Football features a long and rich history, dating back to the mid-19th Century. With each passing year, the gorgeous game has evolved and developed, but the foundations remain equivalent to what the motto of the game is. Unity and Longevity. Here, casinoroar have compiled the top 10 oldest, active football clubs in the world.
- Stoke City (England)
Stoke City are one of the biggest clubs in English football and currently play in the EFL Championship, the second-highest football division in the country. Founded as Stoke Ramblers in 1863, the club changed their name to Stoke Football Club in 1878 and then later to Stoke City in 1925. The Stoke-on-Trent-based club were one of the 12 founding members of the Football League in 1888. The club won the League Cup in 1972, which remains their only major trophy.
- Notts County (England)
Based in Nottingham England, Notts County currently play in the fifth division of English football. Founded in 1862, the club predates the Football Association, as they were one of the founding members of the FA. Notts County have secured a third-place finish twice in the country’s first-tier football league, which remains their highest league position. However, their most significant achievement came in the FA Cup, when they won the competition in 1984.
- Hallam FC (England)
Founded in 1860, Hallam FC are based in Crosspool, Sheffield, and play in the Northern Counties East League Division One, at level 10 of the English football league system. In 1867, they made history by winning the Youdan Cup, stated as the world’s first-ever football tournament. The club plays their matches at Sandygate Road, which as per the Guinness Book of Records, is the oldest football ground in the world, and there might be slots online games dedicated to the stadium.
- Cambridge University (England)
Cambridge University claim to be the oldest football club in the world, as the Football Association awarded them with a plaque in 2006 in honor of their 150th anniversary, giving official recognition to the foundation date of the club in 1856. The team represents the University of Cambridge and currently plays in the Midland 1A of the British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS), the governing body for university sport in the United Kingdom.
- Sheffield FC (England)
Currently competing in the Northern Premier League Division One – level 7 of the English footballing system – Sheffield FC were founded in 1857 and are recognized to be the oldest football club by FIFA, a claim which is disputed by Cambridge University AFC, as Sheffield FC did not adopt the new FA rules until 1878. They are one of only two recipients of the FIFA Order of Merit award, an honor presented to these making a significant contribution to association football.
