Rules derby
Rules 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[1] and is the oldest football fixture in the world. The name refers to the fact that the fixture was originally played under the Sheffield Rules.
The first match was played at Hallam's home ground, Sandygate Road and resulted in a Sheffield victory by two goals to nil. The teams competed in the first ever football match at Bramall Lane. Due to a fight that erupted it was dubbed the Battle of Bramall Lane.
The derby is currently not a regular fixture as Sheffield are currently in the NPL Division One South, while Hallam are in the NCEL Division 1, two tiers below, however, the teams do regularly meet in pre-season friendles and occasionally Local FA matches. The last meeting between the two sides was a 3–2 win for Sheffield[2] on 9 October 2012 in the Senior Cup at the Coach and Horses Ground, Dronfield.
References
- ↑ "World's oldest football teams play in derby". BBC. BBC. 27 July 2013. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
- ↑ "First Team vs Hallam F.C (3 : 2)". Sheffield F.C. 2012-10-09. Retrieved 2012-10-16.