Sheffield FC, established in 1857 and recognised globally as the world's oldest association football club, found itself at the centre of competing ownership bids in early 2026. The club's future direction shifted dramatically when Jon McClure, frontman of Sheffield indie rock band Reverend and the Makers, emerged as the driving force behind a new ownership structure that took control in March.
A six-part podcast series titled Mud, Sweat and Cheers: Trouble at the Bottom – Sheffield FC, produced by a national broadcaster's local and regional radio divisions and presented by Sheffield musician Self Esteem, documents the 2025-26 season as the club navigates this transformative period under its new leadership.
According to reporting from 9 March 2026, McClure was appointed chairman as part of a "significant minority" ownership acquisition, with the new board comprising David Bianchi, Andrew Ford, Alexis Krachai, Jeremy Levine and Jack Levine. The ownership coalition includes David Bianchi of IAV Holdings, local entrepreneurs Ford and Krachai, alongside existing stakeholder Jeremy Levine and his son.
The takeover followed a protracted period of uncertainty. A venture capital firm with backing from Qatar had previously expressed interest in acquiring the club, with a delegation visiting in 2017 ahead of the Middle East nation's 2022 World Cup hosting duties. That bid, which proposed a 15,000-seat stadium and football museum, ultimately did not materialise. A venture capital business led by David Richards had submitted two unsuccessful bids to purchase the club before the eventual ownership change took effect.
A club with unmatched historical significance
The Club, as supporters refer to them in recognition of their pioneering status, shaped the modern game through the development of the Sheffield Rules, which became foundational to football's contemporary laws. The organisation holds one of only two Fifa Order of Merit awards ever bestowed, a distinction shared solely with Real Madrid, the 15-time European Cup champions.
Despite this extraordinary heritage, Sheffield FC has never competed in the Football League and remains in the ninth tier of English football. The club's best performances in the FA Cup came in the 1870s, when they reached the fourth round in both 1879 and 1880.
Managing expectations in a transformed landscape
McClure has been explicit about distinguishing his vision from recent high-profile takeovers elsewhere in non-league football.
This is not Wrexham. I'm not Ryan Reynolds. Let's get it clear, I'm in an indie band. I know my place in this world,he told a national broadcaster's radio station in March.
I've taken a lot of advice from football people. I'm not a football person, and I won't be involved in football stuff.
His reference was to the transformation of Wrexham AFC, where Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have overseen the club's rise from the National League through successive promotions into the Championship.
McClure's ambitions for Sheffield FC extend well beyond the pitch. His plans encompass a football academy, an esports hub, a national football festival, a clothing brand, a visitor centre and a television series documenting the club's journey. He has also assumed leadership of the club's women's team, which competes in the fourth tier of women's football.
Returning home after a quarter-century away
Since 2001, Sheffield FC has played at the Coach and Horses Ground in Dronfield, North Derbyshire, located behind the pub of the same name. The venue has deteriorated significantly over the years, with female supporters describing the women's facilities as inadequate. The new ownership's primary objective is to relocate the men's team back to Sheffield itself.
The club's original home in Sheffield now houses a DIY retail store, a reality that McClure addressed with characteristic candour.
I think everybody wants the club back in the city, but there's only Sheffield that could invent football and build a B&Q car park on it,he remarked.
McClure has emphasised the broader cultural dimension of the club's challenge.
For far too long now this city has not shouted about itself. It's enough now,he stated.
Now's our time to stand up and say this city's brilliant. We invented this game, and this club invented this game, and we're going to celebrate that.
This sentiment resonates with supporters who feel Sheffield's contribution to football history has been systematically overlooked. One fan observed that if the world's oldest football club were based in Manchester or London, its significance would receive far greater recognition. Another expressed the view that Sheffield FC deserves to be held in considerably higher esteem than it currently is.
Building atmosphere on a limited budget
During the 2025-26 campaign, as Sheffield FC pushed for promotion from the United Counties League Premier Division North, McClure implemented a strategy to energise the crowd by offering free admission to supporters under 16 years old.
We're pushing for promotion. Obviously, we've got this under-16s come for nowt,he explained.
They're good kids. I've said to them overnight, 'listen, lads, we need more noise out of you'. They were a bit quiet. So I said, 'look, if you bring a drum, I'll buy you all a pie'. So I owe them all a pie. Well, a fair trade's no robbery, is it?
However, the influx of younger supporters has not been universally welcomed. Some established fans have complained about abusive behaviour from the teenage contingent, and match-day announcements have been necessary to discourage disruptive conduct, including an appeal for supporters to refrain from throwing drinks after an incident in which a spectator was drenched in lemonade.
The striker with a day job in advanced engineering
The club's promotion bid has been driven substantially by the goalscoring prowess of striker Alex Hardwick. Like his teammates, Hardwick maintains employment outside football, though his occupation is notably distinctive.
Hardwick works as a design engineer at the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre, where he is involved in prototyping and design work across diverse sectors ranging from nuclear to automotive applications. Beyond his professional responsibilities and playing commitments, he has become an informal resource for teammates experiencing mechanical difficulties, assisting several players who lack automotive knowledge.
Manager Vill Powell has recognised Hardwick's broader contribution to the squad.
He brings a different dynamic to the dressing room, in terms of his conversation, in terms of his banter, in terms of how he is in general,Powell observed.
Hardwick's most dedicated supporters watch from the stands: his grandparents, who attend matches regularly.
I just love it. I enjoy it. I get disappointed when he can't get a goal,his grandmother said.
We encourage him all the time. I don't disappoint him. Marks out of 10? Yeah, I give him 9.5,his grandfather added.
A timeline for transformation
McClure has set a clear benchmark for evaluating progress under the new ownership structure. Upon assuming his role, he stated:
Judge it in a year. If it's not tangibly in a better place than it is now, come and see me at a match and discuss why you think that's not the case.
By 21 September 2026, the podcast coverage indicated that the acquisition process was nearing completion and that a new management team headed by McClure was set to be formally appointed. The ownership group's strategy frames the club's challenge as fundamentally cultural as well as financial, positioning the recovery of Sheffield FC's historical narrative as central to its future success.
