Sheffield FC, not to be confused with United or Wednesday, is the oldest football club still around today in the world. It’s been recognised by FIFA and everything. They were founded in 1857, before anyone else. This Boxing Day I made the pilgrimage to this historic club, something I’d been wanting to do for a long time.
Boxing Day football is one of my favourite traditions. It’s freezing cold, you’re still a little bit hungover from the festivities the day before, you’re wearing your new trainers or coat or woolly jumper and there is nothing else in the world to do apart from go and enjoy some football. This year there was no better place to celebrate this tradition then at the oldest club in the world.
Sheffield play at the Coach and Horses Ground in Dronfield, just slightly over the border into Derbyshire, a stones throw from South Yorkshire and Sheffield. The club has been in Dronfield since 2001. The ground oozes with charm, there are two stands, one with seats behind a goal and a terrace opposite the dugouts. Along one side of the ground a large plastic sheet covers up a steep verge and proudly shows the club’s retro crest and boasts about their proud status as oldest in the world. The ground is attached to a pub of the same name that was patronised by fans before and after the match.
Sheffield, playing in a red shirt with black details and Long Eaton in their blue and black stripes matched up in a fantastic game. Long Eaton United are practically babies compared to the elderly Sheffield, they were founded in 1956, nearly a century after their opponents. The club, also based in Derbyshire, got off to a bad start, after 12 minutes they had conceded a penalty.
Sheffield’s Marc Newsham took the spot kick but was unable to convert it. His shot was saved by Long Eaton’s ‘keeper Sam Wilson. The rebound popped up back to Newsham but he was unable to head home and another Sheffield man wasn’t able to slot the ball home from close range when it fell to him.
Mere minutes afterwards however, Newsham was able to make up from his penalty miss. He connected to a long ball from his own goalkeeper and was able to slot it home to put Sheffield in the lead early on. The ground’s wonderful analog scoreboard showed 1-0.
Long Eaton employed some amazing long throw-ins all game. Their players were able to generate rapid spin on the ball as they threw it over their heads. At every long throw in the ball spiralled like a Quarterback’s throw in American football, something I had never seen before. One of these great spiralling long throws resulted in Long Eaton equalising late on in the first half. The throw in was not properly dealt with by Sheffield’s keeper and the ball was crossed back into the box for Tom Marshall to volley home near the back post.
All of Long Eaton’s hard work was undone mere moments later. Sheffield’s front man Nathan Modest caught the other side napping as it went into additional time. He grabbed two goals in as many minutes to put Sheffield 3-1 up going into half time. His first was a great shot that was squeezed between the keeper and the right-hand post from the edge of the box and his second came from a wicked deflection that Long Eaton’s Wilson was incapable of saving.
In the second half the game was much less open and crunching tackles were frequent. Long Eaton dominated the ball but were unable to forge any chances. Meanwhile Sheffield hit the woodwork two or three times, coming ever so close to a fourth goal that would have put the game to bed without a doubt.
Long Eaton’s hard work was rewarded in the 88th minute as they halved the deficit to one goal. A gorgeous, floated cross was met by defender Kieran Walker’s towering header at the back post. The ball crossed the face of goal and went in off the opposite post.
As Sheffield looked to see out the game, they played a short corner to themselves in injury time. Long Eaton were able to nick it off them and pump the ball up to their number 10, Tom Cursons, who played a spectacular chip that found the top corner of the goal. But the comeback wasn’t to be, the referee blew for offside as the ball was crossing the line. The last few seconds of the game was played out and the final whistle was blown, 3-2 to Sheffield.
The oldest club in the world showed they still got it and were able to make their chances count against a well structured and hard working Long Eaton United. Hopefully with some more results like that, Sheffield FC will be able to make some more history for themselves very soon.
Leave a comment