Rules derby

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.

Rules derby

Other names	The oldest derby The first derby
Sport	Football
Location	Sheffield
Teams	Sheffield F.C. Hallam F.C.
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]