The oldest football clubs
At present, the Union of European Football Associations or UEFA comprises 55 nations. I will present here some of their oldest soccer clubs; even those which may have existed previously under different names or in countries which no longer exist on Europe’s map.
In this part the football old clubs from England, Germany, Spain, Italy, France and Germany will be presented.
Sheffield
“Sheffield Football Club”, established in England’s Sheffield city over 150 years ago. As the oldest soccer club worldwide. It was founded in 1857 by Nathaniel Creswick and William Prest on the basis of the Sheffield Cricket Club. The status of the oldest club has been confirmed by UEFA. The club is often confused with Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday, but these are different clubs. On December 26, 1860, the first soccer match between club teams in the world history was played between Sheffield and Hallam. However, the club has not achieved any great successes and has no significant trophies: FA Amateur Cup winner in the distant season 1903/1904, champion and winner of the Yorkshire Cup in the 70’s, etc. Now the club “resides” in the 9th strongest English division, playing at the stadium with a capacity of 1200 people.
Hamburg
Hamburg was the sole Bundesliga club that participated in all championships since its creation in 1963, winning all six national championships since 1923: 2223/1923/1928 (Winning title 6 times: 1919/23 1923 1928 1959 60 1978 1979 1981 1982 1983 85 1987), 8 vice-championship titles (1924 1956/57 1957/58 1975/76 1979 80 1980 1981 1983/84 1987/87), three times German Cup Champions [63, 1976 1987 and 2003], twice League Cup (both 1973 2003); in Europe they also accomplished much: winning both Cup Winners Cup (Winning title three times), European Champions Cup (Winning 16); three times Intertoto Cup (2003 2004 2007). Last season 2015/16 Hamburg finished in 10th place.
Recreativo
“Recreativo” (Spanish: RC Recreativo de Huelva) is a Spanish soccer club from the city of Huelva, in the province of the same name in the autonomous community of Andalusia, which in its home country is considered the oldest football club. It was founded on December 23, 1889 by two Scotsmen Alexander Mackay and Robert Russell Ross – doctors who worked in the Spanish mines. In Spain, the club is also called “El Decano” (i.e. the oldest). Despite such a long history, Recreativo cannot boast of any high achievements. In the 1910s, the club won the Andalusian regional leagues several times. The club from Huelva reached the Segunda (the second strongest Spanish division) only in 1940, and made its debut in the Primera in 1977/78 season. The best achievements of “Recreativo” are considered the final of the Spanish Cup in the season 2002/2003, 8th place in the Primera in the season 2006/2007, as well as victory in the Segunda season 2005/2006. Now the oldest club in Spain lives in the third strongest Spanish division (Segunda B) and hopes for a bright future!
