Rules derby
Association football derby played in Sheffield, England
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Rules derby (or Sheffield 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.
| Other names | The oldest derby The first derby |
|---|---|
| Sport | Football |
| Location | Sheffield |
| Teams | |
| First meeting | 26 December 1860 Hallam 0–2 Sheffield |
| Latest meeting | 21 January 2025 Sheffield & Hallamshire Senior Cup Hallam 2–1 Sheffield |
| Stadiums | Home of Football Stadium (Sheffield) Sandygate (Hallam) |
  Hallam  Sheffield | |
History
The first match was played at Hallam's home ground, Sandygate, and resulted in a Sheffield victory by two goals to nil. The teams competed in the first ever football match at Bramall Lane.
The derby is currently not a regular fixture as the two sides have not recently played in the same league; Hallam are currently in the NPL Division One East, while Sheffield are in the NCEL Premier Division, one tier below. However, the teams do regularly meet in pre-season friendlies and occasionally local FA matches. The last competitive meeting between the two sides was a 2–1 win for Hallam on 21 January 2025 in the Sheffield & Hallamshire Senior Cup at Sandygate.[2]
