The Earliest Derby?

Hallam vs Sheffield in 1863

The Earliest Derby?

There’s really no doubt that Sheffield F.C. and Hallam F.C. are the oldest and second oldest football clubs in the world still in existence. Sheffield dates back to 1857, and Hallam dates back to 1860 — both clubs predating the formation of the Football Association by several years (the FA was formed in October 1863).

Though coverage of early football in English newspapers is scant at best, there are still a number of gems to be found. Take, for example, the following collection of articles and letters to the editor from The Sheffield and Rotherham Independent in January 1863:

January 3, 1863, page 10

January 6, 1863, page 8

January 7, 1863, page 3

January 8, 1863, page 3

January 10, 1863, page 6

And so on and so forth. There’s nothing quite like a good old fashioned brawl at a derby, complete with partisan efforts to justify and condemn the behavior in the local newspapers.