Sheffield has a long history of involvement in sport. Although cricket was the first organised sport, it has gradually been supplanted by football. Both the main two local football teams grew out of cricket teams. Sheffield can claim many firsts in football the most famous one being Sheffield F.C. being the world's first and oldest football club. Today it has a club in every major team sport in England. Sheffield became the first UK National City of Sport in 1995 and is now home to the English Institute of Sport (EIS).
Today the city is home to two league clubs Sheffield Wednesday and Sheffield United, top flight ice hockey (Sheffield Steelers) and basketball (Sheffield Sharks) and a Premier League speedway team (Sheffield Tigers). Sheffield Eagles is the main rugby league club and operates a level below the Super League.
There have been six boxing world champions from Sheffield, including the likes of Clinton Woods and Johnny Nelson. David Sherwood is a top ten British tennis player from the city and the former England cricket captain, Michael Vaughan, was brought up and lives in Sheffield. Joe Simpson, a famous climber also comes from the city.
The largest stadium is Hillsborough Stadium, the home of Sheffield Wednesday, which holds around 39,850. The now-demolished Don Valley Stadium was formerly the largest athletics stadium in the United Kingdom. Bramall Lane is the world's oldest major football ground and holds around 33,000 and Sandygate Road, home to Hallam F.C., is the oldest football ground. The World Snooker Championships has been held at the Crucible Theatre since 1977.
History
Early sport The earliest reference to cricket involving Sheffield was a match between Sheffield and Nottingham in 1771.Bygone cricket (last accessed 4 August 2006) The first recorded game of football in Sheffield was played in 1793 between Sheffield and Norton (a village in Derbyshire at the time but now a suburb of Sheffield). The game initially started as six a side but numbers swelled after both sides called for reinforcements. It continued for 3 days after which it descended into a general row.Percy M. Young (1962), Football in Sheffield, S. Paul
Hallam Cricket Club was formed in 1804 and started using land in Sandygate as their ground. It continues to be used to this day and is acknowledged as the oldest ground in the world. Sheffield Wednesday Cricket Club was formed in 1820. The first cricket match between Yorkshire and Lancashire took place at Hyde Park in 1949.
Birth of Football
By the 1850s the city had several cricket clubs, the matches mainly being played during the summer. Nathaniel Creswick and William Prest wanted to start a team that could keep the players together during the winter and formed Sheffield F.C. in 1857. In 1857 they decided to write the first rule book for football called Sheffield Rules and the first laws of Sheffield Football Club were approved in 1858. By 1860 there were 15 football clubs in the city.
Sheffield United Cricket Club was formed in 1854, so called because it was made up of the uniting of several local sides. It was the first club to be named United. The Bramall Lane ground was built a year later. Yorkshire County Cricket Club was also formed in the city in 1863.
The teams continued to play under the Sheffield Rules after the formation of the FA known locally as the London FA. They formed their own association in 1867 and played the first ever competitive football competition, the Youdan Cup, in the same year. Another significant event was the formation of Sheffield Wednesday football club.
The first inter-association football match between Sheffield FA and London (the FA) was played at Bramall lane. Sheffield won the match 3–1. Many such matches were played during the 1870s with the home side dictating which rules they should play under. This eventually led to a merger of the two set of rules in 1878.
Decline of cricket, rise of football Sheffield's rich history of football clubs started in the 1860s where over 170 clubs were founded between 1857 and 1875. Below shows a table of the currently known football clubs that were founded in Sheffield during this time. +Club NameYear FoundedWhere they playedSheffield FC1857played at East BankHallam FC1860play at SandygateNorfolk FC 1861played at Norfolk ParkCemetery Road Church FCOldest church club, played at Hunters BarYork FC1861From York Hotel, Broomhill, played at Endcliffe Cricket Ground, N Creswick was PresidentNorton FC1861played at Oaks Park, NortonPitsmoor FC1861played at Pitsmoor CC, now SUFC AcademyFir Vale FC1862played at Pitsmoor CC, now SUFC AcademyHeeley Christ Church FC1862played at Meersbrook ParkMackenzie FC1862played at Myrtle Road, HeeleyMilton FCplayed at Cremorne Gardens, London RoadHoward Hill Steel Bank FC1862Met in Howard Hotel, Howard RoadRanmoor FC1862played in RanmoorSt George FC1862From St George's Church, Broad Lane.St Stephen FC1862From St Stephen's Church Fawcett Road, Netherthorpe. Played at Crookes.United Norfolk FC1862Origins uncertainCrabtree FC1863Likely from Fir Vale areaBroomhall FC 1863played at Ecclesall RoadHemesworth FC 1863From HemesworthUnited Mechanics1865played at Norfolk ParkGarrick FC1866played at East BankWellington FC1866played at Hounsfield Park near Bramall LaneLoxley FC1866Met at The Rodney Inn, LoxleyWednesday FC 1867played at Highfields, now HillsboroughExchange FC1867played at Hallam's Farm, now Hyde Park FlatsDore FC1867Met at The Devonshire Arms, DoreTapton FC1867Based at Tapton HallDronfield FC1868played at Bagley's Field, DronfieldBrincliffe FC1868 played at Cherry Tree Farm, near Union pubHanover United FC 1868 played at CrookesStannington FC1868unknown ground locationRedhill FC1868played at Winter Street, near Weston ParkEngineers FC1868played at Endcliffe CrescentArtillery & Hallamshire FC (later just Artillery)1868Based at Endcliffe HallParkwood Springs FC1869played at Parkwood Springs Recreation GroundOxford FC 1869played at Ecclesall RoadTotley FC 1869 played at field next to Cross Scythes Inn, TotleySt Vincent's 1869from Solly Street – played at Queens Ground. Oldest Catholic Church clubSt James Church FC1869played at Norton Lees LaneNorton United FC 1869 From NortonSheffield Norfolk 1869Played at Norfolk ParkLockwood Brothers FC1870played at Hunters Bar, oldest factory works clubTalbot FC1870played at Norfolk RoadSurrey Catholic Club1870played at The Farm, now Sheffield CollegeAttercliffe (Christ Church)1870played at The Old Forge Ground, Shirland LaneWalkey New Connexion FC 1870played at Queens Ground, HillsboroughCrookes FC 1870played at Lydgate LaneBankers / Thursday1870 played at Hunters BarWanderers FCUnknownUnknownAlliance FC1870played at Norfolk ParkPerseverance FC1870played at Norfolk ParkGleadless FC1870 played at Charnock Hall, GleadlessSheffield United1870 Unknown originsGymnastic ClubUnknownUnknownEcclesall College FC1870From Ecclesall CollegeSheffield Grammar1870From Sheffield Grammar School School FCAttercliffe Zion FC1871Zion Church, AttercliffeGrimesthorpe FC1871Met at Victoria Hotel. From GrimesthorpeExchange Brewery FC1871played at Fox Street, Pye BankAll Saints Night School FC1871Hall Carr Lane, now Carwood RoadMillhouses FC1871 possibly played at The Old Corn MillAlbion FC1872played at Ecclesall RoadPye Bank FC 1872played at Fox Street, Pye BankBrightside FC1872played at Blackburn Meadows, BlackburnNorfolk Works FC1872 Played at Newhall Athletic GroundEldon St Jude's FC1872played at Brocco BankGarden Street FC1872 From Garden Street, Hollins CroftSharrow Rangers FC 1873played at Crescent Road, SharrowEndcliffe FC 1873played at Ecclesall RoadOwlerton FC 1873 played at Rawson's Meadow Ground, OwlertonEcclesfield FC1873 played at Fairham's CroftPhiladelphia FC1873played at Queens Ground HillsboroughIntake FC1873From IntakeCherrytree FC1873Possibly from Cherrytree OrphanageVictoria (Burngreave) FC1873played at Hall Carr Lane, east endWest End FC1873played at Hunters Bar, from West End HotelBury's & Co FC 1873 From Regents Works, now WicksBeadshaw's (Baltic) FC 1873From Baltic Works, AttercliffeOughtibridge FC1873From OughtibridgeWeston FC1873Possibly played at Weston HallWardsend Steel Works FC 1873From Wardsend Steel Works, Herries RoadOwlerton Reform FC1873From Wesleyan Reform Church on Borough Road, OwlertonRoebuck FC 1873 Roebuck pub, played at East BankTennant Brothers & Co FC1873 2 nd club from Exchange BreweryCrosspool Rangers FC1873From CrosspoolClifford FC1873From Clifford House, Psalter LaneGrange FC1873played at Intake RoadPitsmoor Coal Company FC1873From BrightsideBoston Street FC1873From Boston Street, played in HeeleyBirley FC 1873played at Hollinsend, BirleySherrington FC1873From Sherrington Road, Sharrow, played Norfolk Park105 th Regiment 1874Joined FA in 1874. Played in FA Cup 1875 to