Sheffield is a great city, and even though the fact that I’m one of its inhabitants might leave me open to claims of bias, I do think that the greatness of this city manifests itself most obviously when it comes to football. I can’t think of another city where two clubs that have managed a single Premier League season each since the 1999-2000 season would achieve such support, something that proves the love Sheffield has for football. Of course, if you’re willing to delve further down the football pyramid, you’ll find Hallam FC, whose Sandygate Road stadium is the oldest in world football and Sheffield FC, famous as the oldest football club in the world.
Football is woven into the very fabric of the city, and arguably it was the pioneers of Sheffield who gave the globe the sport that it so widely adores. Despite this, the city seems not to celebrate its status as the birthplace of the modern game of football all too much. The National Football Museum, whilst being much more suited to the birthplace of the sport, resides across the Pennines in Manchester, and there is little in the way of marking the city’s rich sporting heritage. Sadly, Sheffield FC are not able to operate in the city, and despite establishing a fundraising campaign to help catalyse a return to Olive Grove in the heart of Sheffield, the club currently play their games in Dronfield, Derbyshire. Although it is a shame that the oldest football club cannot reestablish itself at its spiritual home, a trip to the Coach and Horses is a great way of celebrating Sheffield’s rich footballing history. Although the club might not reside inside the city borders anymore, they are rooted right at the core of Sheffield in terms of heritage and legacy, and any opportunity to support the club that paved the way for all others to follow is one that should be taken.
That opportunity presented itself on Saturday, with Stamford AFC visiting the Coach and Horses for a clash between two playoff rivals. Prior to the game Sheffield sat in 5th and had won their last 3 games, and Stamford sat in 7th, although they had only lost one game since the 1st of December.
The opening few minutes of the game defied the expectations of two of the better teams in the league, with neither side settling in possession and both producing some poorly executed attempts to move the ball up the pitch. An early chance arose when Sheffield’s Adam Chapman fell victim to one of the many muddy patches created by Friday’s snowfall. He hit the deck whilst trying to defend and allowed John Sands to fire a speculative effort that was, luckily for Chapman, more danger to low flying aircraft than the Sheffield goalkeeper.
The home team were dealt a blow when they lost Ben Turner after just 20 minutes with a suspected hamstring injury, forcing Rob Darkin to take his place. However, this change seemed not to disrupt Sheffield, who were now pressing for an opener. That first goal very nearly came after a deep swinging cross from the right found Newsham unmarked, with his stinging volley being matched by a great save from Haystead in the away goal. Sheffield seemed to smell blood after this chance and almost immediately after they earned themselves a 1-0 lead. James Gregory was able to find debutant Declan Bacon, who held his nerve to slot the ball beyond Haystead to give his new club the advantage after 28 minutes.
After opening the scoring Sheffield seemed much more comfortable, capably dealing with John Sands as he looked to play off the shoulder in the search for an equaliser. Ryan Seal fashioned Stamford’s best chance of the half when he was set free into boundless space down the right wing. He was able to cut inside and drill a low effort towards the left corner of the goal, but Jonathan Hedge produced an expert save with his foot to deny Stamford an equaliser. The first half ended without further incident, with a 1-0 scoreline accurately reflecting the gap between the performances of the two sides.
After some half time music from Arctic Monkeys and Pulp to make those Sheffield roots evident, Sheffield FC picked up up where they had left off, needing just 4 minutes to double their lead. Stamford’s defence had cleared but Sheffield were able to recycle the ball, finding Newsham in the box. Newsham attempted to strike but mistimed his effort, a miss that mattered little given that the ball landed at the feet of Bacon, who reacted infinitely quicker than the dumbfounded Stamford defenders to rifle the ball beyond Haystead. Bacon had only arrived on a month long loan from Alfreton on Thursday, but with 2 goals already it would be hard to find anyone who would object to a prolonged stay at the club.
Stamford’s keeper was remonstrating with his defenders with what Sky Sports might describe as ‘industrial language’, and when a Sheffield fan suggested he stop swearing his rather curt reply was “you would be if you were playing with that”. Whilst this was hardly a shining example of teammates defending one another, it was true that amateur defending from Stamford had doubled the difficulty of their task. Despite being 2-0 down, in the 55th minute they must have believed a comeback was possible when Daz Winter’s hefty challenge left Oli Brown-Hill crumpled in a heap on the floor, eliciting a straight red card from the referee. James Gregory made way for Richard Patterson as Sheffield looked to shuffle the pack, with the home side taking a more reserved approach and absorbing pressure from Stamford as they endeavoured to make their one-man advantage count.
This tactical alteration saw Stamford gain the lions share of possession, yet they struggled to fashion an abundance of clear-cut chances. When Brown-Hill stormed down the left flank it looked as though he was certain to score, but luck smiled down on the home side as his effort cannoned off the post and Hedge recovered to end the danger. They may have relied on good fortune here but for the most part Sheffield defended resolutely, using substitute Mitch Dunne as an outlet to stretch Stamford as they overcommitted going forward. Brown-Hill’s effort proved to be the last significant chance for Stamford, who soon resorted to drifting a series of aimless long balls, most of which were claimed by Hedge to the cheers of the home fans. The game ultimately ended at 2-0 to Sheffield, a result that laid down a marker of intent against a playoff rival and saw them leapfrog Tadcaster Albion into 4thplace, whilst Stamford remain in 7th.
It was a wholly professional display from Sheffield that combined defensive steel with moments of attacking incision that were capitalised on, something that cannot be said for Stamford, whose best chances were wasted. Although much of the season remains to be played, Sheffield proved their playoff credentials quite conclusively. With admission modestly priced at £8 for adults and £4 for students, and with the team vying for promotion, there is almost no excuse not to head to the Coach and Horses. There are few clubs where one can witness the current success of a promotion-chasing side whilst giving those who moulded the game of football into a colossal cultural force due recognition. Sheffield FC, however, is one of these unique football clubs, and this is something that the city ought to celebrate as loudly as possibly.
Rock The Crossbar 