On the 24th of October 1857 William Prest and Nathaniel Creswick changed the landscape of sport and the world forever by forming Sheffield FC, the world’s first ever football club. March 1st 2021 could also prove to be another monumental date in the history of football as we learned that Sheffield FC were finally ‘coming home’.
After playing in many different locations across the city (Including Ecclesall Road, Wadsley Bridge, Owlerton and Bramall Lane) Sheffield FC finally found a home in Dronfield in 2001 at the coach and horses. Although the area felt like home for a while, it did not tend to sit well with most people that the world’s first club were playing in Derbyshire despite being so proud of their illustrious history associating them with the city of Sheffield, the birthplace of football. Well the 1st of March 2021 could be the date that changes all of that as the club announced plans for a new 4,000 seat capacity stadium alongside an international football attraction.
The site that has been touted for this historic return is the Sheffield transport club which is less than two miles from the current site but, very importantly, sits inside the Sheffield boundary in Meadowhead. To fund the project Sheffield FC are to ask the relevant authorities for planning permission to build homes on their current land and chairman Richard Tims is hopeful that the stadium could be standing proudly back in Sheffield in just two years time.
For a city steeped in such unique football history Sheffield has failed to utilise its prestigious claim to building the first foundations of the beautiful game. Football is a global game but the fact that our national football museum stands proudly in Manchester is testament to the lack of creativity and imagination of Sheffield’s local authorities to promote the footballing history of the city, leaving the local people frustrated that the city has little to show for it.
As much as traditionalists may not wish to hear it “football tourism” is a thing and it is here to stay therefore making it incredibly important that Sheffield and Derbyshire councils work together to achieve Sheffield FC’s excellent vision of a stadium and international attraction that is ‘an absolute must visit’ for any self-respecting football fan across the globe! This welcome story compliments news just last month that considerations were being made to have a permanent exhibition in the city library dedicated to Sheffield’s role in providing the world with the beautiful game.
Sheffield FC didn’t just stop with the great news, they have also launched their brand new website and a membership scheme that is completely FREE with optional extras coming at a small cost. We are truly thrilled with the work Sheffield FC are embarking on for football in our area and we will continue to support their work and that of other non-league clubs in our area. We can’t wait to get back into our local grounds, but it may not be too long till we have another one to add to the list!
To find out more about the stadium plans and the new membership scheme visit SheffieldFC.com