Hallam Football Club is an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ...

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly ...

club based in Crosspool,

Sheffield Sheffield is a city in South Yorkshire, England, whose name derives from the River Sheaf which runs through it. The city serves as the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire ...

South Yorkshire South Yorkshire is a ceremonial and metropolitan county in the Yorkshire and Humber Region of England. The county has four council areas which are the cities of Doncaster and Sheffield as well as the boroughs of Barnsley and Rotherham. ...

. Founded in 1860, Hallam is the second oldest association football club in the world. Hallam currently play in the

Northern Counties East League The Northern Counties East Football League is a semi-professional English football league. It has two divisions – Premier Division and Division One – which stand at the ninth and tenth levels of the football pyramid respectively. History T ...

Premier Division, at the ninth level of the

English football league system The English football league system, also known as the football pyramid, is a series of interconnected leagues for men's association football clubs in England, with five teams from Wales, one from Guernsey, one from Jersey and one from the Isl ...

. Hallam have played at their

Sandygate Road Sandygate is a football (soccer), football and cricket stadium in the Sheffield districts of Sheffield, suburb of Crosspool, South Yorkshire, England. It is home to Hallam F.C. and Hallam C.C. First opened in 1804, Hallam F.C. have played at t ...

home in the Sheffield suburb of Crosspool since formation, with the ground being officially recognised by the

Guinness Book of Records ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing worl ...

as "The Oldest Football Ground in the World". In 1867, the club made history by winning the world's first ever football tournament, the

Youdan Cup The Youdan Football Cup, also known as the Youdan Cup, was an 1867 Sheffield rules football competition. Preceding the FA Cup by more than four years, it was among the first tournaments in any code of football. Background Thomas Youdan, seen ...

. The club still possesses the historic trophy. Games against local rivals

Sheffield F.C. Sheffield Football Club is an English football club from Sheffield, South Yorkshire, although now based in nearby Dronfield, across the county boundary in Derbyshire. They currently compete in the . Founded in October 1857,

, the oldest club in the world, are known as the

Rules derby Rules derby (or Sheffield derby) is a football derby played in Sheffield, England between Sheffield F.C. and Hallam F.C. It was first played on 26 December 1860 and is the oldest football fixture in the world. The name refers to the fact tha ...

History

Although formed in 1860, the football club can trace its links even further back, to 1804, when the owner of the Plough Inn public house on Sandygate Road agreed to allow a new

cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by st ...

club, Hallam CC, to start playing on an adjacent field he owned. The club had in excess of 300 members by the 1850s,History
Hallam FC and in 1860 it decided to form a football club to oppose

, formed three years earlier. On Boxing Day 1860, the two clubs played each other on Sandygate Road for the first time. The match report for the game in the ''Sheffield Daily Telegraph'' states that the game was played between 16 of Sheffield and 16 of Hallam and Stumperlowe (Stumperlowe being a hamlet half a mile from Sandygate). The Hallam Football Club's founder and captain, John Charles Shaw, soon became President of the Sheffield Football Association which organised matches according to the locally preferred rules for its growing number of member clubs. Shaw was directly instrumental, with Charles Alcock of the London-based

Football Association The Football Association (also known as The FA) is the governing body of association football in England and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. Formed in 1863, it is the oldest football association in the world a ...

, in the formation of nationally accepted rules for playing the game. Shaw and Alcock were the respective captains in the first game between a Sheffield XI and a London XI, in 1871, in which the preferred rules were tried out. In 1867, Hallam won the first ever football competition, the

. The trophy was subsequently misplaced by the club, and did not resurface again until 1997 when a Scottish antiques collector who had come into possession of the silver trophy sold it back to the club for £2,000. In 2014 the trophy was featured on the BBC programme ''

Antiques Roadshow ''Antiques Roadshow'' is a British television programme broadcast by the BBC in which antiques appraisers travel to various regions of the United Kingdom (and occasionally in other countries) to appraise antiques brought in by local people ( ...

'', where it was valued at £100,000. Club chairman Chris Taylor subsequently said the club had no plans to sell the trophy. Although professionalism began to creep into the game during the 1870s and −80s, Hallam chose to remain fully amateur. In the summer of 1886, for reasons unknown but likely because of financial constraints, the club was dissolved, but a year later the club was re-formed and re-registered with the Sheffield & Hallamshire FA. Hallam entered their first league competition in 1892 when joining the newly formed Hallamshire League, and they would also play in the Sheffield Minor Cup League, Sheffield Alliance and the Hatchard League as the 19th century came to a close. They won the Hatchard League title for the first time in 1903, and a year later won the league again, though they lost the play-off final played between the top four teams, and so surrendered their title. They also reached the final of the

Sheffield and Hallamshire Senior Cup The Sheffield & Hallamshire Senior Cup is a county cup competition involving teams within the Sheffield and Hallamshire County Football Association. Originally named the Sheffield Challenge Cup, it is the 5th oldest surviving cup competition ...

for the first time in 1904, but lost 1–6 to

Barnsley Barnsley () is a market town in South Yorkshire, England. As the main settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley and the fourth largest settlement in South Yorkshire. In Barnsley, the population was 96,888 while the wider Borough ha ...

reserves at

Bramall Lane Bramall Lane is a football stadium in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, which is the home of Sheffield United. The stadium was originally a cricket ground, built on a road named after the Bramall family of file and graver manufacturers. ...

. In 1911 the club first competed in a

(FA) cup competition, when they entered the

FA Amateur Cup The FA Amateur Cup was an English football competition for amateur clubs. It commenced in 1893 and ended in 1974 when the Football Association abolished official amateur status. History Following the legalisation of professionalism within footba ...

. Three years later the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

began, but Hallam continued to play, dropping out of the Hatchard League to join the Sheffield Amateur and Minor Leagues, previously staples of the club's reserve team. Eventually, in 1917, Hallam decided they could no longer keep playing, and suspended playing operations, only re-joining the

Sheffield Amateur League The Sheffield Amateur League was a football competition for clubs in the Sheffield area of England. For many years it was behind only the Sheffield Association League in terms of seniority in the Sheffield and Hallamshire Football Association ...

after hostilities had ended, in 1919. In 1925 Hallam pulled off one of their greatest ever results when they knocked out five-time Amateur Cup winners

Bishop Auckland Bishop Auckland () is a market town and civil parish at the confluence of the River Wear and the River Gaunless in County Durham, northern England. It is northwest of Darlington and southwest of Durham. Much of the town's early history surr ...

in front of over 2,000 people at Sandygate Road. Two years later the club entered the

FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football compet ...

for the first time. After winning the

for the second time in 1927, they were admitted back into the Sheffield Association League. At the end of the 1932–33 season the landlord of the Plough Inn public house decided to lease the Sandygate Road ground to other teams (Crookes WMC and later Fulwood) as Hallam were not providing enough bar takings. Although the club retained its affiliation with the local FA, Hallam's eviction from their ground saw them refrain from playing any football for a period of 15 years. Hallam's return to football came about in 1947 when they finally arranged a return to Sandygate Road, playing in the

and the re-formed Hatchard League (which they won) before finally re-joining the Sheffield Association League in 1949, winning the title for the first time. A year later Hallam won the

Sheffield Senior Cup The Sheffield & Hallamshire Senior Cup is a county cup competition involving teams within the Sheffield and Hallamshire County Football Association. Originally named the Sheffield Challenge Cup, it is the 5th oldest surviving cup competition ...

for the first time when they beat Stocksbridge Works at Hillsborough in front of 7,240 spectators, and in 1952 they entered the Yorkshire League. That same season an Amateur Cup tie with Dulwich Hamlet was switched to

Hillsborough stadium Hillsborough Stadium is a 39,732-capacity association football stadium located in Owlerton, a north-western suburb of Sheffield, Yorkshire, England. It has been the home of Sheffield Wednesday since its opening in 1899. The ground has been su ...

because of increased ticket demands – the attendance of over 13,000 proving to be a club record. After winning promotion to the top flight of the Yorkshire League for a second time in 1960,Hallam
Football Club History Database Hallam spent twenty years playing at the same level. The 1982–83 season saw the demise of the old Yorkshire League, with Hallam entering the new

(NCEL), which demanded more stringent ground grading rules. With only seven years of its ground lease remaining the club could not commit to expensive improvements. Protracted negotiations with the landlord eventually led to a 99 years extension being granted but a large premium was demanded within one year. A massive fund raising effort secured the new lease and continued for the provision of floodlights, first used in 1992, and a stand behind one goal to shelter 100 people. The club has spent most of its time in the NCEL in the Premier Division (which currently sits at level 9 of the

), and won the League Cup competition in 2004 when beating Mickleover Sports in the final, but in 2011 they were relegated back to the First Division. In 2012, Sandygate Road received a much needed facelift, paid for by a posthumous donation by a lifelong supporter who had left the club a substantial amount of money in his will. In 2016 and 2017, the club qualified for the Division One end of season play-offs, but were eliminated in the semi-finals on both occasions. The appointment of Craig Denton as manager in 2020 was followed by an upturn in results and attendances, and in the 2021-22 season Hallam secured the Division One title and promotion to the NCEL Premier Division, with Sandygate hosting record crowds in excess of 1,100.

Season-by-season record

Current squad

Notable former players

Players that have played in the

Football League The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional association football, football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in Association football around the wor ...

either before or after playing for Hallam – *

Michael Boulding Michael Thomas Boulding (born 8 February 1976) is an English former professional footballer and tennis player. As a footballer he was a forward and winger from 1998 to 2011. Prior to his football career, he was a promising young tennis player ...

* Brian Broadhurst *

Andy Brownrigg Andrew David Brownrigg (born 2 August 1976) is an English former professional footballer. Football career Brownrigg began his career as a trainee with Hereford United, making his début during the 1994–95 season. In March 1995, after just ...

* Sean Connelly *

Tony Crane Anthony Steven Crane (born 8 September 1982) is an English former professional footballer who played as a defender, midfielder and makeshift centre forward from 1999 to 2009. He notably played as a professional for Sheffield Wednesday an ...

* Harry Deacon * Sean Dunphy * David Faulkner * Fred Furniss * George Handley *

Brian Linighan Brian Linighan (born 2 November 1973) is an English former professional footballer who played as a defender. He started his career at Sheffield Wednesday, making just one appearance on 11 January 1994 and was sold to Bury in 1998. After that ...

Billy Mosforth William Mosforth (2 January 1859 – 11 July 1929) was an English footballer who played either as an inside or outside left. Born in Sheffield he played for several Sheffield clubs but the majority of his career was spent at The Wednesday. He l ...

Mick Pickering Michael John Pickering (born 29 September 1956) is an English former professional association football, footballer who played as a Defender (association football), central defender. Career Born in Mirfield, Pickering played for Barnsley F.C., ...

* Mark Smith *

Chris Waddle Christopher Roland Waddle (born 14 December 1960) is an English former professional football player and manager. He currently works as a commentator. Nicknamed "Magic Chris", football journalist Luke Ginnell wrote that Waddle was "widely ackn ...

* Jack Whitham

Ground

Sandygate (stadium) Sandygate is a football and cricket stadium in the Sheffield suburb of Crosspool, South Yorkshire, England. It is home to Hallam F.C. and Hallam C.C. First opened in 1804, Hallam F.C. have played at the ground since 1860. Sandygate has been ...

, Crosspool, Sheffield, UK, S10 5SE. Sandygate is a

and

stadium in the

suburb A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area, which may include commercial and mixed-use, that is primarily a residential area. A suburb can exist either as part of a larger city/urban area or as a separ ...

of Crosspool,

, England. It is home to Hallam F.C. and Hallam C.C. First opened in 1804, Hallam F.C. have played at the ground since 1860. Sandygate has been recognised by the ''

'' as the "Oldest Football Ground in the World". On 26 December 1860, the world's first inter-club football match was played at the ground, Hallam taking on

The ground offers viewing for spectators from 3 sides of the pitch. The Shed End, the Main Stand and the Cricket Net End. ;The Shed End The Shed End is a covered terrace behind the goal on Sandygate Road. This mainly houses the vocal home supporters and is where the bulk of the atmosphere is created.

Gallery

File:HallamFCground.jpg, The cover at the north side of the ground in 2010 File:HallamFCground2.jpg, The refurbished clubhouse and main stand in 2014 File:HallamFCground3.jpg, The pitch, with cricket ground at the west end of the ground, in 2014 File:HallamFCwithground.jpg, Hallam (in blue) on the attack in an NCEL match against Louth Town in 2014. The new clubhouse and main stand are in the background File:Guinnesrecord1.jpg, World record certificate for Sandygate Road File:Guinnessrecord2.jpg, World record certificate for the Youdan Cup win

Honours

League

* Yorkshire League Division Two ** Winners –1960–61 (champions) ** Promoted – 1956–57 *

Division One ** Champions – 2021–22 ** Promoted – 1993–94 * Sheffield Association League ** Champions – 1949–50 * Hatchard League ** Champions – 1902–03, 1948–49 *

** Champions: 1912–13, 1913–14, 1922–23, 1926–27

Cup

Sheffield & Hallamshire Senior Cup The Sheffield & Hallamshire Senior Cup is a county cup competition involving teams within the Sheffield and Hallamshire County Football Association. Originally named the Sheffield Challenge Cup, it is the 5th oldest surviving cup competition i ...

** Winners – 1950–51, 1961–62, 1964–65, 1967–68 ** Runners-up – 1903–04, 2009–10 *

Cup ** Winners – 2003–04 *

** Winners – 1867

Records

* Best

performance: 3rd Qualifying Round, 1957–58 * Best

performance: Quarter-finals, 1924–25 * Best

FA Trophy The Football Association Challenge Trophy, commonly known as the FA Trophy, is a men's football knockout cup competition run by and named after the English Football Association and competed for primarily by semi-professional teams. The com ...

performance: Preliminary Round, 1974–75 * Best

FA Vase The Football Association Challenge Vase, usually referred to as the FA Vase, is an annual football competition for teams playing in Steps 5 and 6 of the English National League System (or equivalently, tier 9 or 10 of the overall English footb ...

performance: 5th Round, 1980–81 * Record attendance – 2,000 vs.

Hendon Hendon is an urban area in the Borough of Barnet, North-West London northwest of Charing Cross. Hendon was an ancient manor and parish in the county of Middlesex and a former borough, the Municipal Borough of Hendon; it has been part of Gre ...

, 1958–59 (at Hillsborough – 13,855 vs.

Dulwich Hamlet Dulwich Hamlet Football Club is a semi-professional football club based in East Dulwich in south-east London, England. They are currently members of and play at Champion Hill. History The club was formed in 1893, by Lorraine 'Pa' Wilson. Th ...

, 1952–53)

References

External links

Official website
{{Sheffield & Hallamshire County FA Football clubs in England Football clubs in South Yorkshire Association football clubs established in 1860 1860 establishments in England Sports teams and clubs in Sheffield Sheffield & Hallamshire County FA members Hatchard League Sheffield Amateur League Sheffield Association League Yorkshire Football League Northern Counties East Football League