Oldest Football Match in Spain Played in 1869, University of Cádiz Study Reveals
A new study by the University of Cádiz (UCA) has uncovered evidence suggesting the oldest documented football match in Spain was played in 1869, a decade earlier than previously believed. The match took place in Jerez de la Frontera between the Jerez Cricket Club and officers from HMS Endymion, a British naval vessel that had docked in the port of Cádiz.
Discovery Through Digitized Archives
The finding was made possible by the digitization of a new archive within the Newspaper Archive of the National Library, allowing researchers to search for historical documents related to the early days of football in Spain. According to Rafael Cano, vice dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Communication at UCA, the research isn’t intended to create controversy, but rather to uncover a more accurate history of the sport in the country. University of Cádiz
Challenging Historical Accounts
Historically, Real Club Recreativo de Huelva has been recognized as the birthplace of Spanish football, founded as the Huelva Recreation Club in 1889. The first officially recognized match under the rules of the Football Association (FA) was played in March 1890 between the Huelva Recreation Club and Sevilla FC. However, accounts from the time also indicated that football was played in various locations throughout Spain during the 19th century. University of Cádiz – Wikipedia
Details of the 1869 Match
The UCA study, reported in the Gibraltar Chronicle, details that the match lasted 80 minutes and featured only British players. The final score was 1-0 in favor of the English team. The Gibraltar Chronicle also noted that a cricket match was played alongside the football game, a common pairing during the early development of both sports. The exact location of the match remains unknown, but Llanos de Caulina in the Jerez countryside is considered a likely candidate.
Ongoing Research and Open Invitation
The University of Cádiz emphasizes that this research is ongoing and welcomes the discovery of any older documentation that might further refine the history of football in Spain. The university has stated it will publish and disseminate any evidence of earlier matches. To commemorate the anniversary of this first match, a game was played in Jerez de la Frontera with the collaboration of the university faculty and the city council.
Significance of the Finding
Cano notes the significance of the match being recorded in the Gibraltar Chronicle, stating, “It was not a simple party, it was played more than one hundred kilometers away, taking into account what was happening at that time.” The research involved tracking documentation from towns with a strong English presence, such as Huelva, Riotinto, Seville, Vigo, Linares, and Tarragona, where football was also played in the 19th century. University of Cadiz [UCA]