The commemoration of the World’s first inter-city football match and away game is marked by a new blue plaque at the Wicker Arches in Sheffield. On 2 January 1865, Sheffield FC members travelled to Nottingham to play Nottinghamshire. The match was held at the Meadows Cricket Ground and was won by Sheffield FC, considered the world’s first team. Nottinghamshire went on to become Notts County and had only formed the month before the match.
The Sheffield Home of Football (SHOF) has unveiled many plaques across Sheffield, with the blue plaque being the charity’s latest addition. Stephen Wood, a football historian and trustee for SHOF, noted that the significance of the away game was how the railway helped to popularize football across the UK and, later, the world. In 1857, Sheffield FC was founded, and its victory in the 1865 inter-city match cemented the city’s status as the home of football.
The blue plaque was installed on an archway of Walker Street in Sheffield, with text detailing the historic football event. Additionally, SHOF has further goals to highlight Sheffield’s role in football history, with plans for more statues and plaques. Mr Wood’s long-term plan is for Sheffield to achieve Unesco World Heritage recognition. “This city is the home of football,” he stated.
The blue plaque is a tribute to the significance of Sheffield FC’s victory in the inter-city match, which was further innovation in the growing popularity of football in the United Kingdom. With SHOF’s goal to promote Sheffield as the home of football, the city’s legacy in football history and tradition will continue to be recognised and preserved for future generations
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