Historic occasion as Laird host oldest club

Aug 30 2007 Liverpool Daily Post

A TREAT for footballing history buffs arrives in Rock Ferry, Wirral on Saturday as UniBond First Division South Cammell Laird host the oldest club in the world in the preliminary round of the FA Cup, kick off 3pm.

Sheffield FC have been accredited by the Football Association and FIFA as the oldest documented club, having devised the rules upon which modern day football is based.

Sheffield are celebrating their 150th anniversary and both clubs will be celebrating that fact with a jointly produced celebration magazine on sale at the match.

Lairds matchday magazine editor Paul McLoughlin said: “When the FA Cup draw was made I saw the opportunity to do something special for the match, delving into the history books has unearthed a wealth of history between Sheffield as a city and Birkenhead.

Indeed if it was not for Sheffield, Cammell Laird may not have existed for so long, either as shipbuilders or indeed our football club. Laird Brothers wanted to bring steel fabrication in house and joined forces with Sheffield’s famous steelmaker Charles Cammell; Cammell Laird Shipbuilders was born and the rest as they say is history.

Entrance is £6 adults and £3 concessions. The Magazine is £2.

BELEAGURED Northwich Victoria manager Neil Redfearn expects to be without his star summer signing Lee Steele for six weeks with a torn hamstring.