![Club of pioneers - countries of origin of member clubs](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ae/Club_of_pioneers_-_countries_of_origin_of_member_clubs.png)
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
Sheffield Football Club is an English football club from Sheffield, South Yorkshire, although now based in nearby Dronfield, across the county boundary in Derbyshire. They currently compete in the . Founded in October 1857, , the first and oldest
association football
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
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.
Current members
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.
Notes
Sources
Sheffield fc- the world's first.
: Introduction to the Club of Pioneers, 10 March 2013
Genoa CFCSt-Gallen fcR Antwerp FC - Club of Pioneers
Globalise then localize Game of the People, 27 juli 2013
Sheffield Pioneers Cup''
BBC.com'', 17 November 2013
El Recreativo de Huelva ingresa con honores en el “Club of Pioneers” ''
Cihefe.es'', 5 May 2013
Entra en el ‘Club of Pioneers’''
HuelvaYa.es'', 5 May 2013
KHFC new member for the Club of Pioneers''
TheStar.co.uk'' 5 September 2014
St-Gallen aufnahme in Club of Pioneers''
Blick.ch'', 23 September 2015
FC St-Gallen kommt inden Club of PioneersTagblatt, 22 August 2014
Antwerp Pioneers Cup''
GvA'', 18 May 2016
Antwerp treedt toe tot Club of Pioneers''
GvA'', 23 May 2016
Fola Esch, entering Club of Pioneers''
FuPa Lux'', 14 November 2016
Fola fir 110. Anniversaire am "Club of Pioneers" opgeholl ''
RTL.lu'', 13 December 2016
Odds Ballklubb celebrated their place in "Club of Pioneers" at halftime in their match against Strømsgodset13 May 2017
Odds BK - Club of PioneersVi ønsker at folk skal kjenne til Odd når de snakker om fotball i Norge{Dead link, date=July 2020 , bot=InternetArchiveBot , fix-attempted=yes ''
Vardens'', 15 May 2017
Classic Football Shirts 19 July 2017
Savages celebrate in style''The Witness'', 21 August 2017
Academica integrase no Club of Pioneers''Académica-oaf.pt'', 4 November 2017
Academica integrase no Club of Pioneers''DSport.pt'', 6 November 2017
,21 April 2018
"Club website" ,5 November 2018
ljuboten-enters-club-of-pioneers"Ljuboten enters Club of Pioneers" ,11 May 2019
* https://www.corporacionwanderers.cl/noticias/ceremonia-de-ingreso-club-of-pioneers/ "Corporation Wanderers", 24 augustus 2019
External links
Club of Pioneers' home page
Association football organizations
2013 establishments in the United Kingdom
Sports organizations established in 2013