Some Information on the Early History of Football in Argentina


First Matches

The first match recorded in Argentina by the newspaper The Standard and River Plate News:
1864 September 8, Thursday.
Field: Cricket ground assigned to Buenos Aires Cricket Club, Palermo, Buenos Aires.
This field was officially inaugurated on December 8, 1864.
Kick off: on arrival of the 12:30 train.
Lasted: about 40 minutes.
About 15 footballers in total.
Spectators: no more than 10.

The second match recorded in Argentina by the newspaper The Standard:
1867 June 20, Thursday.
Field: Buenos Aires Cricket Club, Palermo, Buenos Aires.
Both teams belonged to Buenos Aires Football Club. 
White caps 4:0 Red caps
White caps: Thomas Hogg, James Hogg, Theodore Barlow Smith, William Forrester, James Wesley Bond,
            E. S. Smith, Norman Harry Smith, and, John Ramsbottom or Ramsbotham.
Red caps:   Walter “William” Heald, Herbert Thomas Barge, T. R. Best, Urban Smith, John Harry Willmont,
            R. M. Ramsay, J. Simpson and William Boschetti.
Note: Only 8 players by team. It lasted 120 minutes.
Organizer: The Buenos Aires Football Club.
Sport: Football Association with some slight modifications.

1867 June 29, Saturday.
Field: Palermo, Buenos Aires.
Red caps 1:3 White caps.
150 minutes.

1867 July 9, Tuesday.
60 minutes.

1868.
New Rule: It is allowed to carry the ball when it is caught before it hits the ground.

1868 May 25, Monday.
Six players by team.
Score: unknown.

1868 June 11, Thursday.
Six players by team.
Score: 1:1.

1868 June 24, Wednesday.
Walter Heald’s team 1:2 Thomas Hogg’s team
Field: Palermo, Buenos Aires Cricket Club.
Eleven players by team.

1868 July 9, Thursday.
Field: Palermo.
Walter Heald’s team 3:2 Thomas Hogg’s team.

1869 May 25, Tuesday.
Competitors 0:1 Non-competitors

1869 May 27, Thursday.
Competitors 2:2 Non-competitors
Field: Palermo.

1869 June 24, Thursday.
Whigs w:l Tory

1869 July 9, Friday.
Field: Cricket Ground, Palermo
Lancanshire v. York
Scored: unknown.

1870 May 26, Thursday.
Buenos Aires FC 3:0 London Bank and Río de la Plata

1870 May 26, Thursday.
Cooper’s team : Lace’s team
Score: 1:0 but it is not clear which team won.

1870 June 16, Thursday.
The Competitors 1:0 The Non-Competitors

1870 June 24, Friday.
The Competitors 1:0 The Non-Competitors

1870 September 8, Thursday.
Missed.

Due to the yellow fever epidemic, sports activities are suspended for the following years.

1873 April 25, Friday.
Buenos Aires Football Club was refounded whith rules based on those of the previous club.

1873 June 13, Friday.
Banks 0:1 Town
Field: BACC, Palermo.
3 hours.
Eleven players by team.

1873 June 24, Tuesday.
Inglaterra 2:0 El Mundo
Inglaterra: 16 players. El Mundo: 11 players.
90 minutes.

1873 July 9, Wednesday.
Inglaterra 1:0 El Mundo

1873 August 15, Friday.
Inglaterra 0:0 El Mundo

1873 August 30, Saturday.
Inglaterra 0:0 El Mundo

1875 May 27, Thursday
Competidores v. No Competidores

First football association match

1875 June 24, Wednesday
Field in Flores.

The Derby of the Río de la Plata: First "Inter-Cities" Matches

Since the Buenos Aires Cricket Club was the first one founded in Argentina
(playing football), it organized the first international "cities" match,
as no association had been founded yet:

Buenos Aires vs. Montevideo.

The Uruguayan team was organized by the Montevideo Cricket Club.

1889 August 15, Thursday. 
Field: La Blanqueada, Montevideo. 
Montevideo 1:3 Buenos Aires

Other matches between Buenos Aires and Montevideo teams:

1890 June 5, Thursday. 
Field: Hurlingham Club, Hurlingham. 
Buenos Aires 4:2 Montevideo.
Argentine organizer: W. Waters (Saint Andrew's Scotch School teacher). 

1891 May 25, Monday. 
Field: La Blanqueada, Montevideo. 
Montevideo 1:4 Buenos Aires
Argentine organizer: the first Argentine Association Football League.

1892 August 15, Monday. 
Field: Palermo, Buenos Aires. 
Buenos Aires 4:1 Montevideo.
Argentine organizer: Buenos Aires Football Club. 

1893 August 15, Tuesday. 
Field: La Blanqueada, Montevideo. 
Montevideo 1:2 Buenos Aires 
Argentine organizer: The Argentine Association Football League.

1894 August 25, Wednesday. 
Field: Flores Polo Club, Buenos Aires.
Buenos Aires 3:1 Montevideo.

Notes:

 1.Players were British from both cities.
 2.The Uruguay Association Football League founded in 1900.

First League Matches

Line-ups for the first two leagues games:

Buenos Aires FC 2:5 Saint Andrew's FC, at Old Ground Flores, Buenos Aires

BAFC: Millar; H.Anderson and Morton; Woolley, Macadam and Taylor; Anderson,
Rowland, Disbrowe, Guy and Crowe.
SA:     Norwood; Waters and D.Buchanan; Francis, Barnes and Shaw; Lamont,
Moffatt, J.Buchanan, Caldwell and Morgan.  
Referee: T.Bruce (Buenos Aires English High School).

Caledonians Club 6:0 Belgrano FC, at Estación Sola, Buenos Aires

CC: Gibson; Caird and Gifford; Philips, Angus and McEwen; Corner, Whyte,
Sutherland, Wilson and Riggs.
BFC: Hughes; Davies and Stainford; Bayne, Rivers and Brodie; Hind, David,
Lane, Martin and Brodie.

Bye: Buenos Aires al Rosario Railway AC, because Hurlingham Club abandoned the
tournament without playing any match.

Both matches were played on 1891 April 12, Sunday.

Further information on the Argentine league history.

About this document

With thanks to Josef Bobrowsky (R.I.P.), Jorge Gallego, Luis Prats, Ricardo Mase.

Sources: [Iwa -]; [Yam -]; The Standard, Buenos Aires, 8 Jun 1890; Revista Sportsman, Montevideo, 1908; El origen Británico del deporte Argentino, Víctor Raffo, 2004.

Prepared and maintained by Osvaldo José Gorgazzi for the Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation

Author: Osvaldo José Gorgazzi
Last updated: 12 Oct 2022

(C) Copyright Osvaldo José Gorgazzi and RSSSF 1999/2022
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