The Sheff
Reverend and the Makers frontman Jon McClure becomes chairman of Sheffield FC
Is a Wrexham-esque Hollywood fairytale rebuild incoming?
Reverend and the Makers frontman Jon McClure has officially been confirmed as the new chairman of the oldest football team in the world, Sheffield FC.
He might be a die-hard Wednesday fan, but given the turbulence his lifelong club have been through over the past couple of years, maybe this is the start of a new love affair.
Sheffield FC had teased that important news was coming soon earlier this month, simply writing on socials: "Not long until we can tell all. We’ve been sitting on something big."
As it turns out, the news is that one of the Steel City's most famous and beloved sons is now part of the club's new ownership structure. McClure quickly took to social media to help join in with the announcement as well.
The veteran indie frontman and Day Fever co-founder has continued to branch out from solely music-related ventures, having gone into business not only with multiple names for the smash hit afternoon-into-early evening music festival, but also joining forces with a fellow Sheffielder.
Since November of last year, Jon's has often appeared alongside his brother Chris, who plays the comedy character of 'Steve Bracknall' on the Game's Gone podcast.
A bit like Yorkshire's answer to Alan Partridge, there remains a sporting throughline in pretty much all of the 44-year-old's career at the moment - now so more than ever.
Speaking online, McClure said: "What am I doing at the world’s oldest football club, you ask? Well, meet the new chairman of Sheffield FC.
"Our vision is that we honour the club’s roots and pay homage to its incredible history, whilst restoring it to its former glory." He's already been making his presence known around their home ground.
While some are still looking for updates on the plans to bring the historic outfit back closer to Sheffield proper - the non-league club currently playing at The Home of Football Stadium in Dronfield, Derbyshire - this fresh start for the now oft-neglected native minnows has still sparked some excitement.
At present, 'The Ancients' are in the process of developing a new 5,000-seater arena at the old Sheffield Transport Sports Club site in Meadowhead, which was initially slated to open this year.
But as for the musician, he went on to add that "There’s a lot to be done, but we’re ready to get stuck in and give Sheffield FC the love it deserves"; McClure and co. have dubbed this "a new chapter" for "the first in the world", and the update will no doubt bring some fresh hope to the organisation.
What do you make of the announcement, and is a local figure like Reverend and the Makers' Jon McClure the right person to help take over this community cornerstone and national institution?
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Featured Images — Sheffield FC/Reverend and the Makers
The Sheff
Sheffield has been crowned one of the happiest cities to live in the UK
Clementine Hall
A new study has revealed the happiest cities to live in the UK, and Sheffield takes one of the top spots.
That's right, aren't we lucky?
The new study by property-selling company Housebuyers4u reveals where us Brits actually feel happy about their lives and neighbourhoods.
The research looked at over major UK cities to see where people are happiest, and our lovely city of Sheffield came up trumps.
It measured how satisfied residents feel with their lives on a scale of 0 to 10, how safe their neighbourhoods are, and what their surroundings are like in terms of parks, housing, and getting around.
Each city got a score out of 100, with higher numbers meaning happier residents.
Taking the number one spot is York, with people rating their lives an impressive 7.65 out of 10. Number two went to Ipswich, followed by Newcastle Upon Tyne and Oxford at number four.
Rounding up the top five happiest cities is our very own Sheffield, scoring a whopping 91 out of 100 for quality of life, meaning well-maintained parks, reliable transport, and shorter commutes.
We scored a life satisfaction score of 7.66, which means us Sheffield lot seem to be pretty chuffed with the way our lives are going in the Steel City.
Here's a look at the top 10 happiest cities to live in across the UK:
- York
- Ipswich
- Newcastle Upon Tyne
- Oxford
- Sheffield
- Brighton
- Edinburgh
- Crawley
- Cambridge
- Swindon
Paul Gibbens, Property Expert at Housebuyers4u, commented on the study: "It might sound funny, but British cities were never designed with happiness in mind. They grew around coal mines, shipping ports, and factories where the priority was getting workers close to their jobs.
"Now we're left with dense urban areas that don't have enough green space or affordable housing. When you're living paycheck to paycheck and can't afford a decent place, and there is nowhere to go to clear your head, either, all that stress just builds up. That's how big a role the city you live in actually plays in your well-being."
Read more: Jarvis Cocker and Kim Sion to curate special art exhibition titled ‘The Hodge Podge’ at The Hepworth Wakefield
Featured image - The Sheff
The Sheff
Jarvis Cocker and Kim Sion to curate special art exhibition titled ‘The Hodge Podge’ at The Hepworth Wakefield
Clementine Hall
The Hepworth Wakefield is joining forces with Jarvis Cocker and his wife Kim Sion to create a one-of-a-kind art exhibition.
And it's got the best name ever, titled 'The Hodge Podge'.
This exciting new exhibition (opening in May 2027) will include artists who have challenged mainstream ideas about what can be considered 'art'.
It will invite unlikely conversations between artists such as Jeremy Deller, Peter Doig, Barbara Hepworth, Klara Kristalova, Emma Kunz, Mark Leckey and Agnes Pelton, as well as unknown outsider and visionary artists never exhibited before in UK public museums.
Focusing on alternative means of expression, the structures of class and how communities are able to come together outside of religious or high-brow contexts, Cocker and Sion are keen to explore alternative spiritualities, psychedelia, fandom, dreams, poetry and music.
Laura Smith, Artistic Director of The Hepworth Wakefield comments: "Jarvis Cocker has a long-held interest in art, attending St Martin’s College of Art & Design in the early 1990s, and as a Yorkshireman, felt like the ideal person to work with to consider a fresh way of thinking about and experiencing art.
"The art that he and Kim have gathered together in The Hodge Podge will encourage the feelings of joy, marvel and curiosity that great works of art can inspire and offer our audiences an expanded idea of creativity and community. We are thrilled to be working with Jarvis and Kim on this incredibly exciting exhibition."
In Cocker and Sion’s The Hodge Podge Manifesto, the couple state that te exhibition provides
‘an opportunity to understand where that creative urge comes from and what it can do for
you… You’d be a fool to miss it.’
Tickets for The Hodge Podge: Jarvis Cocker & Kim Sion curate The Hepworth Wakefield go on sale later this year and you can find them here.
Read more: Leeds International Festival of Ideas announces first wave of BIG names for 2026 festival
Featured image - Supplied
Danny Jones -
9th March 2026 
