ON THIS DAY

WITH SHAUN WALLACE

October 24, 1857

THE inaugural meeting of Sheffield FC took place. It is the oldest independent football club in the world... but its roots lay in cricket. In 1855, members of the local cricket team organised informal kick-abouts, albeit without any type of official rules.

Nathanial Creswick and William Prest decided to form a football team.

Its first meeting was at Parkfield House in Highfield, Sheffield, and to begin with, in the absence of anyone to play against, teams were arbitary – for example, those who had married against those who were single.

It took a year for rules to be formalised, but these laws – the Sheffield Rules – formed the basis of the modern game. They introduced corners, free kicks and headers. In 1867, the first competitive tournament was played using the Sheffield code.

By 1860, Sheffield had a rival, nearby Hallam. The two met that year in a local derby, one which is still fought to this day.

The club’s first fixture outside Sheffield was against the Nottingham FC, now known as Notts County, in 1865. Played under the “Nottingham rules” each team had 18 players. Sheffield won 0-1. The following year they played London at Battersea Park under 11-a-side FA rules, regulations Sheffield did not adopt until 1878.

Despite blazing a trail in the sport’s early days, Sheffield fell into decline as the game turned professional. They lost to Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest and Notts County, and came bottom of the first league they entered in 1889. By 1925, they were competing in the Sheffield Association League.

In 2007, the club’s 150th birthday, it won promotion to the Northern Premier League for the first time. Fifa president Sepp

Blatter attended an anniversary dinner, and Brazilian legend Pele was guest of honour at a celebration match against Inter Milan.

Question: On this day in 1929, Wall Street suffered its worst crash in history, leading to the Great Depression. What name is this day best known as?

Last week I asked: Anjezë Bojaxhiu won the Nobel Peace Prize on October 17, 1979. By what name is she better known? MOTHER TERESA