During recent weeks, the football world has found itself focused upon, arguably, the world’s biggest derby game between, arguably, its two best current teams: the El Clasico in Spain, involving Real Madrid and Barcelona. And after four games between the two in eighteen days, they have found themselves locked in a fight for political, moral and football supremacy - the media gripped in its thrall.
But on Monday this week, another derby game with a unique history - one that will be forever unparalleled - was being played elsewhere with far less interest and in far less glamorous surroundings: in Crosspool, an ordinary suburb of Sheffield; featuring Sheffield FC of the Evo-Stick League Division One and Hallam FC of the KoolSport North Counties East Football League Premier Division. They were celebrating and commemorating the anniversary of the world’s first inter-club football match, featuring the same two clubs, played 150 years ago.
While Sheffield FC is accepted as being the oldest football club, founded in 1857, Hallam FC is the only one with documentary evidence to prove its claim of being the second oldest, verified as 1860. The “rematch” between the two was once again played at the historic Sandygate Road Stadium – home to Hallam FC - the oldest stadium in the world and with a capacity of 1,400.
Such is the appreciation that Corriere Dello Sport [of Italy] also covered the build-up to the game: describing Sheffield FC as “The Mother of Football”; and with a romance that transcends Italian-English translation going on to say “We are at the dawn of football.” Also highlighting how Genoa, the oldest of Italian football clubs, was not founded until 1893.
Yet, despite the feel-good factor generated by yesterday’s fixture, the reality is that these are watershed times for the eldest statesman of world football and at Sotheby’s, in London, on 14th July 2011, Sheffield FC is to auction-off the original [handwritten and typed] rules of the club game - documents that initiated the lineage towards the game that we know now - in a bid to secure a future.
Many of the innovations that we enjoy can be traced directly back to the imagination of a collection of flat-capped Yorkshire-folk in the 1850s. Ironically, in that era, it would be inevitable that the Honorary President of the club - one Sepp Blatter - would find himself in direct conflict with the game’s “mother” in a debate over the introduction of technologies; Sheffield hosted the first floodlit football game in 1878, in front of 20,000 fans.
The value estimated on the lot has been placed between £800,000 and £1.2million. The people of Sheffield were wise not to turn this to Pulp. Richard Rims, the current chairman of Sheffield FC, explained that “The sale of this remarkable piece of sporting history will allow the club to develop facilities and secure it future as the home of grass-roots football.” It is unfortunately a necessity: Sheffield FC has never owned its own ground and since 2001 has played at the “Coach and Horses” pub in Dronfield - an occupation that was inaugurated with a game against a Manchester United XI; the case of a regularly moving object meeting an immovable one.
So, if the game yesterday passed with little fanfare, one Sheffield derby might garner more interest next season, as the Steel city’s two biggest clubs - Wednesday and United – are guaranteed to be spending season 2011/12 together, this time in League One. The Owls by virtue of a failed attempt at promotion this season, placing in mid-table and the Blades as a result of relegation from the Championship; both clubs finds itself on a journey that it hopes can only get better.
How United must rue the appointment of a manager as inexperienced as Gary Speed at the start of this season. Having the Premier League’s most famous quiz answer in “Brian Deane” or the wonderful “Greasy Chip Butty” interpretation of John Denver’s “Annie’s song” will be scant consolation for the fans who will suffer as a result of the owner’s naivety.
Both clubs have fallen fast and fallen far. Within just these last ten years, for instance, Neil Warnock guided Sheffield United back into the Premier League and was also able to take them to the Semi-Finals of the FA Cup and League Cup in the same season. And of course, prior to that, Dave Basset – the arch-pragmatist – was able to guide them to successive promotions from the third-tier back to the top-flight between 1988 and 1990. Hod-carrier/ actor / midfield hard-man: Vinnie Jones also found himself in the Blades’ midfield and was the perfect captain, an embodiment of their play in that era.
The Owls: another Sheffield club steeped in history; the third oldest in the Football League; a founder member of the Football Alliance in 1889. Yet age does not equate to success for them and their only trophy since 1935 is a Rumbelows Cup win in 1991. And therein is some salt to be rubbed in the Blue and White of this city’s current wound, at least where the Red and White part are concerned. The scorer for “The Wednesday” that day, as Ron Atkinson’s burgeoning side overcame Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United by virtue of a 1-0 victory was John Sheridan; a hero to the club but now regenerating another just 12 miles away from Hillsborough, and 7 miles from Bramall Lane.
Whilst, where Sheffield Wednesday is concerned, the memories of Chris Waddle, Paolo Di Canio and local lad David Hirst wearing the club colours must seem almost Jurassic now; the former of those names also being awarded Footballer Writer’s Player of the Year whilst at the club. Indeed, to put it into context, they were once in a position to request that Eric Cantona proved himself to them by virtue of an extended trial, a request that the Frenchman rejected - how pivotal that moment was in the club’s fate since will forever remain unknowable, but.
Whilst, where Sheffield Wednesday is concerned, the memories of Chris Waddle, Paolo Di Canio and local lad David Hirst wearing the club colours must seem almost Jurassic now; the former of those names also being awarded Footballer Writer’s Player of the Year whilst at the club. Indeed, to put it into context, they were once in a position to request that Eric Cantona proved himself to them by virtue of an extended trial, a request that the Frenchman rejected - how pivotal that moment was in the club’s fate since will forever remain unknowable, but.
On the Yorkshire/ Derbyshire border, the market town of Chesterfield is now home to a cultured midfielder whom will forever be associated with Sheffield and who, as manager, has guided the “Spireites” into League One this season with such aplomb, that Don Goodman described them as “perhaps the best League Two side ever” and they were hugely unfortunate to succumb to The Owls on penalties, in the Johnstone Paint Trophy, late last year. Chesterfield will be the third team in what promise to be a spicy set of derby games for season 2011/12.
And whilst the Blades will undoubtedly enjoy any successes that Sheridan enjoys over his former club - particularly so, since Dave Allen the owner of Chesterfield was recently a director of Sheffield Wednesday and who felt inclined to leave due to fan pressure - they will be as slighted as any, if a small club from just down the road - most famous for a Crooked Spire and one FA Cup run – achieves its stated aim of promotion to the Championship at the first attempt, at their expense.
There are positives for the city’s two professional clubs, of course. Sheffield Wednesday - with a 39,814 capacity stadium, an average attendance of 17,669 and a high of 23,081 - remain one of the powerhouses in League One and are a sleeping-giant with potential to compare with – if not a Manchester City or a Leeds United - the likes of a Birmingham City, a Norwich City and perhaps a West Ham United.
Whereas, for Sheffield United, they have a youth set-up established that is as fertile as a club could hope and its products have been able to gain valuable experience, supplementing the first-team all season; indeed, the Blades youth team finds itself contesting the FA Youth Cup final against Manchester United over two-legs, later this month. While, with an attendance high of 23,728, an average of 20,632 and a capacity of 32,609, they will also be a force to be reckoned with in League One next season and quite naturally looking to return to the Championship at the first attempt.
But, regardless, next season will require much of the famous Yorkshire grit, if these famously proud residents are to enjoy the competition that lies ahead.
PS,
For those who are interested, Sheffield FC was the victor in the world’s oldest derby, by a margin of 2-1. A report can be found at Crosspool.info. It was written by “robin”.
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