Sheffield FC puts best Boot forward with exclusive 1857 Club

4th April 2016

One of the Sheffield city region's most historic and successful companies has become a landmark partner of the world's first football club.

Henry Boot PLC, which has been operating for 130 years, has made an investment of £1,857 into Sheffield FC's '1857 Club', making it a founding member of the exclusive business club. Sheffield FC is looking for 100 companies from across the region to form the 1857 Club. Each partner will see an investment of £1,857 return a Sheffield FC heritage shirt and a vintage leather football. It will also secure two tickets to the Club's first match back at its original home of Olive Grove Sports Ground, where it is looking to return. Four season tickets for the Club's first season back at Olive Grove will also be included in the 1857 Club membership, as well as corporate benefits such as a certificate of corporate membership, and rights to use the Sheffield FC logo. Henry Boot PLC, the parent company of the Sheffield-based Henry Boot Group of Companies, encompasses land development, property investment and development as well as construction and plant hire. As well as investing in the 1857 Club, it has also offered its support to Sheffield FC's 'Home of Football' campaign to take football as the world knows it back to its original home, at Olive Grove Sports Ground in Sheffield city centre. Russell Deards, Group General Counsel and Company Secretary, said: -Henry Boot PLC has partnered with Sheffield FC to help the world's oldest football club return to its original ground at Olive Grove. -The project will not only help Sheffield FC achieve its goal of moving back home but will also help to raise awareness of the club and help put Sheffield FC back on the map. -Supporting grass roots football should help to ensure the game continues to survive and provide valuable access to sport in the community. -We hope our involvement can encourage other local businesses to make a contribution to the Sheffield FC 'Home of Football' project. Let's help keep Sheffield's heritage alive by making a donation which will not just benefit a football club, but a whole city. Sheffield FC Chairman, Richard Tims, said: -Olive Grove is the place where football as the world knows it was born. We devised a set of rules which was later used by the FA and included the first corner kick, the first free kick, the first crossbar and the first throw-in. -We're proud to be partnering with Henry Boot PLC, a Sheffield business which is steeped in heritage and history making it an ideal partner to start this special 1857 Club with. For more information on Sheffield FC and its 1857 Club visit www.theworldsfirst.org or www.sheffieldfc.com.