Sheffield FC - The World's First Football Club

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Address: The Bright Finance Stadium, Dronfield, Derbyshire Town: Dronfield County: Derbyshire Postcode: S18 2GD Telephone: 01246 413269 Website: http://www.sheffieldfc.com Google map Click here

Company Information A 150-YEAR CLUB PLAYING FOR THE LOVE OF FOOTBALL It’s played in just about every country in the world and watched by millions…thanks to Sheffield. Sheffield FC - the world’s first ever football club - was established on 24 October 1857 and can rightly claim to be responsible for the birth of the modern game. Football in the mid-nineteenth century had been largely a game enjoyed by big groups of people and played in Universities. It was taken into a new era by two keen sportsmen in Sheffield, Nathaniel Creswick and William Prest, founders of Sheffield FC. The pair gathered all the existing set of rules from across the country to develop their own code of laws. As Sheffield FC had no opposition at this time, they organised themselves into teams, from married men against unmarried men to professional occupations versus the rest. The Club played an instrumental role in the development of the Football Association in 1863, with Sheffield rules being adopted as a base to develop national laws. The city pioneered many innovations in football during those early years, including: the introduction of a solid crossbar the use of corner kicks free-kicks for fouls throw-ins the first floodlit match. Sheffield FC’s finest hour came in 1904, when they beat Ealing 3-1 to lift the FA Amateur Cup. More than 100 years on the Club’s commitment of ‘Playing for the Love of the Game’ is as strong as it was in the days of Creswick and Prest. However, Sheffield FC has changed dramatically from those early beginnings. Great strides have been made in the last few years to put the club and city on the map as the birthplace of football. More opportunities for people to play for the oldest club have been created through the development of two senior teams, nine junior teams, one women’s team and a disability side. Its unique position in football was recognised when Sheffield FC became one of only two clubs in the world to be awarded a FIFA Order of Merit - the other being Spanish giants Real Madrid. The Club now owns its own ground for the first time in their history after setting base at the Bright Finance Stadium in Dronfield. A global membership scheme has been created with illustrious names such as England Cricket Captain Michael Vaughan, Sports Minister Richard Caborn, ex-England boss Sven Goran Eriksson and rock stars Def Leppard all signing-up. This year it has joined forces with the Sheffield Chamber of Commerce with the launch of www.our150th.co.uk - bringing business and football together to commemorate the anniversary. The Club shares a unique link with the Chamber, which began 150 years ago. Edward Vickers was named the first President of Sheffield Chamber of Commerce in 1857, the same year his son Thomas Vickers was an original committee member of Sheffield FC. Some of the events planned by Sheffield FC during its 2007/08 season include an exhibition game with a top European team, an our150th dinner on May 17, a week-long football and business exhibition at the Millennium Galleries from May 18, a charity football match, a commemorative book and the club’s 150th annual dinner on October 24, attended by Real Madrid President, Ramon Calderon, and leading football dignitaries.