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Hallam
Full name	Hallam Football Club
Nickname(s)	The Countrymen
Founded	4 September 1860; 164 years ago
Ground	Sandygate
Capacity	1,300 (250 seated)
Coordinates	53°22′34.95″N 1°31′52.41″W / 53.3763750°N 1.5312250°W
Chairman	Richard Pillinger
Manager	Craig Denton
League	Northern Counties East League Premier Division
2023–24	Northern Counties East League Premier Division, 9th of 20
Website	https://www.hallamfc.co.uk/

Hallam Football Club is an English football club based in Crosspool, Sheffield, South Yorkshire. Founded in 1860, Hallam is the second oldest association football club in the world. Hallam have played at their Sandygate home in the Sheffield suburb of Crosspool since formation, with the ground being officially recognised by the Guinness Book of Records as "The Oldest Football Ground in the World".^[3] In 1867, the club made history by winning the world's first ever football tournament, the Youdan Cup.^[4]

Hallam currently play in the Northern Counties East League Premier Division, at the ninth level of the English football league system. Games against local rivals Sheffield F.C., the oldest club in the world, are known as the Rules derby.

History

Although formed in 1860, the football club can trace its links even further back, to 1804, when the owner of the Plough Inn public house on Sandygate Road agreed to allow a new cricket club, Hallam CC, to start playing on an adjacent field he owned.

The club had in excess of 300 members by the 1850s,^[5] and in 1860 it decided to form a football club to oppose Sheffield F.C., formed three years earlier. On Boxing Day 1860, the two clubs played each other at Sandygate for the first time. The match report for the game in the Sheffield Daily Telegraph^[6] states that the game was played between 16 of Sheffield and 16 of Hallam and Stumperlowe (Stumperlowe being a hamlet half a mile from Sandygate).^[1]

The Hallam Football Club's founder and captain, John Charles Shaw, soon became President of the Sheffield Football Association which organised matches according to the locally preferred rules for its growing number of member clubs. Shaw was directly instrumental, with Charles Alcock of the London-based Football Association, in the formation of nationally accepted rules for playing the game. Shaw and Alcock were the respective captains in the first game between a Sheffield XI and a London XI, in 1871, in which the preferred rules were tried out.

In 1867, Hallam won the first ever football competition, the Youdan Cup. The trophy was subsequently misplaced by the club, and did not resurface again until 1997 when a Scottish antiques collector who had come into possession of the silver trophy sold it back to the club for £2,000. In 2014 the trophy was featured on the BBC programme Antiques Roadshow, where it was valued at £100,000. Club chairman Chris Taylor subsequently said the club had no plans to sell the trophy.^[7]

Although professionalism began to creep into the game during the 1870s and 1980s, Hallam chose to remain fully amateur. In the summer of 1886, for reasons unknown but likely because of financial constraints, the club was dissolved, but a year later the club was re-formed and re-registered with the Sheffield & Hallamshire FA.^[1]

Hallam entered their first league competition in 1892 when joining the newly formed Hallamshire League, and they would also play in the Sheffield Minor Cup League, Sheffield Alliance and the Hatchard League as the 19th century came to a close.^[1] They won the Hatchard League title for the first time in 1903, and a year later won the league again, though they lost the play-off final played between the top four teams, and so surrendered their title. They also reached the final of the Sheffield and Hallamshire Senior Cup for the first time in 1904, but lost 1–6 to Barnsley reserves at Bramall Lane.

In 1911 the club first competed in a Football Association (FA) cup competition, when they entered the FA Amateur Cup. Three years later the First World War began, but Hallam continued to play, dropping out of the Hatchard League to join the Sheffield Amateur and Minor Leagues, previously staples of the club's reserve team. Eventually, in 1917, Hallam decided they could no longer keep playing, and suspended playing operations, only re-joining the Sheffield Amateur League after hostilities had ended, in 1919.^[1]

In 1925 Hallam pulled off one of their greatest ever results when they knocked out five-time Amateur Cup winners Bishop Auckland in front of over 2,000 people at Sandygate. Two years later the club entered the FA Cup for the first time. After winning the Sheffield Amateur League for the second time in 1927, they were admitted back into the Sheffield Association League.

At the end of the 1932–33 season the landlord of the Plough Inn public house decided to lease Sandygate to other teams (Crookes WMC and later Fulwood) as Hallam were not providing enough bar takings. Although the club retained its affiliation with the local FA, Hallam's eviction from their ground saw them refrain from playing any football for a period of 15 years.^[1]

Hallam's return to football came about in 1947 when they finally arranged a return to Sandygate, playing in the Sheffield Amateur League and the re-formed Hatchard League (which they won) before finally re-joining the Sheffield Association League in 1949, winning the title for the first time.^[1] A year later Hallam won the Sheffield Senior Cup for the first time when they beat Stocksbridge Works at Hillsborough in front of 7,240 spectators, and in 1952 they entered the Yorkshire League.

That same season an Amateur Cup tie with Dulwich Hamlet was switched to Hillsborough stadium because of increased ticket demands – the attendance of over 13,000 proving to be a club record. After winning promotion to the top flight of the Yorkshire League for a second time in 1960,^[8] Hallam spent twenty years playing at the same level.

The 1982–83 season saw the demise of the old Yorkshire League, with Hallam entering the new Northern Counties East League (NCEL), which demanded more stringent ground grading rules. With only seven years of its ground lease remaining the club could not commit to expensive improvements. Protracted negotiations with the landlord eventually led to a 99 years extension being granted but a large premium was demanded within one year.^[5] A massive fund raising effort secured the new lease and continued for the provision of floodlights, first used in 1992, and a stand behind one goal to shelter 100 people.

The club has spent most of its time in the NCEL in the Premier Division (which currently sits at level 9 of the English football league system), and won the League Cup competition in 2004 when beating Mickleover Sports in the final,^[9] but in 2011 they were relegated back to the First Division.

In 2012, Sandygate received a much needed facelift, paid for by a posthumous donation by a lifelong supporter who had left the club a substantial amount of money in his will.^[10] In 2016 and 2017, the club qualified for the Division One end of season play-offs, but were eliminated in the semi-finals on both occasions.

The appointment of Craig Denton as manager in 2020 was followed by an upturn in results and attendances, and in the 2021–22 season Hallam secured the Division One title and promotion to the NCEL Premier Division, with Sandygate hosting record crowds in excess of 1,100.

Sandygate panorama before a friendly fixture against Sheffield Wednesday in 2012

Season-by-season record

Season	Division	Level	Position	FA Cup	FA Amateur Cup	FA Trophy	FA Vase	Notes
1892–93	Hallamshire League Division One	–	5th/8	–	–	–	–
1893–94	Sheffield Minor Cup League (qualifying)	–	8th/8	–	–	–	–
1894–95	Sheffield Minor Cup League (qualifying) Hatchard League	–	5th/7 1st/6	–	–	–	–	Lost league play-off
1895–96	Sheffield Minor Cup League (qualifying) Hatchard League	–	4th/6	–	–	–	–
1896–97	Sheffield Alliance League Division Two	–	6th/12	–	–	–	–
1897–98	Sheffield Alliance League	–	2nd/11	–	–	–	–
1898–99	Hatchard League	–	2nd/11	–	–	–	–
1899–1900	Hatchard League	–		–	–	–	–
1900–01	Hatchard League	–		–	–	–	–
1901–02	Hatchard League	–		–	–	–	–
1902–03	Hatchard League	–	2nd/8	–	–	–	–	League champions (won play-off)
1903–04	Hatchard League	–	1st/11	–	–	–	–	Lost league play-off
1904–05	Hatchard League	–	1st/13	–	–	–	–	Lost league play-off
1905–06	Sheffield Association League	–		–	–	–	–
1906–07	Hatchard League	–		–	–	–	–
1907–08	Hatchard League	–		–	–	–	–
1908–09	Hatchard League	–		–	–	–	–
1909–10	Hatchard League	–		–	–	–	–
1910–11	Hatchard League	–	3rd/9	–	–	–	–
1911–12	Hatchard League	–		–	–	–	–
1912–13	Hatchard League	–		–	–	–	–
1913–14	Hatchard League	–		–	–	–	–
1914–15	Sheffield Amateur League	–		–	2R	–	–
1915–16	Sheffield Minor League	–		–	–	–	–
1916–17	Sheffield Minor League	–		–	–	–	–
1917–18	Club did not enter any competitions due to World War I
1918–19	Club did not enter any competitions due to World War I
1919–20	Sheffield Amateur League	–		–	1R	–	–
1920–21	Sheffield Amateur League	–		–	3QR	–	–
1921–22	Sheffield Amateur League	–	1st/13	–	3QR	–	–	Lost league play-off
1922–23	Sheffield Amateur League	–		–	–	–	–	League champions (won play-off)
1923–24	Sheffield Amateur League	–	4th/15	–	4QR	–	–
1924–25	Sheffield Amateur League	–		–	QF	–	–
1925–26	Sheffield Amateur League	–		–	3R	–	–
1926–27	Sheffield Amateur League	–		PR	1R	–	–	League champions (won play-off)
1927–28	Sheffield Association League	–	1st/13	1QR	3R	–	–
1928–29	Sheffield Association League	–	8th/15	PR	3R	–	–
1929–30	Sheffield Association League	–	4th/15	PR	2R	–	–
1930–31	Sheffield Association League	–		PR	1R	–	–
1931–32	Sheffield Association League Division Two	–	8th/12	PR	–	–	–
1932–33	Sheffield Association League Division Two	–	12th/12	PR	–	–	–
1933–34	Club did not enter any competitions
1934–35	Club did not enter any competitions
1935–36	Club did not enter any competitions
1936–37	Club did not enter any competitions
1937–38	Club did not enter any competitions
1938–39	Club did not enter any competitions
1939–40	Club did not enter any competitions
1940–41	Club did not enter any competitions
1941–42	Club did not enter any competitions
1942–43	Club did not enter any competitions
1943–44	Club did not enter any competitions
1944–45	Club did not enter any competitions
1945–46	Club did not enter any competitions
1946–47	Club did not enter any competitions
1947–48	Sheffield Amateur League	–		–	2QR	–	–
1948–49	Hatchard League	–	1st	–	4QR	–	–	League champions
1949–50	Sheffield Association League	–	1st/16	–	4QR	–	–	League champions (won play-off)
1950–51	Sheffield Association League	–	2nd/15	EPR	1R	–	–
1951–52	Sheffield Association League	–		1QR	4QR	–	–
1952–53	Yorkshire League Division Two	–	11th/14	1QR	3R	–	–
1953–54	Yorkshire League Division Two	–	8th/16	2QR	3R	–	–
1954–55	Yorkshire League Division Two	–	10th/16	1QR	2R	–	–
1955–56	Yorkshire League Division Two	–	5th/16	2QR	1R	–	–
1956–57	Yorkshire League Division Two	–	2nd/17	1QR	1R	–	–	Promoted
1957–58	Yorkshire League Division One	–	14th/18	3QR	4QR	–	–
1958–59	Yorkshire League Division One	–	14th/18	2QR	3R	–	–
1959–60	Yorkshire League Division One	–	17th/18	–	2R	–	–	Relegated
1960–61	Yorkshire League Division Two	–	1st/19	–	3R	–	–	League champions, promoted
1961–62	Yorkshire League Division One	–	8th/16	–	1R	–	–
1962–63	Yorkshire League Division One	–	12th/16	–	1R	–	–
1963–64	Yorkshire League Division One	–	10th/16	–	4QR	–	–
1964–65	Yorkshire League Division One	–	11th/16	–	1QR	–	–
1965–66	Yorkshire League Division One	–	12th/16	–	1QR	–	–
1966–67	Yorkshire League Division One	–	10th/17	–	1R	–	–
1967–68	Yorkshire League Division One	–	15th/17	–	1R	–	–
1968–69	Yorkshire League Division One	–	13th/18	–	1R	–	–
1969–70	Yorkshire League Division One	–	10th/18	–	4QR	–	–
1970–71	Yorkshire League Division One	–	5th/14	–	4QR	–	–
1971–72	Yorkshire League Division One	–	9th/16	–	1R	–	–
1972–73	Yorkshire League Division One	–	10th/16	–	4QR	–	–
1973–74	Yorkshire League Division One	–	5th/16	–	3QR	–	–
1974–75	Yorkshire League Division One	–	7th/16	–	–	PR	–
1975–76	Yorkshire League Division One	–	3rd/16	–	–	–	4R
1976–77	Yorkshire League Division One	–	7th/16	–	–	–	4R
1977–78	Yorkshire League Division One	–	6th/16	–	–	–	3R
1978–79	Yorkshire League Division One	–	10th/16	–	–	–	2R
1979–80	Yorkshire League Division One	–	7th/16	–	–	–	3R
1980–81	Yorkshire League Division One	–	9th/16	–	–	–	5R
1981–82	Yorkshire League Division One	–	12th/16	–	–	–	4R
1982–83	Northern Counties East League Division One South	–	10th/14	–	–	–	3R
1983–84	Northern Counties East League Division One South	–	9th/14	–	–	–	2R
1984–85	Northern Counties East League Division One South	–	9th/16	–	–	–	1R
1985–86	Northern Counties East League Division Two	–	5th/16	–	–	–	1R	Promoted
1986–87	Northern Counties East League Division One	–	6th/18	–	–	–	2R	Promoted
1987–88	Northern Counties East League Premier Division	–	10th/17	–	–	–	1R
1988–89	Northern Counties East League Premier Division	–	12th/17	–	–	–	PR
1989–90	Northern Counties East League Premier Division	–	14th/18	–	–	–	EPR	Relegated
1990–91	Northern Counties East League Division One	–	2nd/13	–	–	–	EPR
1991–92	Northern Counties East League Division One	–	5th/16	–	–	–	1R
1992–93	Northern Counties East League Division One	–	3rd/14	–	–	–	PR
1993–94	Northern Counties East League Division One	–	2nd/15	–	–	–	1R	Promoted
1994–95	Northern Counties East League Premier Division	–	17th/20	1QR	–	–	PR
1995–96	Northern Counties East League Premier Division	–	17th/20	1QR	–	–	1QR
1996–97	Northern Counties East League Premier Division	–	7th/20	PR	–	–	3R
1997–98	Northern Counties East League Premier Division	–	17th/20	–	–	–	2QR
1998–99	Northern Counties East League Premier Division	–	4th/20	–	–	–	2R
1999–2000	Northern Counties East League Premier Division	–	12th/20	PR	–	–	1QR
2000–01	Northern Counties East League Premier Division	–	5th/20	PR	–	–	2QR
2001–02	Northern Counties East League Premier Division	–	3rd/20	1QR	–	–	3R
2002–03	Northern Counties East League Premier Division	–	17th/20	1QR	–	–	1R
2003–04	Northern Counties East League Premier Division	–	15th/20	PR	–	–	2R
2004–05	Northern Counties East League Premier Division	9	15th/20	PR	–	–	1R
2005–06	Northern Counties East League Premier Division	9	17th/20	PR	–	–	1QR
2006–07	Northern Counties East League Premier Division	9	14th/20	2QR	–	–	1QR
2007–08	Northern Counties East League Premier Division	9	6th/20	1QR	–	–	3R
2008–09	Northern Counties East League Premier Division	9	10th/20	EPR	–	–	1R
2009–10	Northern Counties East League Premier Division	9	15th/20	1QR	–	–	2R
2010–11	Northern Counties East League Premier Division	9	19th/20	EPR	–	–	1R	Relegated
2011–12	Northern Counties East League Division One	10	14th/20	EPR	–	–	1QR
2012–13	Northern Counties East League Division One	10	12th/22	EPR	–	–	1QR
2013–14	Northern Counties East League Division One	10	20th/22	–	–	–	1QR
2014–15	Northern Counties East League Division One	10	14th/22	–	–	–	2QR
2015–16	Northern Counties East League Division One	10	6th/21	–	–	–	2R
2016–17	Northern Counties East League Division One	10	5th/22	EPR	–	–	2R
2017–18	Northern Counties East League Division One	10	8th/22	PR	–	–	2QR
2018–19	Northern Counties East League Division One	10	3rd/20	EPR	–	–	2R
2019–20	Northern Counties East League Division One	10	–	EPR	–	–	1QR	League season abandoned due to COVID-19 pandemic
2020–21	Northern Counties East League Division One	10	–	–	–	–	2R	League season abandoned due to COVID-19 pandemic
2021–22	Northern Counties East League Division One	10	1st/21	–	–	–	1QR	League champions, promoted
2022–23	Northern Counties East League Premier Division	9	6th/20	EPR	–	–	2R
2023–24	Northern Counties East League Premier Division	9	9th/20	EPR	–	–	5R
Season	Division	Level	Position	FA Cup	FA Amateur Cup	FA Trophy	FA Vase	Notes
Source: Football Club History Database

Current squad

As of 26 December 2024^[11]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
—	GK	ENG	Hugo Warhurst (vice-captain)
—	GK	ENG	Will Sykes
—	DF	ITA	Nicolantonio DeGirolamo
—	DF	ENG	Alfie Smith
—	DF	ENG	Jamie Sharman
—	DF	CZE	Daniel Pudil
—	DF	ENG	Jack Brownell
—	DF	ENG	Craig Nelthorpe
—	DF	ENG	Danny South (captain)
—	DF	ENG	Adam Blakeley
—	MF	ENG	Ted Cribley
—	MF	ENG	Brandon Bradbury
—	MF	ENG	Jack Moore-Billam
—	MF	ENG	Janni Lipka
—	MF	ENG	James Cadman
—	MF	ENG	Danny Buttle
—	MF	ENG	Ethan Blackbourn
—	FW	ENG	Rio Allan
—	FW	ENG	Calum Ward
—	FW	ENG	Leon Howarth
—	FW	ENG	Brodie Litchfield
—	FW	ENG	Gregg Smith
—	FW	ENG	Steven McDonnell
—	FW	ENG	Ollie Fearon

Notable former players

Players that have played in the Football League either before or after playing for Hallam –

Ground

Sandygate, Crosspool, Sheffield, UK, S10 5SE.

Sandygate is a football and cricket stadium in the Sheffield suburb of Crosspool, South Yorkshire, England. It is home to Hallam F.C. and Hallam C.C.

First opened in 1804, Hallam have played at the ground since 1860. Sandygate has been recognised by the Guinness Book of Records as the "Oldest Football Ground in the World".^[12] On 26 December 1860, the world's first inter-club football match was played at the ground, Hallam taking on Sheffield F.C.

The ground offers viewing for spectators from 3 sides of the pitch. The Shed End, the Main Stand and the Cricket Net End.

The Shed End

The Shed End is a covered terrace behind the goal on the Sandygate Road side of the ground. This mainly houses the vocal home supporters and is where the bulk of the atmosphere is created.

Gallery

The cover at the north side of the ground in 2010
The refurbished clubhouse and main stand in 2014
The pitch, with cricket ground at the west end of the ground, in 2014
Hallam (in blue) on the attack in an NCEL match against Louth Town in 2014. The new clubhouse and main stand are in the background
World record certificate for Sandygate
World record certificate for the Youdan Cup win

Honours

League

Yorkshire League Division Two
- Champions –1960–61
- Promoted – 1956–57
Northern Counties East League Division One
- Champions – 2021–22
- Promoted – 1993–94
Sheffield Association League
- Champions – 1949–50
Hatchard League
- Champions – 1902–03, 1948–49
Sheffield Amateur League
- Champions: 1922–23, 1926–27

Cup

Sheffield & Hallamshire Senior Cup
- Winners – 1950–51, 1961–62, 1964–65, 1967–68
- Runners-up – 1903–04, 2009–10
Northern Counties East League Cup
- Winners – 2003–04
Youdan Cup
- Winners – 1867

Records

Best FA Cup performance: 3rd Qualifying Round, 1957–58
Best FA Amateur Cup performance: Quarter-finals, 1924–25
Best FA Trophy performance: Preliminary Round, 1974–75
Best FA Vase performance: 5th Round, 1980–81, 2023–24
Record attendance – 2,000 vs. Hendon, FA Amateur Cup, 1958–59 (at Hillsborough – 13,855 vs. Dulwich Hamlet, FA Amateur Cup, 1952–53)^[2]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Steele, John A (2010). The Countrymen: History of Hallam Football Club. Northern Map Distributors.
^ ^a ^b Hallam Northern Counties East League Premier Division
^ "World's oldest football teams play in derby". BBC News. 27 July 2013. Retrieved 24 July 2022.
^ Murphy, Brendan (2007). From Sheffield with Love. SportBooks Limited. ISBN 978-1-899807-56-7.
^ ^a ^b History Archived 20 October 2014 at the Wayback Machine Hallam FC
^ Sheffield Daily Telegraph, 28 December 1860
^ "World's oldest football trophy 'not for sale'". BBC News. 14 October 2014.
^ Hallam Football Club History Database
^ Honours Northern Counties East League
^ . World's oldest football ground receives financial boost BBC
^ "Hallam".
^ "World's oldest football teams play in derby". BBC. 27 July 2013. Retrieved 30 September 2014.