Hallam FC football ground
Location/Address
Sandygate Rd, Sheffield S10 5SE
Type
Other site, structure or landscape
Assets that cannot fit any of the other categories. This category includes sites of archaeological interest, where the original form and function may not be apparent without the use of archaeological techniques and interpretation.
Description
Recognised officially by the Guinness Book of records as the oldest football ground in the world (https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/75073-oldest-football-ground). Whilst the site is recognised as an ACV (asset of community value) this runs only until Jan 2023 and offers little protection. Designation within a local list is important as Historic England believe that the site itself can not be listed nationally as they focus on buildings and structures and not land (ie the pitch).
Timeline (adopted from material produced by Peter Duff):
1695 - the Plough opens as a public house and its title deeds include land associated with sporting activities and agricultural shows
1795 - the Hallamshire Enclosure Act recognises a cricket field owned by the Plough
1804 - Hallam Cricket Club reach an agreement with Mr. Creswick, landlord of the Plough, to use the pub and its outbuildings as a committee room and changing rooms
1860 - Hallam and Stumperlowe cricket teams meet at the Plough to form Hallam Football Club
1860 - Boxing Day - the Sheffield Rules Derby is played at Sandygate between Hallam FC and Sheffield FC According to many sports historians, this match was the start of the UK's tradition of Boxing Day being a major date in the calendars of many sports especially football:
'How Hallam FC began Feast of St Stephen's glut of Christmas football' (Barry Glendenning, The Guardian, Dec,2016)
1860 - 1880 - the early days of football were dominated by the power struggle between 'London Rules' and 'Sheffield Rules' - the Plough hosted many committee meetings where the 'rules' were discussed. Sheffield introduced corners, throw-ins, fixed goalkeepers and heading the ball into the modern rules of the game.
1867 - Hallam FC win football's first ever tournament, the Youdan Cup, with the final being played at Bramall Lane on Shrove Tuesday. Hallam's players were presented with the cup at a celebratory dinner held at the Plough. This is the oldest football trophy – predating the FA cup by four years (https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/75075-oldest-competition-for-a-trophy-in-football-soccer)
1876 - Local cricketer, Tom Armitage tours Australia with the 'Lilywhites' in the first ever test matches between England and Australia
1878 - Using the money he earned from the Australia tour, Tom Armitage buys the Plough and remained landlord for many years. Armitage later emigrated to the USA as a professional cricketer and he remains the only player in the history of cricket to have played for both England and the USA.
1897 - Tennant Brothers acquire the lease to the Plough and the sports ground and it remains with them until it is assigned to Whitbread who become Patron of Hallam FC in 1969.
1929 - the Plough is rebuilt by local architect Wynyard Dixon
1940 - 1945 - the army use Sandygate to play football and drink and change in the Plough. Scotland international and future Blackpool and Stoke City player, Jackie Mudie, enjoyed many games at Sandygate and many pints at the Plough
1962 - future Sheffield Wednesday and Leeds manager, Howard Wilkinson, makes his debut for Hallam FC. Later that year, he scores for England in the British Youth Championship. Wilkinson remains the last English manager to win the English league title.
1981 - during a refurbishment of the Plough, the 1879 Skelton Cup is recovered and returned to Hallam FC
1991 - Hallam Sports Club obtain a 99-year lease for the sports ground - Ron Atkinson (SWFC) and Dave Bassett (SUFC) witness the signing of the lease
1995 - scenes from the Sean Bean movie 'When Saturday Comes' are shot at Sandygate Road
2015 - the Plough is listed as an Asset of Community Value (relisted in 2018)
Statement of Significance
Asset type
Designation within a local list is important as Historic England believe that the site itself can not be listed nationally as they focus on buildings and structures and not land (ie the pitch). Just because this nomination does not neatly fit into the categorises used should not mean that this unique heritage site fails to be adequately represented and protected.Age
The football ground at Sandgyagte Road is the oldest football ground in the world still in use. It is officially recognised by the Guinness Book of Records in this regard (https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/75073-oldest-football-ground). The first competitive game was recorded on 26 Dec 1860 – the first ever Inter Club game (https://www.hallamfc.co.uk/index.php/our-club/our-history).Rarity
There can only be 1 oldest football ground in the world! Sheffield CC needs to be supporting the Home of Football. Whilst the site is recognised as an ACV (asset of community value) this runs only until Jan 2023 and offers little protection.Group Value
The sporting heritage of the site is intertwined with those that use the site: the football club Hallam FC (the second oldest football team in the world - https://www.hallamfc.co.uk/index.php/our-club/our-history), the cricket club Hallam Cricket Club (first mentioned in 1804 and the oldest club ground in Yorkshire - https://hallam.play-cricket.com/) and the nearby Plough public house (the earliest recording of a public house was in 1637 – making it one of the oldest in the city). A landlord of the Plough formed Hallam Cricket Club in 1804 and members of the cricket club went on to form Hallam FC (1860). The whole setting of the sports ground and public house should be viewed as a single entity. This is recognised in paragraph 129 of the NPPF: ‘Local planning authorities should identify and assess the particular significance of any heritage asset that may be affected by a proposal (including by development affecting the setting of a heritage asset) taking account of the available evidence and any necessary expertise. They should take this assessment into account when considering the impact of a proposal on a heritage asset, to avoid or minimise conflict between the heritage asset’s conservation and any aspect of the proposal’. Additionally, the two Grade II listed buildings within 50m of the site (the Towers – list entry 1270947 and the Lodge – list entry 1247191) also add to the wider historic character of the local setting.Historic Interest
The site is the oldest football ground in the world and has a close association with the rules of the modern game of football. The influence of football throughout the globe plays a significant role to society. There is no bigger game and its origins began here! The collective experience of football throughout the world owes its sporting legacy to the humble early beginnings associated with the Sandygate ground. The Sandygate ground is an example of a tangible immovable sport heritage and for this reason can be considered a special site of sporting significance: “Tangible immovable sport heritage refers to spaces with particular relevance to the sporting past; what Gammon (2004) refers to as special sites/sights of sporting significance…. Sites where particular sports originated also fit into this category, though often there is fierce competition between cities to be called the ‘home’ of a particular sport (especially if the sport is considered culturally significant in that region / country” (Ramshaw and Gammon, 2005: 233). A timeline is included in the description section.Landmark Status
The Sangygate ground is clearly an asset with strong historical associations, and therefore should be singled out as a landmark within the local area. One of the recommendations of the draft strategy document of Sheffield: Home of Football (http://www.homeoffootball.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/SHOF-final_compressed.pdf) is to “Use key heritage locations e.g. Sandygate, … to provide a critical mass of attractions for visiting football fans, players, historians etc.” Another recommendation is to “Create other attractions to build upon the existing football related attractions of … Sandygate, …”. These statements clearly demonstrate that the Sandygate site is treated with landmark status.
Date Listed
15 Aug 2022
Last Updated
09 Aug 2022
Find Out More
Find out more about this Asset in South Yorkshire Local Heritage List:
https://local-heritage-list.org.uk/south-yorkshire/asset/5544
https://local-heritage-list.org.uk/south-yorkshire/asset/5544