The oldest football clubs trace their origins to the mid-19th century, a period when football evolved from being a casual pastime to an organised mainstream sport.
An 1881 Australian rules football match between Melbourne and Geelong. The clubs were founded in 1858 and 1859, respectively, and currently compete in the Australian Football League (AFL), making them the world's oldest football clubs that are now professional.
Sheffield F.C. (similar Sheffield representative side here pictured in 1875) is the oldest independent (that is, not related with a school or university) association football club in the world
Melbourne Football Club (here pictured in 1879) is the oldest Australian football club.
Argentine Rosario A.C. rugby union squad in 1884. This is supposed to be the oldest photo of a rugby team in the country
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club is a professional football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. The club competes in EFL League One, the third tier of English football, following releg
Oldest football clubs
…Until November 2019 the club operated as the only existing amateur club playing in the Scottish Professional Football League. 1867, 4 September Sheffield Wednesday Sheffield Rules Association football Sheffield England EFL League One The Wednesday Cricket Club formed 1820 in Darnall, Sheffield. Sometimes known as…
A cricket match at Darnall in the 1820s, a ground laid out for The Wednesday Cricket Club.
The Wednesday team in 1878
Sheffield Wednesday players posing with the FA Cup won in 1896
The coin toss before the away game in Turin versus Juventus for the 1970 Anglo-Italian Cup