Sheffield FC – The World’s First Football Club Est 1857
3rd May 2023
Welcome, we are Sheffield FC – The World’s First Football Club Est 1857, and we are delighted to be joining the Sheffield Chamber of Commerce as a Premium Partner!
How did it all start?
In 1855, Members of a Sheffield Cricket Club organised informal kick-abouts without any official rules. Subsequently, two members, Nathaniel Creswick and William Prest, formed the Sheffield Football Club.
The club’s inaugural meeting took place on 24 October 1857 at Parkfield House in the suburb of Highfield in Sheffield. The original headquarters was a greenhouse on East Bank Road lent to them by Thomas Asline Ward, father of the first club president Frederick Ward, and the adjacent field was used as their first playing ground.
The question we get asked the most is – “If you were the first then who did you play?”
The clue is in our nickname - The Club. It was a group of members from all around Sheffield who came together to play football. They used the format of “Married v Singles”, “Professionals v the Rest” or they would be split up alphabetically.
Creswick and Prest were responsible for drawing up the club’s rules of play, which were decided upon at the club’s AGM on 21 October 1858, and published the following year. They were referred to as the Sheffield Rules, and were the first detailed set of rules of football to be published by a football club.
We then persuaded another cricket club up the road (Hallam FC, The World’s Second Oldest Football Club) to form a football section and the rest as they say is history!
We now boast of a Men’s 1st Team, Women’s 1st Team, Development Team, Walk-in Football, and a disability section of over 100 people!
We were the First.
- The first crossbar
- The first corner kick
- The first free-kick (Where would David Beckham be without free-kicks?!)
- The first floodlit match
What does being the First mean?
We established the founding principles of the beautiful game:
- Integrity
- Respect
- Community
The whole world now moves to the rhythm of football.
Football crossed all continents, transcends religious divides, and brings the world together. Sheffield FC isn’t just about what team you support…it’s about FOOTBALL!
Did you know?
There are only two clubs that hold a FIFA Order of Merit.
The most successful football club of all time, Real Madrid, and little old Sheffield FC! We were awarded ours in 2004 to celebrate 100 years of FIFA and for our significant contribution to football.
Sheffield FC – The Oldest
Real Madrid – The Greatest
We are ‘The Club’!
“Sheffield FC is a symbol of the role of football as a common denominator in the community and in society”.
Be part of football history and become a member of The World’s First Football Club!
We currently have over 6,000 members from over 52 countries! This just shows that it doesn’t matter if you support Real Madrid, Boca Juniors, or Leicester City, everyone should love their Great Grandfather.
Become a member and receive:
- Exclusive members scarf
- Pin badge
- Letter from the Chairman
- Certificate of membership
- Free monthly prize draws
- Monthly newsletter
- 10% of all merchandise
- Much more!
The Home of Football Project
A Bright and exciting future now awaits The Club as we prepare to announce our return to the city to a site locally known as The Transport Ground. The site will hold a Stadium, an artist’s impression can be seen in the video above.
This will become known as The Home of Football and will, for the very first time in our history, host all our many teams on one site.
Not only a place to play football, but this site also we hope, will become an international visitor attraction where fans from every nation and supporting every Club can visit where Football Kicked off.
Get in Touch!
We look forward to meeting and getting to know the other members over the coming months. We all love this city so much as we all want to see it do so well and know the capability it has!
If you ever fancy a chat about sponsorship, want to get involved at The Club, or just want to talk to the Chairman about the stadium relocation, then please do not hesitate to contact us!
Email: dylan@sheffieldfc.com
Number: 07986972661
We are going forward…are you with us?!