Sheffield FC: BBC podcast gives insights into the "oldest

Sheffield FC: BBC podcast gives insights into the "oldest

According to Bbc.

Background

Jon McClure, known as the lead singer of the band Reverend and the Makers, has been actively involved with Sheffield FC. His connection to the club and the challenges it faces could be further addressed in future podcast episodes, underlining the club's relevance in the current football landscape.

Why this is important

Sheffield FC, as the oldest football club in the world, plays an important role in the history of football. As well as developing the 'Sheffield Rules', which influenced many modern rules of the game, the club is also one of the few clubs to be awarded the FIFA Order of Merit. This historical significance is highlighted in the podcast 'Mud, Sweat and Cheers', which documents the challenges and the club's extraordinary season.

Key findings

• Sheffield FC: BBC podcast gives insights into the "oldest."
• The 'Mud, Sweat and Cheers' podcast explores Sheffield FC's extraordinary season and highlights the club's historical significance and current challenges.
• Sheffield FC: BBC podcast goes behind the scenes at 'world's oldest football club' - BBC Sport.

A football club finding itself at the center of a power struggle between a Qatari-backed venture capital firm and a rock musician probably isn't all that unusual these days. But in the ninth division? This is the situation of Sheffield FC, founded in 1857 and widely regarded as the oldest football club in the world, this year. The BBC podcast 'Mud, Sweat and Cheers: Trouble at the Bottom – Sheffield FC', a six-part podcast series from BBC Local and BBC Radio Sheffield hosted by Sheffield-based singer-songwriter Self Esteem, goes behind the scenes of an extraordinary year for an extraordinary club. The club, as it is aptly named due to its historic place in football, helped underpin many of the rules of the modern game with the "Sheffield Rules" and is one of only two clubs to be awarded FIFA's prestigious Order of Merit, alongside 15-time European Cup winners Real Madrid. The interest from Qatar is actually nothing new. A delegation from the country visited the club in 2017 to prepare for hosting the 2022 World Cup. Although Middle Eastern money-founded Yorkshire AI Labs said it had plans to build a 15,000-capacity stadium and football museum, it was Jon McClure, the lead singer of Sheffield-based indie band Reverend and the Makers, who announced the move in March was elected president of the association. McClure is honest and open about the aspirations of a club that, although the oldest in the world, has never played in the Football League and whose best FA Cup finishes were the fourth round in 1879 and 1880. "This isn't Wrexham. I'm not Ryan Reynolds. Let's be clear: I'm in an indie band. I know where I stand in that world," McClure said in an interview on BBC Radio Sheffield in March. "I got a lot of advice from football experts. I'm not a football expert and I won't interfere in football matters." In recent years, Hollywood stars such as Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have helped Wrexham rise through leagues from the National League to the Championship. But while the Wrexham model is not in Sheffield FC's interests, McClure, who has also taken over the club's women's team, which plays in the fourth tier, has plans for a football academy, an esports centre, a national football festival, a clothing brand, a visitor center, a TV show and ensuring the club returns to playing in the city of Sheffield, important to both the birth of football and the club itself. Since 2001 the club has played at the Coach and Horses Ground (behind, unsurprisingly, the Coach and Horses pub) in North Derbyshire's Dronfield. The stadium has seen better days. A trailer in the club said in the podcast that the women's toilets were "disgusting". "I think everyone wants the club to play in the city again, but it's only possible in Sheffield that they invented football and then put a B&Q car park on top of it," McClure said, referring to the club's original stadium, the site of which is now occupied by a hardware store. The club is aiming to gain promotion from the Northern Counties East League Premier Division at the end of the 2025-26 season. McClure has announced that children under 16 will be allowed to attend games free of charge to improve the atmosphere at the stadium. "We're aiming for promotion. Of course we have these under-16s who can come for free," he said. "They're cool guys. I told them, 'Listen, if you bring loud instruments, I'll buy you all a pie'. So I owe them all a pie. Well, a fair exchange isn't robbery, is it?" But as laudable as McClure's intentions are, not everyone is happy with the new fans. A supporter complained about the treatment of players and at one game an announcement was made over the stadium loudspeakers to "prepare not to throw drinks at spectators" after a fan was drenched in lemonade. The attack on the opposing team's public relations department during the game was led by striker Alex Hardwick. Like most The club's tenth player, Hardwick also has a job outside of football. However, his job is a little more unusual. "I'm a design engineer here at the AMRC (Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre). I work in a design and prototyping area. I work on a range of projects basically ranging from nuclear to automotive," he explained. When he's not busy with his work or scoring goals, he also occasionally helps his teammates when they have a problem with their car. "I'm taking care of some players who don't know cars very well," he said. The club's coaches also seem to be convinced of Hardwick. His coach, Vill Powell, describes him as a "very funny guy" and added: "He brings a different dynamic to the locker room in terms of conversation, in terms of his humor, just the way he is overall." For Hardwick's grandparents, he is the club's absolute favorite player. "I love it, I have a lot of fun doing it. I'm always disappointed when he doesn't score a goal," says the grandmother. "We always support him. I always give him a good score when it comes to his achievements, I always say 9.5," adds the grandfather. McClure believes that for far too long the club and the city of Sheffield itself have not done enough to celebrate their own role in the history of football. "This city hasn't had enough for itself for far too long done yourself. It's time for us to stand up now and say, 'This city is great. We invented this game, and this club invented this game, and we're going to celebrate it.'" This sentiment is also shared by the fans. "If the world's first football club was based in Manchester, you would hear about it everywhere. If he were in London you would hear about it everywhere. But we just don't do anything in Sheffield," said one fan. Another fan added: "I think Sheffield FC should be respected a lot more than they are at the moment." Like everyone involved in football, whether as a player or in management, McClure wants one thing above all else: time. "Sheffield FC knows more about time than any other club. We are the oldest club in the world and the question we are asked is: 'Will the club still exist?' It's a question of time. That's why I said to everyone who is now critical of the whole thing: 'Give us time'. I said: 'Judge in a year'. If it's not tangibly better in a year's time, come see me in the stadium and discuss with me why you think it's not better.'

What happens next

The podcast is expected to continue to provide insights into developments at Sheffield FC, particularly in relation to the financial challenges and interest from Qatar. Jon McClure, who is also known as a rock musician, could play a key role in the club's future as discussions continue about building a new stadium and football museum. Fans and interested parties should follow the upcoming episodes of the podcast to find out more about the future of the club and its place in the world of football.

Frequently asked questions

What is the content of the BBC podcast about Sheffield FC?

The podcast 'Mud, Sweat and Cheers: Trouble at the Bottom – Sheffield FC' provides insight into an extraordinary year for the world's oldest football club and highlights the challenges the club faces.

Who hosts the podcast about Sheffield FC?

The podcast is hosted by Sheffield-based singer-songwriter Self Esteem.

Why is Sheffield FC historically important?

Sheffield FC is considered the oldest football club in the world and co-founded many of the rules of the modern game with the 'Sheffield Rules'.

What changes have there been at Sheffield FC recently?

Jon McClure, the lead singer of the band Reverend and the Makers, was elected president of the club in March.

What is the connection between Qatar and Sheffield FC?

A Qatari-backed venture capital firm has shown interest in Sheffield FC, and a Qatari delegation visited the club back in 2017.

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