The mystery of 'Hallamshire' revealed

By now, most Cray Wanderers supporters ought to have heard of Hallam FC. That is the club that currently claims it is 'officially the second-oldest football club in the world'. Unofficially, that is, because there is no way that such a claim can be rubber stamped by any official source without a thorough investigation into all other clubs' formation years around the world... and nobody has ever approached Cray Wanderers to date about the topic in an official capacity. 

Like the Wands, Hallam were apparently also founded in 1860. The big difference between the two clubs, however, is that Cray do not contest that there are other clubs sharing the same established year as themselves, unlike the team from up north, but we are happy enough claiming 'joint second-oldest football club in the world' if it was ever thought necessary, relevant or appropriate enough to do so by our club. Then again, the Wands can boast about something that Hallam FC never can... Cray Wanderers are 'the oldest football club in London', second to none.

I can recall a true story I was told about when the Cray Wanderers team and some keen and energetic Wands supporters travelled up to Chesterfield back in 2010 to play in the first 'Heritage Cup' competition. Back then, it was a three-way round robin tournament between Sheffield FC (the undisputed oldest football club in the world), Hallam FC and Cray Wanderers FC. We won that tournament following a penalty shoot-out against Sheffield FC; Hallam FC had already been eliminated by both the other clubs. 

Anyway, during the tournament, a few of the Cray supporters were kept being asked (more like pestered) by Hallam supporters overly keen to find out the exact date of the Wands' formation in 1860. Does that even matter?! Both clubs claim to have been founded in 1860, yet it only seems to matter to Hallam FC about specifics beyond that and, in the absence of any definitive answer, they have decided that they are 'officially the second-oldest football club in the world'. Quite embarrassing to hear about that unfounded assumption, really.

As my much-missed friend and former Cray Wanderers club official and Secretary, the late Kerry Phillips, stated when asked during a telephone call live on TalkSport Radio which I was fortunate to tune into at the time leading up to the Heritage Cup tournament being played, "Cray Wanderers were founded on the 1st of January 1860". Snooker that, if anyone dares...

In the meantime, where on earth is Hallamshire? Apparently it is not an unknown or long-forgotten county like the 'shire' suffix would suggest. It is the historical name for the City of Sheffield local government area. So now we all know.

Trevor Mulligan