This weekend, a group of BVB fans embark on a journey to celebrate football culture. Their destination is Sheffield FC, the cradle of football. BVB legend Lars Ricken heads the Fanteam that will also play a Sheffield FC Legends Side during the Annual Derby Day Festival commemorating the world’s oldest derby.

Sheffield FC and Borussia Dortmund – at first glance, these two clubs are not only separated by more than just seven divisions, they are also football worlds apart in many aspects of the game. There is the world’s oldest football club Sheffield FC, founded in 1857. Ever since, they have been a pure amateur club playing football at non-professional level, with their home being the Coach & Horses Stadium with a capacity of 2,000. On contrast, there is Borussia Dortmund, with their numerous trophies on both the domestic and international stage and their huge following of black and yellow bringing life, atmosphere and noise to Signal Iduna Park and beyond.

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On closer inspection, however, you can see some charming similarities between these two clubs that share a huge tradition. Social values in the game of football are highly regarded at Sheffield FC whose founders also developed the first set of rules for corners, free-kicks and fouls. Both Sheffield FC and the eight-time German champions uphold the values of integrity, respect and community, uniting the clubs in their real love for football and the true meaning of the game.

On Friday night, BVB’s fan team heads off on their bus trip to Great Britain. They will be visiting a number of historic football sites in Sheffield on Saturday, among them Hillsborough Stadium. On Sunday, it will all be about “The World’s First Derby Festival” celebrating the first ever derby match between Sheffield FC and Hallam FC. The festivities are kicked off by a match between BVB’s Fanteam – led by Lars Ricken, the scorer of BVB’s goal of the century - and a Sheffield FC select side including former England international Chris Waddle. With hopefully many happy memories and new friends, the group will return to Dortmund after the game.

Photos and information on the trip to Sheffield can be found on our social media pages under “The roots of football – we don’t forget where we’re coming from“.