# 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:
* Still play football in amateur or professional football competition today.
* Have constantly existed as a sports organisation since their date of foundation. (Exceptions for periods of inactivity due to external reasons, for example war.)
* 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.
* 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.
* President: Richard Tims
* Partnerships: Dylan Ralph
* Ambassador: Tom Simons (Belgium)
* Latam Ambassador: Juan Alvarez (France - Uruguay)
* Ambassador: Robert Zitzmann (Germany)

## Current members

| Club | Country | founded in | League Season 23/24 | Level | Continent |
| Sheffield FC | England | 1857, 24 October | Northern Premier League Division One East | 8 | Europe |
| Wrexham AFC | Wales | 1864, 4 October | League One | 3 | Europe |
| Queen's Park FC | Scotland | 1867, 9 July | Scottish Championship | 2 | Europe |
| Kjøbenhavns Boldklub | Denmark | 1876, 26 April | Copenhagen Series | 6 | Europe |
| FC St. Gallen | Switzerland | 1879, 19 April | Swiss Super League | 1 | Europe |
| Koninklijke HFC | Netherlands | 1879, 15 September | Second Division | 3 | Europe |
| Cliftonville FC | Northern Ireland | 1879, 20 September | NIFL Premiership | 1 | Europe |
| Royal Antwerp FC | Belgium | 1880 | Pro League | 1 | Europe |
| Savages FC Pietermaritzburg | South Africa | 1882, 26 August | Not applicable | n.a. | Africa |
| Balgownie Rangers F.C. | Australia | 1883 | Not applicable | n.a. | Oceania |
| Hong Kong F.C. | Hong Kong | 1886, 12 February | Hong Kong Premier League | 1 | Asia |
| Yokohama C&AC | Japan | 1886, 26 December | Not applicable | n.a. | Asia |
| Associação Académica de Coimbra | Portugal | 1887, 3 November | Liga 3 | 3 | Europe |
| North Shore United AFC | New Zealand | 1887 | NRFL Division 1 | 3 | Oceania |
| Örgryte IS | Sweden | 1887, 4 December | Superettan | 2 | Europe |
| BFC Germania 1888 | Germany | 1888, 15 April | Kreisliga Berlin B Staffel 6 | 10 | Europe |
| Mohun Bagan Super Giant | India | 1889, 15 August | Indian Super League | 1 | Asia |
| Real Club Recreativo de Huelva | Spain | 1889, 23 December | Primera Federación | 3 | Europe |
| St. George's FC | Malta | 1890 | National Amateur League | 3 | Europe |
| Albion Football Club | Uruguay | 1891, 1 June | Primera División | 2 | South America |
| Tvøroyrar Bóltfelag | Faroe Islands | 1892, 13 May | 1. deild | 1 | Europe |
| Santiago Wanderers | Chile | 1892, 15 August | Primera B de Chile | 2 | South America |
| Genoa CFC | Italy | 1893, 7 September | Serie A | 1 | Europe |
| Odds Ballklubb | Norway | 1894, 31 March | Eliteserien | 1 | Europe |
| First Vienna FC | Austria | 1894, 22 August | 2. Liga | 2 | Europe |
| CS Fola Esch | Luxembourg | 1906, 9 December | National Division | 1 | Europe |
| Botev Plovdiv | Bulgaria | 1912, 11 March | First Professional Football League | 1 | Europe |
| FK Ljuboten | North Macedonia | 1919, 28 March | Third Football League | 3 | Europe |
| FK Sveikata | Lithuania | 1919, 8 June | II Lyga | 3 | Europe |
| SV Voorwaarts | Suriname | 1919, 1 August | Topklasse | 1 | South America |
| Ittihad FC | Saudi Arabia | 1927, 26 December | Saudi Pro League | 1 | Asia |
| AC Libertas | San Marino | 1928, 4 September | Campionato Sammarinese di Calcio | 1 | Europe |
(December 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.
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 |
Pioneers Cup 2024 - Haarlem :
| Date | 7 September 2024 |
| Venue | Haarlem - Netherlands |
| Participating teams | FK Sveikata (Lithuania) Koninklijke HFC (Netherlands) Royal Antwerp Fc (Belgium) |
| Winners | FK Sveikata (2) |