The day Spanish football was born

The first official game was played on 8th March 1890 in Seville

Zoom in The Sevilla Football Club's History Department has unearthed a treasure in Scotland, published by 'The Dundee Courier' on 17th March 1890, reporting how the first official football match was played on Spanish soil in Seville on 8th March 1890. It was held at the Hipódromo de la Sociedad de Carreras de Caballos (horse racing track) and was between Huelva Recreation Club and Sevilla Football Club.

"On the eighth of this month, 22 members of this city's Recreation Club left for Seville on the mail train to take part in a 'football' game (the first played in Spain) which took place on the same day at 5 o'clock in the afternoon", the ' Dundee Courier' correspondent in Sevilla reports.

"The game was very pleasant with two halves of thirty five minutes, ending in a 2-0 victory for Seville. Ritson scored the first…." the anonymous journalist continues. The British Vice-Consul in the Andalusian capital acted as the referee.

The article tells the story of the founding of the Sevilla Football Club on 25th January 1890: "Six weeks ago, several young enthusiasts, residents of British origin, met in a café to consider the proposal of forming an Athletics Association (…) After much discussion and some moderate partaking of small beers, the 'Club de Football de Sevilla' was duly formed. Half of us were Spanish and half British…".

За съжаление това не е истинския клуб Севиля. В тези години е имало доста квартални отбори, които са играели подобни мачове заедно с или против англичани. Част от тези клубове (по няколко играча) оцелели до 1905 са се обединили за създаването на ФК Севиля. Няколко години след създаването си клубът е играел само срещу моряци и търговци поради липса на друг отбор в Севиля. Не са останали почти никакви записки за старите квартални отбори в Севиля така, че може и други подобни мачове да е имало като този с Рекреативо просто не е попадал във вестниците.