By
Steve Muchoki
April 19th, 2024
Oxford City FC-branded Bolt Cards have also been made by CoinCorner in a limited quantity to commemorate the partnership and are available for purchase in the club store.
Oxford City Football Club has announced that it will now accept Bitcoin payment for matchday tickets for the upcoming season, scheduled to start on August 6, making it the first National League football club to do so.
The British professional football club added that fans can also purchase food and drinks at the club’s RAW Charging Stadium with Bitcoin using CoinCorner’s Bolt Card, which has been tagged as the world’s first contactless Bitcoin Lightning card.
This will, however, be an alternative to legacy payment methods such as card methods and traditional cash.
Oxford City FC-branded Bolt Cards have also been made by CoinCorner in a limited quantity to commemorate the partnership and are available for purchase in the club store.
Danny Scott, CEO of CoinCorner, speaking after the agreement, described OCFC as the “first adopter of Bitcoin payments in the National League”, adding that both organizations are both innovative and forward-thinking businesses, which will yield a perfect partnership.
“It’s exciting to see the club become the first adopters of Bitcoin payments 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 event-goers across the UK,” he stated.
Scott also revealed that the idea of making payments with cryptocurrencies seemed like a foreign idea to both individuals and businesses for some time now. However, since the launch of The Bolt Card and the ability to “tap and pay” with Bitcoin via Lightning, the user experience has been quick, easy, and familiar to everyone.
Justin Merritt, Director of Football at Oxford City FC, also chimed in, stating that over 3.3 million people living in the United Kingdom now own Bitcoin, a figure which has seen an increase of approximately one million people in the last year alone.
Merritt added that it has been a very surreal journey to understand how significant and accepted Bitcoin is in the modern digital age.
“As a football club, we are constantly striving to develop and improve our overall customer experience, which is why our partnership with CoinCorner is so important to us. Embracing the latest technologies and innovations to ensure Oxford City FC can continue to operate as a self-sustaining club is a key part of our long-term objectives,” he stated.
Merritt concluded by highlighting the fact that, although the club’s new innovative system is optional, he thinks that time payments made using Bitcoin will soon become the new standard in English football.
Oxford City Football Club performs in the sixth tier of English soccer, the Nationwide League South. As part of the agreement between CoinCorner and the team, The Hoops, as they are affectionately referred to locally, will wear a BTC logo on the back of the matchday shirts.
The debut encounter on August 6 will also include CoinCorner as the official match sponsor.