Sports in Sheffield hold a special place in the hearts of the citizens of the Steel City, and football reigns supreme. Many other sports are popular in Sheffield of course, but not like football. Sheffield United crowds arrive to cheer like it’s their job. There are chants and songs that have to be sung in different game situations, the most popular being The Greasy Chip Butty Song. The words to the song mention Magnet Beer, Woodbine Cigarettes, snuff, and a greasy chip butty (which, for those not sure, is a kind of sandwich!).

A scene from the Full Monty provides more evidence of the passion with which football is followed in Sheffield. While practicing their dance routine, the lads cannot seem to get it together until a soccer analogy comparing the dance line to an offside trap is put before them. That comparison makes crystal clear what is needed as the offside trap is second nature to the Sheffield men, and the necessary footwork is also common knowledge.

The world’s oldest football club was formed in Sheffield in 1857. Founders Nathanial Creswick and William Prest called their team Sheffield F.C. The founders decided to write a rulebook known as “Sheffield Rules”, and by 1860 there were 15 football clubs in Sheffield alone. Sheffield United Football Club was formed in 1889. The United part is from the team’s origins as the Sheffield United Cricket Club. The team kept the United, and dumped the Cricket. Since the infancy of football, cricket interest in Sheffield has waned a little, but it still has many followers.

Sheffield first won the FA Cup Final in 1899. More recently they have been on what would kindly be described as a cold streak as they work towards their second cup win. Sheffield United is not the only football club in the city. Sheffield Wednesday FC was another reformed cricket club that used to play on Wednesdays, which explains the unique name. Other clubs include Hallam F.C., Sheffield F.C., Steel City Wanderers, and Stocksbridge Park Steels F.C.

Not all of the cricket teams went belly up when football’s popularity exploded. Sheffield United Cricket Club, Hallam Cricket Club, and Sheffield Collegiate C.C. are some local clubs, many of which represent Sheffield in the South Yorkshire Cricket League that originated in 1947.

Since 1991, the Sheffield Steelers have played Ice Hockey at their home in the Sheffield Arena. By 1994 the Steelers had won more championships than Sheffield United did in the past century. A few other ice hockey teams in town are the Sheffield Scimitars of the English Premier League, The Sheffield Spartans play in the English National League and a women’s team called the Sheffield Shadows do battle in a premier women’s league. The Sheffield Ice Tigers are a recreational level hockey club.

Basketball is quite popular as well. The Sheffield Sharks play at Ponds Forge in the British Basketball League. The team won their first league championships in their inaugural season in 1994. They have since won it two more times. The Sheffield Arrows play in the English Basketball League, and the Sheffield Hatters play the female version of basketball in the city. They dominated the National League from 1991 to 2002, but have been in rebuilding mode since that amazing achievement.

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