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Club of Pioneers

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Countries of origin of member clubs, as of February 2022.

The Club of Pioneers is a worldwide network of the oldest continuing association football clubs from each country.

The Club of Pioneers was founded in 2013 by Sheffield FC, the first and oldest association football club in the world. The Club of Pioneers aims to discover and connect the world's oldest existing football clubs, to build a global network of like-minded football clubs to promote the importance of football history and the grass roots and amateur game.

Definition of Pioneers

According to today's historical knowledge and available sources of football history, the Sheffield Football Club Foundation awards the honorary membership within the Club of Pioneers to those football clubs, who:

  1. Still play football in amateur or professional football competition today.
  2. Have constantly existed as a sports organisation since their date of foundation. (exceptions for periods of inactivity due to external reasons, for example war.)
  3. Are by definition the oldest existing football club of their country, referring to the foundation date of a football team as part of a multi-sport club or as a proper football club, playing to association football rules.
  4. Live and support the values of the game and amateur football: Integrity, Respect, Community.

Team Work

The club has a work team made up of great professionals who have been working in the field of football for many years.

  1. President: Richard Tims
  2. Partnerships: Dylan Ralph
  3. Ambassador: Tom Simons (Belgium)
  4. Latam Ambassador: Juan Alvarez (France - Uruguay)
  5. Ambassador: Robert Zitzmann (Germany)


Current members

Club founded in League Season 22/23 Level Country Continent
Sheffield FC 1857, 24 October Northern Premier League Division One East 8 England England Europe
Wrexham AFC 1864, 4 October National League 5 Wales Wales Europe
Queen's Park FC 1867, 9 July Scottish Championship 2 Scotland Scotland Europe
Kjøbenhavns Boldklub 1876, 26 April Copenhagen Series 6 Denmark Denmark Europe
FC St. Gallen 1879, 19 April Swiss Super League 1 Switzerland Switzerland Europe
Koninklijke HFC 1879, 15 September Second Division 3 Netherlands Netherlands Europe
Cliftonville FC 1879, 20 September NIFL Premiership 1 Northern Ireland Northern Ireland Europe
Royal Antwerp FC 1880 Pro League 1 Belgium Belgium Europe
Savages FC Pietermaritzburg 1882, 26 August Not applicable[1] n.a. South Africa South Africa Africa
Hong Kong F.C. 1886, 12 February Hong Kong Premier League 1 Hong Kong Hong Kong Asia
Yokohama C&AC 1886, 26 December Not applicable[2] n.a. Japan Japan Asia
Associação Académica de Coimbra 1887, 3 November Liga 3 3 Portugal Portugal Europe
North Shore United AFC 1887 NRFL Division 1 3 New Zealand New Zealand Oceania
BFC Germania 1888 1888, 15 April Kreisliga Berlin B Staffel 6 10 Germany Germany Europe
Mohun Bagan AC 1889, 15 August Indian Super League[3] 1 India India Asia
Real Club Recreativo de Huelva 1889, 23 December Segunda Federación 4 Spain Spain Europe
St. George's FC 1890 National Amateur League 3 Malta Malta Europe
Albion Football Club 1891, 1 June Primera División 1 Uruguay Uruguay South America
Tvøroyrar Bóltfelag 1892, 13 May 1. deild 2 Faroe Islands Faroe Islands Europe
Santiago Wanderers 1892, 15 August Primera B de Chile 2 Chile Chile South America
Genoa CFC 1893, 7 September Serie B 2 Italy Italy Europe
Odds Ballklubb 1894, 31 March Eliteserien 1 Norway Norway Europe
First Vienna FC 1894, 22 August 2. Liga 2 Austria Austria Europe
CS Fola Esch 1906, 9 December National Division 1 Luxembourg Luxembourg Europe
FK Ljuboten 1919, 28 March Third Football League 3 North Macedonia North Macedonia Europe
FK Sveikata 1919, 8 June II Lyga 3 Lithuania Lithuania Europe

Pioneers Cup

Members of the Club of Pioneers, can also take part in a Pioneers Cup: a football tournament where only 'oldest' clubs can participate, to showcase their pioneering heritage. The teams themselves do not play, but are represented by 'Pioneer' teams of fans, former-players, and staff of the club.

Pioneers Cup 2013 - Sheffield
Date 16 November 2013
Venue Sheffield F.C. Stadium - England
Participating teams Sheffield F.C. (England) with Chris Waddle, Carlton Palmer, John Beresford,
RC Recreativo de Huelva (Spain)
Genoa CFC (Italy)with Tomáš Skuhravý, Gennaro Ruotolo
Winners Sheffield F.C.
Pioneers Cup 2014 - Haarlem
Date 30 August 2014
Venue Haarlem - Netherlands
Participating teams Sheffield F.C. (England) with Chris Dolby
Koninklijke HFC (Netherlands) with Tom Van Schaick
Royal Antwerp Fc (Belgium)
Winners Sheffield FC
Pioneers Cup 2014 - Huelva
Date 6 September 2014
Venue Nuevo Colombino - Huelva - Spain
Participating teams RC Recreativo de Huelva (Spain)
Koninklijke HFC (Netherlands)
Genoa CFC (Italy)
Winners RC Recreativo de Huelva
Pioneers Cup 2016 - Antwerp
Date 21 May 2016
Venue Bosuilstadion - Antwerp - Belgium
Participating teams Royal Antwerp F.C. (Belgium) with Jonas De Roeck
Koninklijke HFC (Netherlands) with Tom Van Schaik, Paulo Meijnderhagen
CS Fola Esch (Luxembourg) with Pascal Welter
Winners Koninklijke HFC
extra info Pioneers Cup Ambassador : Laszlo Fazekas
Pioneers Cup 2019 - Haarlem
Date 31 August 2019
Venue Haarlem - Netherlands
Participating teams FK Sveikata (Lithuania) Gintaras Cibirka, Audrius Paškevičius
Koninklijke HFC (Netherlands)
Royal Antwerp Fc (Belgium)
Winners FK Sveikata

Notes

  1. ^ "Info". 20 November 2022. (...)Savages has junior teams from U6 to U17, and senior teams: Over 35 and Over 50
  2. ^ Yokohama Country & Athletic Club (20 December 2021). "Football". Retrieved 20 November 2022. OVER 30/40 SECTION: The Masters play every weekend against teams from the local community and beyond, and stick behind afterwards for beers at the bar. In the summer, a select squad of Over 40s play in the difficult Kanagawa Senior Masters League. All matches are played at home.(...)
  3. ^ Mohun Bagan SG represents the football section of Mohun Bagan AC since 2020.

Sources