hallam fc
27-07-2009, 12:12
In the Pennine Hills to the west of Sheffield stands the Plough Inn
alongside the road called Sandygate. In 1804 the landlord of the inn
agreed to use one of his fields for cricket matches and so the Hallam
Cricket club was formed. The club was so successful that by the 1850s
It had some 300 members, many being familiar with team football as
played by Sheffield Club, which was formed in 1857. The desire for
another, less exclusive football club led the cricketers to the formation of
The Hallam Football club in 1860 and the first challenge match against Sheffield took place at Sandygate on Boxing Day of that year. This match is still believed to be the first ever still surviving Inter Club game in the World and took place on what is now believed to be the Oldest Football Ground in the World.
The Hallam Football clubs founder and captain, John Charles Shaw, soon became President of the Sheffield Football Association which organised matches to the locally preferred rules for its growing number of member Clubs. John Shaw was directly instrumental, with Charles Alcock of the Football Association in London, in the formation of nationally accepted Rules of playing the game. In fact both gentlemen were the respective captains of the first all Sheffield match with London in 1871,in which the preferred rules were experimented.
In 1867,Hallam won what is believed to be the first football cup competition which was the Youdan Cup, named after a local footballing
enthusiast and theatre owner Thomas Youdan. This is still in Hallam FC’s ownership and is believed to be the Oldest Football Trophy in the World.
By 1878 Hallam FC had the regular services of an English international player in Billy Mosforth, who was a member of both Hallam Football and Cricket Clubs.
With the advent of more successful clubs and the growth of professionalism, Hallam could not hope to compete, being content to
maintain its place in amateur football, with occasional success in local
League and cup competitions. In 1925,over 2,000 spectators at Sandygate saw Hallam FC defeat the famous Bishop Auckland in an FA Amateur cup tie.
By rapid promotion, Hallam soon reached the most senior local league
And had regular encounters with more famous clubs in the FA Amateur
Cup competition. Local enthusiasm for the clubs progress meant that one
such tie against Dulwich Hamlet in 1953 had to be played at Sheffield
Wednesday’s Hillsborough ground and attracted a crowd of over 13,000.
Hallam FC have won the Sheffield Senior cup four times during the 1950s and 1960s,the last time being in 1967/68.
The 1982/83 season saw the demise of the old Yorkshire League with the introduction of the FA,s Pyramid system of non league football in
which promotion was determined as much by ground grading as team
performance. With only seven years of its ground lease remaining the
Club could not commit to expensive ground improvements.
Protracted negotiations with the landlord eventually led to a 99 years
extension being granted but a large premium was demanded within
one year.
Hallam’s profile was highlighted during the 1980s when the complete
History of the club was researched and published by member John Steele. This was soon followed by much national publicity of the club’s plight.
A massive fund raising effort secured the new lease and continued for the provision of floodlights-first used in 1992. Next,the league required
A 250 seat stand and a shelter for 100 spectators. More fund raising was
boosted when the club received a large bequest from a late supporters will. The two new stands were ready for the 1999/2000 season and work continued by building new changing rooms behind the main stand. This
left the original changing rooms redundant, so it was gutted internally
and refitted as a licensed clubhouse.
At some point in the past, the Youdan Cup, won outright by the club in
1871 had been lost. In 1997, the club bought it back when it turned up at a Scottish antique dealers shop. This allowed the club to obtain acceptance from the Guinness Book of World records that Hallam FC plays on the oldest Football Ground in the World and owns the Oldest Football Cup in the World
Following 36 years without winning any silverware, Hallam won the NCEL cup in 2003/2004 when they beat Mickleover Sports 1-0 in the
Final played at Buxton. So with it’s home at Sandygate secure until 2088, the future looks bright for Hallam Football Club, particularly as they look forward to celebrating the clubs 150th anniversary in 2010.
alongside the road called Sandygate. In 1804 the landlord of the inn
agreed to use one of his fields for cricket matches and so the Hallam
Cricket club was formed. The club was so successful that by the 1850s
It had some 300 members, many being familiar with team football as
played by Sheffield Club, which was formed in 1857. The desire for
another, less exclusive football club led the cricketers to the formation of
The Hallam Football club in 1860 and the first challenge match against Sheffield took place at Sandygate on Boxing Day of that year. This match is still believed to be the first ever still surviving Inter Club game in the World and took place on what is now believed to be the Oldest Football Ground in the World.
The Hallam Football clubs founder and captain, John Charles Shaw, soon became President of the Sheffield Football Association which organised matches to the locally preferred rules for its growing number of member Clubs. John Shaw was directly instrumental, with Charles Alcock of the Football Association in London, in the formation of nationally accepted Rules of playing the game. In fact both gentlemen were the respective captains of the first all Sheffield match with London in 1871,in which the preferred rules were experimented.
In 1867,Hallam won what is believed to be the first football cup competition which was the Youdan Cup, named after a local footballing
enthusiast and theatre owner Thomas Youdan. This is still in Hallam FC’s ownership and is believed to be the Oldest Football Trophy in the World.
By 1878 Hallam FC had the regular services of an English international player in Billy Mosforth, who was a member of both Hallam Football and Cricket Clubs.
With the advent of more successful clubs and the growth of professionalism, Hallam could not hope to compete, being content to
maintain its place in amateur football, with occasional success in local
League and cup competitions. In 1925,over 2,000 spectators at Sandygate saw Hallam FC defeat the famous Bishop Auckland in an FA Amateur cup tie.
By rapid promotion, Hallam soon reached the most senior local league
And had regular encounters with more famous clubs in the FA Amateur
Cup competition. Local enthusiasm for the clubs progress meant that one
such tie against Dulwich Hamlet in 1953 had to be played at Sheffield
Wednesday’s Hillsborough ground and attracted a crowd of over 13,000.
Hallam FC have won the Sheffield Senior cup four times during the 1950s and 1960s,the last time being in 1967/68.
The 1982/83 season saw the demise of the old Yorkshire League with the introduction of the FA,s Pyramid system of non league football in
which promotion was determined as much by ground grading as team
performance. With only seven years of its ground lease remaining the
Club could not commit to expensive ground improvements.
Protracted negotiations with the landlord eventually led to a 99 years
extension being granted but a large premium was demanded within
one year.
Hallam’s profile was highlighted during the 1980s when the complete
History of the club was researched and published by member John Steele. This was soon followed by much national publicity of the club’s plight.
A massive fund raising effort secured the new lease and continued for the provision of floodlights-first used in 1992. Next,the league required
A 250 seat stand and a shelter for 100 spectators. More fund raising was
boosted when the club received a large bequest from a late supporters will. The two new stands were ready for the 1999/2000 season and work continued by building new changing rooms behind the main stand. This
left the original changing rooms redundant, so it was gutted internally
and refitted as a licensed clubhouse.
At some point in the past, the Youdan Cup, won outright by the club in
1871 had been lost. In 1997, the club bought it back when it turned up at a Scottish antique dealers shop. This allowed the club to obtain acceptance from the Guinness Book of World records that Hallam FC plays on the oldest Football Ground in the World and owns the Oldest Football Cup in the World
Following 36 years without winning any silverware, Hallam won the NCEL cup in 2003/2004 when they beat Mickleover Sports 1-0 in the
Final played at Buxton. So with it’s home at Sandygate secure until 2088, the future looks bright for Hallam Football Club, particularly as they look forward to celebrating the clubs 150th anniversary in 2010.