There is a lot of change at ‘The oldest football club in the world’, Sheffield FC. There has been a recent buy in and change of CEO that has immediately seen physical change. I saw that they were at home to Tadcaster in a semi-final playoff match so it looked an interesting game to see.
Immediately I noticed that the large car park was now fully open again after being restricted on my previous visit. As I walked in there was a buzz around in the just over 1000 crowd. The old seated stand, behind one goal, had been redesignated for ‘the yoof’, their terminology, and a new sectional seated stand erected behind The Coach and Horses. This along with free entry for under 16’s had been a success with a clutch of noisy ‘yoof’ in residence in their new home. Despite these initial well planned changes the clubs goal is still to move back into a true home in Sheffield rather than Derbyshire.
The Grey skies and fierce cold wind, from end to end, made the choice of a large coat and scarf a good one. The pitch looked a spring time green with the grass perhaps longer than normal. The goal mouth were sanded and dust was being stirred up on the pitch by the teams warming up.
Sheffield FC 2 Tadcaster Albion FC 2
Tadcaster win 4.3 op penalties.
Saturda11th April 2026, 15.00 pm kick off.
Northern Counties East League Premier Division Play off Semi-final.
3rd v 4th, The Club v The Brewers
Attendance originally given as 902, later updated to 1031.
Sheffield; Their traditional black and red quartered shirts with black shorts, black socks,
Goalkeeper in all very pale pink.
Tadcaster; Yellow shirts with some graded dark blue vertical stripes at bottom with navy shorts and yellow socks, Goalkeeper in all dark green.
Sheffield played with the strong wind at their backs in the first half and this gave the Brewers problems clearing the ball despite looking a well organised side.
Sheffield had the first clear chances of the game when Alex Harwick beat the offside trap but didn’t have the composure to beat the goalkeeper. He put this behind him when with 19 minutes gone a great Cross from Luke Mangham was crispy headed home. A fan behind me said that the goal made Hardwick the top goal scorer in the league for the season.
The wind continued to pose the away defence problems and Sheffield went further ahead 15 minutes later when Sam Greenhouse curled a high ball towards goal from out on the right that was misjudged by the keeper and he helped it on into the back of the net.
Sheffield came off at half time to strong applause.
The wind favoured the away team in the second half but Sheffield still looked dangerous, creating chances. With 75 minutes of the game played it looked as if Tadcaster had found a way back when the referee awarded them a soft penalty. The referee adjudged that Jordan Greaves fouled Tadcasters striker when he collected the ball away from his goal line. He redeemed himself by saving the penalty kick diving to his left.
Within five minutes Tadcaster did have a life line when Miguel Cassama tapped the ball over the goal line after a clearance from a cross presented him with his chance. Sheffield looked like they would hold on but on 90 minutes with the board being held up to show 6 minutes of added time Miguel Cassama looped a curling shot over the home defence and goalkeeper to equalise.
Neither side could force a winner and it went to the dreaded penalties to decide who would be in the play off final. After some great saves by each keeper, step forward that man again, Miguel Cassama, to roll the ball from the penalty spot into the right hand corner of the goal having sent the goalkeeper the wrong way, for Tadcaster to win 4.3
A great win for the Brewers who march on to the final. But for Sheffield, defeat by penalties after a long season that saw them finish ahead of the team that had beaten them a time to regroup in close season.
With all the momentum that Sheffield now have on and off the pitch you can see them coming back much stronger next season.
I knew that there would be chips here so I joined a lengthy queue. With all the other positive improvements at this clubs the chips have gone backwards. The portion was small, some were hot, some cold, some golden, some anaemic, some were soggy. All were greasy and average taste. Unfortunately score of only 50.
payonthegate 