Football timeline 1860 to 1869

1860

• Hallam FC are founded, local rivals of Sheffield FC.
• 26th December - The first match between Hallam FC and Sheffield FC took place at Hallam’s Sandygate Road Ground. It was played under Sheffield rules. This is the oldest recorded football derby in the world.
• 31st January - Sheffield FC revised its rules to ban all methods of handling the ball except by “fair catch”.

1861

• October - Sheffield FC modified its rules to include goal kicks and throw ins. The ball had to be thrown perpendicular to the touchline, similar to a line-out in modern rugby.

• 14th December - An article in “The Field” called for a common code of football. This inspired Charles Thring, an Uppingham school teacher to create such a code. He was strongly opposed to the Rugby School version of football and championed a strict offside law.

• 28th December - “The Field” published a letter from Charles Thring in which he outlined his idea for the “very first principles of football”. These included offside, use of a round ball and goals to be scored by kicking the ball under the crossbar. Previously, a goal could be scored at any height between the posts.

1862

• 31st January - A new version of the Sheffield rules introduced “the rouge” as a tie breaker. A rouge was scored when a player from the attacking team did not score a goal but touched the ball down behind the goal-line and between two rouge flags, similar to a try in rugby. In addition, goal dimensions were specified for the first time. Two goal “sticks” twelve feet apart and a crossbar (rope or tape) 9 feet above the ground. Changing end was also introduced, but only if a goal had been scored. There was still no offside rule.
  
• 1st October - Charles Thring published a pamphlet called “The Rules of Foot-ball: The Winter game”. It proposed a set of laws for the use in schools.
• Notts FC (later to become Notts County) were formed some time in 1862 as a casual team whose founding members had been meeting to practice football in “The Park” Nottingham. However, their official foundation date is 7th December 1864. They were a “Gentlemans'” only club and played a code of football loosely named “Nottingham rules”. They are recognised as the oldest professional football club in the world.

1863

• Summer - Ahead of the 1863-64 season Sheffield FC adopted the “single player” offside rule. One defending player had to be between the goal and the first attacking player when the ball was played forward. Goalkeepers did not exist at the time. This was introduced to prevent “goal hanging”.

• Monday 26th October - Representatives of 12 clubs and schools in the London area met in an effort to resolve the common rules issue. Ebenezer Cobb Morley founder of Barnes FC proposed the formation of an association. 11 clubs joined.  Barnes FC, Civil Service FC, Crusaders FC, Forest of Leytonstone (later to become Wanderers F.C.), N.N. (No Names) Club (Kilburn), the original Crystal Palace FC, the original Blackheath FC, Kensington School, Perceval House FC (Blackheath), Surbiton FC and Blackheath Proprietary School.

• 26th October to 8th December - The new Football Association held six meetings to try to establish the "rules of play". They envisaged the game being primarily played with the feet. They banned handling the ball (other than fair catch) and hacking which led to Blackheath and Richmond withdrawing from the association. They favoured the rugby rules and in 1871 formed the Rugby Football Union. However, Association Football was born.

1864 

• 7th December - Notts FC (later to be County) was formally established.

• 9th January - The first official match played under the Football Association (FA) rules took place in Battersea Park. The match was played between two teams selected by the FA's President, Arthur Pember, and Secretary, Ebenezer Cobb Morley. The President's XIV won the match 2 - 0.

1865

• 2nd January - Sheffied FC  played Notts FC in Nottingham, their first match outside the Sheffield area. The game was played under the Nottingham rules and was eighteen a side.

• At this time a group of shinty players (a Scottish Gaelic sport played with sticks and a ball) decided to take up football and formed Nottingham Forest FC.

1866

• 22nd February - The FA formulated the second version of the laws of the game at their AGM. The three man offside rule (a more relaxed version of the strict rugby style offside), the introduction of a permanent crossbar, the ball must pass underneath the crossbar to result in a goal, the touchdown rule was temporarily retained, the resulting conversion was abolished and the clean or fair catch was abolished.
• 22nd March - The first Nottingham derby between Nottingham Forest FC and Notts FC took place resulting in a 0 - 0 draw, the replay in 19th April resulted in the same outcome.
• 31st March - The first match "of any importance under the auspices of the Football Association" according to Charles W. Alcock took place at Battersea Park, London. An FA London XI played Sheffield FC under FA rules. London won by 2 goals and 4 touch downs to nil.
• October to December - An analysis of the sporting press at this time revealed that 122 known matches were played in and around London at this time, showing the growing popularity of the sport.

1867

• The Youdan cup opened in Sheffield making it the world's first ever organised tournament in any code of football. Twelve teams took part playing under the Sheffield rules: Broomhall FC, Fir Vale FC, Garrick FC, Hallam FC, Heeley FC, Mackenzie FC, United Mechanics FC, Milton FC, Norfolk FC, Norton FC, Pitsmoor FC and Welington FC. Hallam won the cup. Sheffield FC declined to take part.
• 28th January - Representatives of thirteen football clubs from the Sheffield area met at the Adelphi Hotel to form the "Youdan Prize Committee". The committee drew up the following regulations to govern the tournament: matches would be played under Sheffield Rules, matches would start at three o'clock, with two umpires and one referee, there would be twelve players on each side, games would last ninety minutes. If the scores were tied, up to one hour of extra time would be played, with the first team to score during this period being declared the winner. If scores were still tied after extra time, the match would be replayed. After the first round, the committee added a new rule that "the referee shall have power to award a free kick to the opponents of any club, which makes more than three fouls or kicks-out, when the ball is being thrown in, if he (the referee) considers those fouls or kicks-out to be intentional".

• 26th February - At its AGM the FA abolished the touchdown and placed additional limitations on handling other than the “fair catch”.

• 5th March - The Youdan Cup Final was played at Bramhall Lane between Hallam and Norfolk. Hallam won by two rouges to one. No goals were scored.

• The Sheffield and Hallamshire County Football Association was formed by Sheffiled FC and the 12 clubs that had competed in the Youdan Cup. This is the second oldest football association after the FA. They took immediate ownership of the Sheffield rules and issued its own first version.

• 20th June - The first recorded football match in Argentina was played at Parque Tresde Febrero, Palermo, Buenos Aires, by two teams put together by British railway workers.

• 9th July - Queen’s Park FC were formed in Glasgow. They are the oldest Scottish Association Football Club.

• 4th September - Wednesday football club were founded and played their first match on 19th October. They were to become Sheffield Wednesday.

• 19th October - Chesterfield FC was formed as an offshoot of Chesterfield Cricket Club.

• West Kent Football Club were founded by a core of Old Rugbeians. They played football using both association rules and Rugby school rules.

1868

• February - The second oldest football tournament in the world “The Cromwell Cup” was played under Sheffield rules by The Wednesday FC, Exchange FC, Garrick FC and Wellington FC. The Wednesday FC won the cup.
• 1st August - Queen’s Park FC played their first competitive match against Thistle FC and won 2-0.
• October - An early version of the corner kick was included in the Sheffield rules at the request of Norfolk FC. It could be awarded to either side depending on who played the ball over the goal line. The exception being if the ball went directly over the crossbar a goal kick was awarded regardless of who played it last.
• Stoker Ramblers had been around since 1863, formed by former pupils of Charterhouse school who were employed at the North Staffordshire Railway Works. However, they played their first recorded match in this year. The club later became Stoke FC then Stoke City FC.

1869

• Tactics were first used by Queen’s Park FC ahead of a match versus Hamilton Gymnasium FC. The Queen’s Park FC capitain issued his teammates with cards explaining where and how they must play. They developed a 2-2-6 formation in which fullbacks became distinct from halfbacks, who emerged in a sort of midfield role. Dribbling was still the main skill at this time.
• The Royal Engineers AFC were the first team reported to play a passing combination game.