | Stocksbridge Park Steels | Warrington Town

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