This is written from the home of football, namely Sheffield. You will be aware of our claim and may well be aware of some of the initial contributions made by forward-thinking folk in Sheffield to the “Sheffield and soccer”.
The oldest football ground on the planet [1860] is that of Hallam FC, behind Sheffield FC which is the second oldest football club. The then landlord of the adjacent pub, “The Plough” at Sandygate, had formed a cricket club in 1850 and due to the establishment of Sheffield FC the members opened the ground up to football in 1860 https://www.hallamfc.co.uk/history.php [A page worth visiting]
As with many locals,” The Plough” is currently closed and under threat of a developer turning the area into domestic housing.
The Plough has a unique pedigree football-wise and for over 150 years has been home to the pre and post-match camaraderie of thousands of those with a love of the game; it is an integral part of football’s history. It is believed that many of the original templates for the game were developed in The Plough
This could well be an FA rescue mission. The possibility of a pub, hotel, museum and only a few miles from Sheffield’s City Centre, an FA investment would pay dividends locally, regionally, nationally and internationally. Over the years this city has provided chairmen of the FA… notably Sir Charles Clegg 1890 [aka the Napoleon of Football]. He played in the first international 1872 and refereed FA cup finals! The Clegg Cup and Shield are the oldest schools’ football trophies in the world. Charles and his brother William were amazing influences on the game. Other Sheffield Chairmen of distinction were, Sir Andrew Stephen 1967 and Geoff Thompson, OBE 2010.
WE ARE THE GLOBAL HOME OF FOOTBALL …. and we believe deserve increased recognition from the Football Association; we trust that you do too.
