One of the oldest soccer clubs in the UK – Oxford City – will reportedly allow fans to purchase match tickets, food, and beverages in bitcoin instead of fiat currency. The initiative will see the light of day following a multi-year partnership between the team and the digital asset exchange CoinCorner.
Over the years, the soccer industry has interacted with the world of crypto numerous times. Popular players such as Neymar, David Beckham, Andres Iniesta, and Ronaldinho have shown their interest in the sector, while, similar to Oxford City, other clubs have embraced digital currencies as a means of settlement.
BTC Could Become ‘The New Normal’ in English Football
According to a coverage by BBC, Oxford City joined forces with the crypto platform CoinCorner to become the latest soccer team accepting the primary cryptocurrency as an alternative method for matchday payments as well as food and drink purchases.
The move is expected to go live this Saturday when the club faces Eastbourne Borough on its home ground – Court Place Farm. In fact, as part of the multi-year agreement with CoinCorner, the stadium will be renamed RAW Charging Stadium, while the logo of the company will be embroidered on the back of the players’ shirts.
Oxford City’s Director of Football – Justin Merritt – noted that embracing the newest innovations such as bitcoin is vital for the team to “operate as a self-sustaining club” and reflects on its long-term strategies.
“It’s not mandatory for people to engage with our new technology, but we believe in time paying via bitcoin will become the new normal in English football,” Merritt stated.
Commenting on the move was also Daniel Scott – Chief Executive Officer of CoinCorner – who believes other soccer teams will follow Oxford City’s crypto path:
“It’s pleasing to see the club become the first adopters of bitcoin payment in the National League. We believe this move will set a trend across non-league and Football League divisions as digital currency establishes itself as the new normal for sports fans and eventgoers across the UK.”
Soccer and Crypto
Many soccer icons have already jumped on the digital asset bandwagon in one form or another. For one, the Brazilian striker Neymar bought two non-fungible tokens (NFTs) from the popular collection Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC).
The 2005 Ballon d’Or winner – Ronaldinho – teamed up with the decentralized exchange P00LS to launch his own token, called RON. Prior to that, he collaborated with Graph Blockchain to organize events and NFT experiences for his fans.
Touching upon Oxford City’s move, it is worth mentioning that other clubs have already embraced cryptocurrencies as a means of payment. The Brazilian Sao Paulo, the Mexican Tigres, and the Spanish RCD Espanyol are some examples.
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