Sheffield FC: World’s oldest football club opens its doors with free community match tickets
Sheffield FC will host a special community game with free tickets this weekend, as the world’s oldest football club looks to reconnect with the city where the sport was invented.
The club faces Thackley on Saturday (March 14) at the Coach and Horses Ground in Dronfield, with free and discounted tickets being offered to local workers and residents through a partnership with Tickets for Good.
The fixture comes shortly after Reverend and the Makers frontman Jon McClure was appointed chairman of Sheffield FC, alongside a new leadership group including David Bianchi, Andrew Ford and Alexis Krachai.
Founded in 1857, Sheffield FC is recognised by FIFA as the world’s oldest football club. Despite its global status in football history, the club currently plays in the Northern Counties East League and many people in the city remain unaware of its heritage.
The new board has said it wants to raise the club’s profile and strengthen its connection with Sheffield, which is widely regarded as the birthplace of the modern game.
As part of the club’s partnership with Tickets for Good, tickets are being made available to NHS staff, teachers, charity workers, volunteers and people facing financial hardship.
Steve Rimmer, chief executive of Tickets for Good, said the initiative aims to ensure more people can attend live events.
“Tickets for Good is about opening doors. When NHS staff, teachers, charity workers or people going through a tough time get the chance to come to a match, that is exactly what we are trying to do.
“This Community Game is a great moment for the partnership, but the important bit is what happens every week. We want more people to feel like football, and live events more broadly, are something they can be part of.”
Tickets for Good was founded in Sheffield and distributes free or heavily discounted tickets to live events across the UK and internationally.
The community fixture is intended to highlight the partnership’s ongoing work to open up matches at Sheffield FC to people who might not otherwise attend.
More information:www.ticketsforgood.com