Backing for campaign to bring 1859 football rules back to Sheffield FC

Another high profile figure has backed our campaign to return a copy of the original 1859 rules of football to Sheffield – the city where they were drawn up.
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We are backing the world’s oldest football club, Sheffield FC, the club which drew up those rules 162 years ago, in its efforts to raise the money to bid for the booklet when it comes up at auction later this month.

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World's oldest football club Sheffield FC hopes to buy back copy of historic 162...

Today leader of Sheffield City Council, Terry Fox, has added his backing the campaign.

Bring it Home campaignBring it Home campaign
Bring it Home campaign
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He said: “Sheffield is the home of football, we’re proud of our football history and I’m fully supportive of the campaign to buy back the copy of the original rules of football book. This is a fantastic piece of history, published in 1859, and to have it back home would be fantastic.

“The Euros have shown us how a nation can be united through the power and love of sport - football and its history is at the heart of that.

“It’s what it means to people; getting together with friends and family, your favourite pie on a Saturday at the 3pm game, taking your kids or grandkids to their first game, the excitement of seeing them grow to love your local team as much as you do, taking the highs and lows with your mates every weekend or major tournament, we all love it, Sheffield loves it.

“The legacy of the beautiful game and it’s irreplaceable history in Sheffield keeps on growing, and securing a record as significant as the original rule book back in its rightful place plants us firmly as the unrivalled home of the sport, giving us all another reason to love it even more.”

Sheffield FC Ground at Dronfield Sheffield Sheffield FC Ground at Dronfield Sheffield
Sheffield FC Ground at Dronfield Sheffield
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One of two surviving copies of the rules printed in 1859 by the world’s first football club, Sheffield FC, it will be sold at Sotheby’s on July 20.

The other copy was sold by the club 10 years ago as part of a package of items being sold to keep the club afloat.

We will print messages of support and updates on the efforts to raise the money through a crowdfunding appeal, in support of their fundraising as they bid to raise the £50,000 that the 16 page pamphlet is expected to fetch at auction.

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