24 October - Sheffield F.C. founded

Sheffield F.C., founded on 24 October 1857, is celebrated as the world’s oldest association football club still in existence. Established by cricket enthusiasts Nathaniel Creswick and William Prest, Sheffield F.C. was born out of a desire to create a formalized football club at a time when soccer was largely unorganized and varied widely in rules. Long before the establishment of the Football Association (FA) in 1863, Sheffield F.C. devised its own "Sheffield Rules," a code that included innovations such as the corner kick, the free kick, and throw-ins, which significantly influenced the development of modern football rules. The Sheffield Rules were used in local matches for years and, eventually, many aspects were incorporated into the FA rules, shaping the foundational principles of association football.

Sheffield F.C. fostered a culture of camaraderie and competition, often playing against local teams and even forming interclub matches. Their early rivalry with Hallam F.C., another Sheffield-based club, established in 1860, created the "Rules Derby," recognized as the world’s first football derby, which continues to this day. The club’s historic impact on football was later recognized by FIFA, who awarded Sheffield F.C. the FIFA Order of Merit in 2004—a rare honor shared with only one other club, Real Madrid. Despite the evolution of professional football, Sheffield F.C. remains an amateur club, dedicated to preserving the spirit and traditions of the game, ensuring its legacy as the birthplace of organized club football.