The Sheffield and Hallamshire Football Association is a County Football Association in England. It was formed in Sheffield in 1867 as the Sheffield Football Association, and is the second-oldest football governing body after the Football Association (FA). Its teams adopted the Sheffield Rules of football until 1878, when they were merged with the FA's rules. Its members include the two oldest football clubs in the world, Sheffield and Hallam.
Today, the County FA is responsible for the administration, control, promotion and development of grass-roots football within a 20-mile radius of Sheffield Cathedral.Rules of the association County FA. 2013–2014 This covers almost all of South Yorkshire (excluding only the area around Askern, Hatfield and Thorne) as well as parts of North Derbyshire (e.g. Dronfield), North Nottinghamshire (e.g. Worksop), and southern parts of West Yorkshire (e.g. Emley, Hemsworth).
History
Organised football started in Sheffield in 1857 with the birth of Sheffield Football Club and the creation of Sheffield Rules. By the early 1860s, there were over 15 clubs in the Sheffield area and they were the first to start inter-club games. This was done with no formal body in overall control with Sheffield Rules used by the majority of clubs.
The Sheffield Football Association was founded by the end of January 1867, with Harry Chambers, secretary of Sheffield FC, serving as its first President. It claimed membership of 14 clubs, representing over 1,000 members. The Association issued its first set of rules on 6 March 1867, basing them on the FA's rules which had been formulated in February of the same year.
Although the Youdan Cup took place between February and March 1867, and was competed for by most of the Association's member clubs, it was organized by a separate committee and was unable to use the Sheffield FA's rules, since they were not issued until the day after the Cup's final. A second cup, the Cromwell Cup, was played the next year under the auspices of the Sheffield Association. It was only open to teams under two years old, and was won by The Wednesday.
On 2 December 1871, the Sheffield Association played the first inter-association game with the London Association, beating them 3–1 at Bramall Lane. Despite losing the game, the London Association (now known as the F.A.) became the primary association which led to the national adoption of the London rules. However, the Sheffield Association continued to have some influence and on 17 February 1872 proposed Rule VII introducing the corner-kick to the Association Rules.
Over the next few years, matches against the associations of Birmingham, Glasgow, North Wales, Manchester and Staffordshire were arranged. Other non-association friendlies were played notably against the Wanderers, the Swifts and the Royal Engineers.
The first annual competition, the Sheffield Association Challenge Cup, was introduced in the 1876–77 season. This was joined by the Wharncliffe Charity Cup two years later. Both were won by Wednesday, who had become the dominant force in local football, in their first year.
The creep of professionalism began in 1876 when Wednesday brought down James Lang from Glasgow. He was officially hired by the club but received a job with no formal duties from one of the members of the club board. The association subsequently had to deal with open professionalism when members of The Zulus received payment for matches. A number of players were banned, so many in fact that it led to the abandonment of the 1882 Sheffield Challenge Cup final. In 1885, professionalism was made legal but the Sheffield Association, led by Charles Clegg and William Peirce Dix remained firm opponents of professionalism in football.
In 1877, a rival association given the name Sheffield New was established in protest of Sheffield FA's decision not to allow any club under two years old to become a member. It later changed its name to Hallamshire Football Association. This situation persisted until the end of the 1886–87 season when a merger of the two associations was negotiated by Clegg who took charge of the new association with Dix employed as secretary.
The clubs of the Sheffield F.A. of 1877 were Albion, Artillery and Hallamshire Rifles, Attercliffe, Brightside, Brincliffe, Broomhall, Crookes, Exchange, Exchange Brewery, Fir Vale, Gleadless, Hallam, Heeley, Kimberworth, Millhouses, Norfolk, Norfolk Works, Owlerton, Oxford, Parkwood Springs, Philadelphia, Rotherham, Sheffield, Surrey, Thursday Wanderers, Wednesday.
Competitions
Men's Sheffield & Hallamshire County Senior League (levels 11-13) Sheffield & Hallamshire Senior Cup (clubs at levels 5-11) Sheffield & Hallamshire Association Cup (clubs at levels 12-14) Sheffield & Hallamshire Junior Cup (clubs at levels 15-)
Women's Sheffield & Hallamshire Women's County League (clubs at levels 7-9) Sheffield & Hallamshire Women's Challenge Cup (clubs at levels 1-7)
Affiliated clubs Unlike most County FAs, which cover a historic county of England, teams are affiliated to the S&HCFA if they are located within a 20-mile radius of Sheffield Cathedral, although this rule is not set in stone. Hundreds of football clubs are affiliated to the association.
As of 2026/27, the following S&HCFA-affiliated clubs compete in senior men's and women's football (not including reserve teams):
Men's teams
ClubLeagueLevel 2Sheffield UnitedFootball League ChampionshipSheffield WednesdayFootball League ChampionshipLevel 3BarnsleyFootball League OneDoncaster RoversFootball League OneRotherham UnitedFootball League OneLevel 6Worksop TownNational League North DivisionLevel 7EmleyNorthern Premier League Premier DivisionLevel 8HallamNorthern Premier League Division One EastStocksbridge Park SteelsNorthern Premier League Division One EastLevel 9Dearne & DistrictNorthern Counties East League Premier DivisionFrickley AthleticNorthern Counties East League Premier DivisionHandsworthNorthern Counties East League Premier DivisionParkgateNorthern Counties East League Premier DivisionPenistone ChurchNorthern Counties East League Premier DivisionRossington MainNorthern Counties East League Premier DivisionSheffieldUnited Counties League Premier Division NorthWorsbrough Bridge AthleticNorthern Counties East League Premier DivisionLevel 10Armthorpe WelfareNorthern Counties East League Division OneAthersley RecreationNorthern Counties East League Division OneHemsworth Miners WelfareNorthern Counties East League Division OneKinsley BoysNorthern Counties East League Division OneMaltby MainUnited Counties League Division OneSwallownestUnited Counties League Division OneWombwell TownNorthern Counties East League Division OneLevel 11AFC BentleyCentral Midlands Alliance League Premier Division NorthAFC DronfieldSheffield & Hallamshire County Senior League Premier DivisionAFC PhoenixCentral Midlands Alliance League Premier Division NorthBrodsworth MainCentral Midlands Alliance League Premier Division NorthBurngreave UnitedCentral Midlands Alliance League Premier Division NorthDenaby MainSheffield & Hallamshire County Senior League Premier DivisionDinnington TownCentral Midlands Alliance League Premier Division NorthDodworth Miners WelfareSheffield & Hallamshire County Senior League Premier DivisionEcclesfield Red RoseSheffield & Hallamshire County Senior League Premier DivisionEliteCentral Midlands Alliance League Premier Division NorthEvoCentral Midlands Alliance League Premier Division NorthHall Green UnitedWest Yorkshire Association League Premier DivisionHarworth CollieryCentral Midlands Alliance League Premier Division NorthHepworth UnitedSheffield & Hallamshire County Senior League Premier DivisionKiveton ParkSheffield & Hallamshire County Senior League Premier DivisionNostell Miners WelfareSheffield & Hallamshire County Senior League Premier DivisionOughtibridge War MemorialSheffield & Hallamshire County Senior League Premier DivisionSilkstone UnitedSheffield & Hallamshire County Senior League Premier DivisionRossingtonCentral Midlands Alliance League Premier Division NorthShelleyYorkshire Amateur League Supreme DivisionSJR WorksopCentral Midlands Alliance League Premier Division NorthSouth Elmsall United ServicesSheffield & Hallamshire County Senior League Premier DivisionSwinton AthleticSheffield & Hallamshire County Senior League Premier DivisionThorncliffe VillaSheffield & Hallamshire County Senior League Premier DivisionWombwell MainSheffield & Hallamshire County Senior League Premier DivisionLevel 12AFC Manton ClubCentral Midlands Alliance League Premier Division NorthBarnsley TownSheffield & Hallamshire County Senior League Division OneBentley VillageSheffield & Hallamshire County Senior League Division OneJubilee SportsCentral Midlands Alliance League Premier Division NorthNorth Gawber CollierySheffield & Hallamshire County Senior League Division OneRoystonSheffield & Hallamshire County Senior League Division OneSheffield CitySheffield & Hallamshire County Senior League Division OneSheffield UnionSheffield & Hallamshire County Senior League Division OneLevel 13DurkarYorkshire Amateur League ChampionshipMiddlewood RoversSheffield & Hallamshire County Senior League Division TwoRotherham TownSheffield & Hallamshire County Senior League Division TwoSheffield MedicsSheffield & Hallamshire County Senior League Division TwoTreeton TerriersSheffield & Hallamshire County Senior League Division TwoTusaale UnitedSheffield & Hallamshire County Senior League Division TwoWest End TerriersSheffield & Hallamshire County Senior League Division TwoYoudanSheffield & Hallamshire County Senior League Division TwoLevel 14Askern MinersDoncaster Saturday LeagueBawtry TownDoncaster Saturday LeagueCarcroft VillageDoncaster Saturday LeagueCumberworthHuddersfield & District League Premier DivisionDenaby UnitedDoncaster Saturday LeagueEdenthorpeDoncaster Saturday LeagueHolmbridgeHuddersfield & District League Premier DivisionWooldale WanderersHuddersfield & District League Premier DivisionYorkshire MainDoncaster Saturday LeagueLevel 15Crofton SportsWakefield & District Football League Division OneHade EdgeHuddersfield & District League Division OneScissettYorkshire Amateur League Division TwoLevel 16KirkburtonHuddersfield & District League Division TwoScholesHuddersfield & District League Division TwoLevel 17Cartworth MoorHuddersfield & District League Division ThreeLevel 18Grange MoorHuddersfield & District League Division FourHolmfirth TownHuddersfield & District League Division Four
Women's teams