Where do the foundations of football lie?

Stephen Brandt is here to explain that it’s not only Manchester and Liverpool that are important in English football.

Popular thought has it, that the hotbed of football in the UK is either in Manchester or Liverpool. If people would stop and read some football history they’d find something completely different. In fact, if you stop and think about it, Manchester United isn’t even the oldest club in the world. Gasp, something about Manchester United that isn’t positive and floated in the national media? Wow, but this writer lives in North America.

Organized football started in Sheffield in 1867 with the adoption of the Sheffield Rules. So anytime to think about the game, or wonder where the modern game came from (there’s some evidence saying that the sport actually is from ancient China) it’s here.

The World’s first football tournament? The Youdan Cup, in Sheffield, in 1867.

The First Annual Competition? The Sheffield Association Challenge Cup in 1876.

Oh and Sheffield United are the first club to have a link to a team in China.The Chengdu Blades which they bought in January of 2006.

But all of this surrounds a United team, and it’s not Leeds either. Sorry old timers. It’s even older than that, and the club is still around. It’s Sheffield United. Yup that’s right, Sheffield United, the Blades, Sean Bean’s favorite club is the home of a lot of innovations and things that still effect the game today, even if they really don’t. Sorry Sheffield, didn’t mean to take that route, but since you bounced out of the EPL, you’ve not been heard of.

So what’s all this about Sheffield being the foundation of football? They came through with the Offside Rule in 1925 (as pointed out to me by David Globlatt’s The Ball is Round). And the EPL has been trying to fight the Offside Rule for years. Well, not the league itself, but many of the strikers. I’m sure if you looked back on some of Pele’s goals he was probably offside a number of times. And the NASL (North American Soccer League) in the 1970?s and 80?s moved the line back to the thirty five yard line. Why bring this up? Because the offside rule, and rulings affect every game, and every goal. So for an area to still have the impact on the sport well after the adoption of the rule is key.

You can find more of Stephen’s work on his blog kingkennyskop.wordpress.com or by following him on twitter @KingKennyfanlfc.