Club of Pioneers

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

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

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
Clubfounded in League Season 23/24 LevelCountryContinent
Sheffield FC1857, 24 October Northern Premier League Division One East 8England EnglandEurope
Wrexham AFC1864, 4 October League Two 4Wales WalesEurope
Queen's Park FC1867, 9 July Scottish Championship 2Scotland ScotlandEurope
Kjøbenhavns Boldklub1876, 26 April Copenhagen Series 6Denmark DenmarkEurope
FC St. Gallen1879, 19 April Swiss Super League 1Switzerland SwitzerlandEurope
Koninklijke HFC1879, 15 September Second Division 3Netherlands NetherlandsEurope
Cliftonville FC1879, 20 September NIFL Premiership 1Northern Ireland Northern IrelandEurope
Royal Antwerp FC1880 Pro League 1Belgium BelgiumEurope
Savages FC Pietermaritzburg1882, 26 August Not applicable[1] n.a.South Africa South AfricaAfrica
Hong Kong F.C.1886, 12 February Hong Kong Premier League 1Hong Kong Hong KongAsia
Yokohama C&AC1886, 26 December Not applicable[2] n.a.Japan JapanAsia
Associação Académica de Coimbra1887, 3 November Liga 3 3Portugal PortugalEurope
North Shore United AFC1887 NRFL Division 1 3New Zealand New ZealandOceania
BFC Germania 18881888, 15 April Kreisliga Berlin B Staffel 6 10Germany GermanyEurope
Mohun Bagan SG1889, 15 August Indian Super League[3] 1India IndiaAsia
Real Club Recreativo de Huelva1889, 23 December Primera Federación 3Spain SpainEurope
St. George's FC1890 National Amateur League 3Malta MaltaEurope
Albion Football Club1891, 1 June Primera División 1Uruguay UruguaySouth America
Tvøroyrar Bóltfelag1892, 13 May 1. deild 1Faroe Islands Faroe IslandsEurope
Santiago Wanderers1892, 15 August Primera B de Chile 2Chile ChileSouth America
Genoa CFC1893, 7 September Serie A 1Italy ItalyEurope
Odds Ballklubb1894, 31 March Eliteserien 1Norway NorwayEurope
First Vienna FC1894, 22 August 2. Liga 2Austria AustriaEurope
CS Fola Esch1906, 9 December National Division 1Luxembourg LuxembourgEurope
FK Ljuboten1919, 28 March Third Football League 3North Macedonia North MacedoniaEurope
FK Sveikata1919, 8 June II Lyga 3Lithuania LithuaniaEurope
SV Voorwaarts1919, 1 August Topklasse 1Suriname SurinameSouth America
AC Libertas1928, 4 September Campionato Sammarinese di Calcio 1San Marino San MarinoEurope

(4 September 2023)

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
Date16 November 2013
VenueSheffield F.C. Stadium - England
Participating teamsSheffield F.C. (England) with Chris Waddle, Carlton Palmer, John Beresford,
RC Recreativo de Huelva (Spain)
Genoa CFC (Italy)with Tomáš Skuhravý, Gennaro Ruotolo
WinnersSheffield F.C.
Pioneers Cup 2014 - Haarlem
Date30 August 2014
VenueHaarlem - Netherlands
Participating teamsSheffield F.C. (England) with Chris Dolby
Koninklijke HFC (Netherlands) with Tom Van Schaick
Royal Antwerp Fc (Belgium)
WinnersSheffield FC
Pioneers Cup 2014 - Huelva
Date6 September 2014
VenueNuevo Colombino - Huelva - Spain
Participating teamsRC Recreativo de Huelva (Spain)
Koninklijke HFC (Netherlands)
Genoa CFC (Italy)
WinnersRC Recreativo de Huelva
Pioneers Cup 2016 - Antwerp
Date21 May 2016
VenueBosuilstadion - Antwerp - Belgium
Participating teamsRoyal Antwerp F.C. (Belgium) with Jonas De Roeck
Koninklijke HFC (Netherlands) with Tom Van Schaik, Paulo Meijnderhagen
CS Fola Esch (Luxembourg) with Pascal Welter
WinnersKoninklijke HFC
extra infoPioneers Cup Ambassador : Laszlo Fazekas
Pioneers Cup 2019 - Haarlem
Date31 August 2019
VenueHaarlem - Netherlands
Participating teamsFK Sveikata (Lithuania) Gintaras Cibirka, Audrius Paškevičius
Koninklijke HFC (Netherlands)
Royal Antwerp Fc (Belgium)
WinnersFK 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
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