Football: Sheffield tournament played with 1858 rules where referee wears top hat

CIRCA 1754: Artist’s impression of boys in Tudor times playing football

A tournament that took place yesterday had the players following rules that haven’t been implemented for over a century.

The Sheffield Rules which were devised in 1858 allows the players to catch the ball and condones pushing each other. Though these rules went out of favor two decades later, it made a comeback during the tournament at Sandygate Road yesterday, which saw four schools from across Sheffield compete against each other.

However, in an effort to maintain the safety standards, neither ‘hacking’ nor ‘charging’ was permitted.

The event, which was the culmination of a community project funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund to experience the conceptions of the modern game, was complete with Uriah Rennie, the former Premier League referee and current president of Hallam FC, refereeing wearing a top hat.

He said: “I have refereed around the world but I have always been drawn back to Sheffield where I grew up.

“Football is loved right across the globe but not many people realise the game actually originates from Sheffield.

“It’s been a real eye-opener learning the original rules to referee this competition.”

Source: Mirror Football