The origins of football
The City of Sheffield has been described as the home of association football. The game was played here as long ago as 1793, when a match was played involving six men on each side. The first football match at Bramall Lane took place in December 1862. The participating teams were Sheffield Club and Hallam. The match lasted three hours and resulted in a goal-less draw. Sheffield Club is still in existence and is recognised as the oldest club in membership of the Football Association.

Cricket at Bramall Lane
Bramall Lane is one of the oldest sports enclosures in the country and has become world famous as a result of the many important sporting occasions it has hosted. It was originally a cricket ground and the first important match played here was between Yorkshire and Sussex in 1855.

Early Football at Bramall Lane
The ground was initially used, on important occasions, by Sheffield Wednesday. On 16 March 1889, the FA Cup Semi-Final between Preston North End and West Bromwich Albion was played at the Lane. The gate receipts were £574 - a large amount of money in those days - and they prompted a Mr Charles Stokes, then a junior member of the ground committee, to suggest to Sir Charles Clegg (who was then President of the FA and President of Sheffield Wednesday and Sheffield United) that a Sheffield United Football Club should be formed.

The formation of Sheffield United Football Club
On 22 March 1889 a meeting was held and it was decided to run a football team in conjunction with the Sheffield United Cricket Club. The club's first season began in August 1889 with a 3-1 victory over Sheffield Club. That same season also saw United's first appearance in the FA Cup. After winning four preliminary or qualifying ties and then beating Burnley in the First Round proper, they were thrashed 13-0 by Bolton Wanderers - the heaviest defeat in their history.