The oldest football clubs

Found this Wikipedia article to be quite interesting, a list of the oldest football clubs. It's from the German Wikipedia, since I couldn't find the English equivalent.

Code:


http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gr%C3%BCndungsjahr_(Fu%C3%9Fball)

(copy and paste)


While it was to be expected that English / British clubs are the oldest, I was quite surprised to see that the Swiss seem to have started very early also. And it's interesting to see how the popularity of football grew, first in Britain, then Switzerland, Scandinavia, Germany and Benelux, and after that to the southern regions of Europe, Italy and last but not least Spain. The popularity in France and Spain seems to have grown slowest.

Would be interesting to see a list of South American clubs also, which started later.

huelva was started by british tin miners i believe
many of the early clubs in europe were started by expats, see football and CRICKET club for lausanne

1888
# Sparta Rotterdam Niederlande Rotterdam

Proud of it.

Since 1888 wrote:1888
# Sparta Rotterdam Niederlande Rotterdam

Proud of it.

1888? pah.

Villa were well into puberty by then

1893

Not bad for a non-british based club.

This explains why English football is different - it's just more evolved.

In another 20 years everyone will be playing high-tempo kick'n'rush with no technical skill.

The Recre players must have been really bored for 10 years until FCB was founded..

Roger Hunt wrote:This explains why English football is different - it's just more evolved.

In another 20 years everyone will be playing high-tempo kick'n'rush with no technical skill.

Until the 50's, playing very technically and being creative (rather than just charging forward) was considered very English in Spain

Oleguerisntthatbad wrote:The Recre players must have been really bored for 10 years until FCB was founded..

I gotta wonder what the point is of starting a club without having any other to play. who did they play?

Supermadrid wrote:

Oleguerisntthatbad wrote:The Recre players must have been really bored for 10 years until FCB was founded..

I gotta wonder what the point is of starting a club without having any other to play. who did they play?

To win trophies of course

EMP wrote:

Supermadrid wrote:

Oleguerisntthatbad wrote:The Recre players must have been really bored for 10 years until FCB was founded..

I gotta wonder what the point is of starting a club without having any other to play. who did they play?

To win trophies of course

blutgraetsche wrote:Found this Wikipedia article to be quite interesting, a list of the oldest football clubs. It's from the German Wikipedia, since I couldn't find the English equivalent.

If you look down on the left (you probably have to scroll down to the bottom) you'll see "andere Sprachen" => English :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oldest_football_club

As often is the case on wiki the two pieces vary *hugely*, so it's best two read them both (if you're able ).

Nice find Blut

Thank you Axe, but I knew that already. I should have been more clear I guess. I had actually found the English equivalent, but it's not really comparable, far from being complete. If you check out that link, you'll see that the timeline is pretty limited, and therefore concentrates on British (Commonwealth) countries.

1869 Kilmarnock F.C.
Scotland's oldest professional team

West Ham United 1895...not really one of the oldest.

I think Notts County are the oldest...1862 they were formed.

Sheffield FC are the oldest football club.

blutgraetsche wrote:Thank you Axe, but I knew that already. I should have been more clear I guess. I had actually found the English equivalent, but it's not really comparable, far from being complete. If you check out that link, you'll see that the timeline is pretty limited, and therefore concentrates on British (Commonwealth) countries.

and other forms of football eg rugby, aussie rules

Sir Les wrote:Sheffield FC are the oldest football club.

This is true...though Notts County are the oldest professional club .

West Ham e Sampdoria wrote:

Sir Les wrote:Sheffield FC are the oldest football club.

This is true...though Notts County are the oldest professional club .

it's good they've survived, would've been a shame to see one of the founder members dropping out the league.

could have as many as 7 of the 12 founders in the prem next season (if Bolton survive and WBA, Stoke and Wolves ( ) go up; Villa, Blackburn and Everton the others)