Sheffield 2018 - Back the Bid

Football in Sheffield

Sheffield has always considered itself to be a sporting city, but without doubt the most popular game is football.

For years the people of Sheffield have shared a passion for football, be it from the blue half or the red half of Sheffield. Along with this passion Sheffield has one of the richest heritages in the modern game.

Football Heritage

Sheffield is home to Sheffield FC - officially recognized by both FIFA and FA as being the oldest football club in the world. Founded in 1857 it is the place where the first official rules of football were developed and has made a huge contribution in shaping early Football Governance structures and the rules of the modern game. The club was also involved in a host of innovations such as the first crossbar, first free kick and the first floodlit match.

As well as boasting the oldest football club in the world Sheffield also has the oldest football ground in the world, Sandygate, home to Hallam FC and where the club has played its home matches there since 1860.

Clubs

In addition to the cities rich football heritage it also has 2 very well known professional clubs:

Sheffield Wednesday were founded in 1867 and play their home matches at Hillsborough Stadium.  Nicknamed the Owls they now play in League 1 and are managed by Alan Irvine.

Sheffield United were founded in 1889 and play their home matches at Bramall Lane Stadium. Nicknamed the Blades they are also currently playing in the Championship since being relegated from the Premiership in 2007 and are managed by Kevin Blackwell.

There is a combined average attendance of 47,500 spectators per home fixture in the 2008/2009 season and both clubs maintain strong links to the community to ensure that Football has a positive impact on society.

Participation

Football in Sheffield has great depth and variety to it, there are 2000 affiliated men's, women's, boys' and girls' teams which amounts to about 27,800 players playing regular football at grassroots level. As well as participants there are volunteers within football acting as administrators, welfare officers, referees, coaches and other roles that support the grassroots game in Sheffield.

The combination of Sheffield City Council, Sheffield & Hallamshire FA and all football clubs in the area, both professional and amateur, have ensured the profile of the game has been significantly increased within the city and surrounding region. These parties continually and successfully work together to provide footballing opportunities to all those wishing to participate whilst maintaining football's glowing reputation in both the business sector and the local community.

Remember to register you support for Sheffield's World Cup bid by logging on to the official England 2018 website- http://www.england2018bid.com/