Club of Pioneers

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
(May 2024)

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.