The oldest derby in world football is set to be reignited with a fiery cup clash between Hallam FC and Sheffield FC.

The two teams last played each other competitively in 2012.

The match will take place at Hallam FC’s home ground, Sandygate on 31st January 2025.

The inaugural derby match was played on Boxing Day of 1860 under ‘Sheffield Rules’, which differ slightly from the FA rules that football fans have come to know and love.

Sheffield Rules resembled the beginnings of modern footballing rules, including offsides, but did not contain key rules such as penalty kicks or having one designated goalkeeper.

Sheffield FC, formed in 1857, currently compete in the Northern Premier League Division One East, the seventh tier of English football, and currently sit bottom of the league table.

Hallam FC play in the Northern Counties East League Premier Division, a tier below Sheffield FC, and are currently pushing towards the top of the league.

Dylan Ralph, employee of Sheffield FC, expects a busy crowd to attend the match.

He said: “ I reckon we could probably get 1300 people maybe. So it will be amazing, it’ll be very busy.

“It will be a very good atmosphere, despite there being a lot more neutral fans.”

The match is a great opportunity for neutral fans to attend a historic fixture that will no doubt be competitive and lively.

As the ‘rules derby’ will take place as part of the Sheffield Senior Cup, the profits made from the game will be shared between the two clubs, injecting a significant amount of money into the infrastructures of both sides.

The groundsman of Hallam FC, Andy Taylor, commented on the scale of the match.

He said: “It’s much anticipated amongst football fans around the country and even globally. This week alone we’ve had visitors coming from Norway and Suffolk, and every week there’ll be visitors from all over the world to visit Sandygate.”