First-ever football rule book revealing two hour games and 20-a-side

With 20-a-side matches and the players allowed to handle the ball, the world's oldest football rulebook reveals a game very different to the modern era.

Now the 1858 rules - which belong to the first ever club Sheffield FC - are being auctioned this week and are expected to fetch up to £1.2million.

Back then matches lasted for two hours and 40 players would take pa

Sheffield Code: The 1858 rules were extremely influential in the development of the modern game. This typed set were written in 1859

Handwritten laws of the game were first put down on paper in 1858. Rules followed by Cambridge University and public schools were influential in putting them together

First club: Sheffield FC players in 1857. The amateur side, formed in that year, is recognised as the oldest in the world. Back then there were 40 players on each side



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Rulebook: The lot is expected to fetch up to £1.2million at auction on Thursday


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