OXFORD City fans will be able to use Bitcoin to pay for tickets and refreshments this season.
The move sees the Hoops become the first National League club to accept matchday payments using the cryptocurrency.
The club has entered a multi-year partnership with the Isle of Man based CoinCorner, which will also be City’s back of shirt sponsors this season.
Supporters will now be able to purchase tickets at turnstiles seven days a week, using CoinCorner’s ‘The Bolt Card’ – the world’s first contactless card for Bitcoin.
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The technology has been installed at RAW Charging Stadium ahead of the new National League South season kicking off at home to Eastbourne Borough on Saturday.
While various bigger clubs in England and Europe have signed cryptocurrency deals in recent years, the move by City is somewhat unheralded in the lower divisions.
Bitcoin investor Peter McCormack bought Bedford FC, of the tenth tier of English football, in December.
City ply their trade in the sixth tier of the English football pyramid, and director of football Justin Merritt thinks paying via Bitcoin will ‘become the new normal in English football’.
He said: “More than 3.3 million people living in the UK now own digital currency – an increase of approximately one million people in the last year alone.
“It’s a real eye-opener understanding 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.
“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.”
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CoinCorner provides its users with a quick and easy way to buy and sell Bitcoin.
Daniel Scott, chief executive officer and co-founder of CoinCorner, said: “Innovation and forward thinking sit at the heart of our key working objectives, just like Oxford City FC.
“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 fan and eventgoers across the UK.
“More people than ever are now paying and receiving funds via Bitcoin and Oxford City FC are accommodating for this demand by installing our simplistic, easy-to-use, technology.”
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This story was written by Liam Rice, he joined the team in 2019 as a multimedia reporter.
Liam covers politics, travel and transport. He occasionally covers Oxford United.
Get in touch with him by emailing: Liam.rice@newsquest.co.uk
Follow him on Twitter @OxMailLiamRice
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