SUMMARY
- The game of soccer is believed to have been first played in the 19th century in England.
- Since the inception of the Football Association, popularly known as the FA, in the year 1863, several clubs from the region have already been playing the sport.
The game of soccer is believed to have been first played in the 19th century in England. And if we talk about the game’s history, it is quite evident that the oldest club to feature in the game must be from England.
Since the inception of the Football Association, popularly known as the FA, in the year 1863, several clubs from the region have already been playing the sport and continue to do so to date. Following the inception of the FA, the Football Association Challenge’s Cup, now called the FA Cup, has been the oldest soccer tournament to have been played professionally across the United Kingdom.
The FA Cup was first started back in the 1871–72 season and had its first winners in the form of Wanderers FC, who no longer exist. However, since the inception of the game was in England, the list of oldest clubs in the world will certainly be from the region itself. Let’s have a look at the top three oldest soccer teams in the world.
Sheffield FC
Sheffield FC was founded in the year 1857 and is regarded as the oldest soccer club in the world. Since its establishment, the club played its first official match in the year 1860. They featured in a Rules Derby against their then-rivals Hallam, which they won 2-0.
The club got its membership under the FA in 1863 and has quite a few remarkable moments to cherish. In 2004, they received the FIFA Order of Merit alongside Real Madrid, which is a remarkable achievement in itself.
🌍 We currently have 26 members of the @Club_Pioneers.
As you can see, some clubs are big and some are small, but they are all pioneers! #TheWorldsFirst #ClubOfPioneers pic.twitter.com/h6ioMtTI1M
— Sheffield Football Club (@sheffieldfc) April 12, 2023
Sheffield FC is also the founder of the Club of Pioneers, which is a worldwide network of the oldest continuing association soccer clubs from each country. The club currently participates in the North-Eastern Division, which is at the 8th level of English soccer.
Cray Wanderers
The club has a unique history associated with it. Cray Wanderers used to belong to the working class of the United Kingdom and were formed in the year 1860 by railway workers. Cray Wanderers are regarded as the second-oldest soccer club in the world.
50 Shades of Cray – The second part of the potted history of Cray Wanderers FC from 1979-80 to the present day – https://t.co/oOTg7Sv5uI pic.twitter.com/b45nKWjXGu
— Cray Wanderers FC (@OfficialWands) February 6, 2018
Belonging to Bromley, which is a large town in south-east Greater London, the club’s professional career was between the years 1895 and 1907. They now feature in the non-league, where they compete in the Isthmian League Premier Division.
Hallam
Like Cray Wanderers, Hallam was also founded in the year 1860. As mentioned earlier, their first game was played in the same year as their establishment, where they played against Sheffield FC. The fixture is regarded as the oldest fixture in the world of soccer.
The club is believed to have its name in the Guinness Book of World Records because it has the oldest soccer stadium in the world. The stadium was built in 1804, which was long before the club’s formation.
Belonging to Yorkshire, the club has won the world’s oldest semi-professional soccer competition called the Youdan Cup. They won it in 1868 by defeating Norfolk in the final in 1867.