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1906 Alumni v South Africa football match

1906 Alumni v South Africa
football match
A moment of the match in Buenos Aires
EventBritish football clubs tours to South America
Alumni South Africa
1 0
Date24 June 1906
VenueSociedad Sportiva, Buenos Aires
RefereeGuillermo Jordán
Attendance12,000

The 1906 Alumni v South Africa was an friendly football match played between Argentine club Alumni and the South Africa national team (then affiliated with English "The Football Association"). The match was part of the South Africa tour to South America in 1906.[1]

The match, won by Alumni 1–0 with a goal by Alfredo Brown, is notable for having been the first victory of an Argentine football team over a British-related side.[2][3] Alumni was also the only South American team that could defeat the British side, which won 11 out of 12 matches played.[1]

Venue

[edit]
A large crowd of 12,000 people attended the match

The match was held in the Sociedad Sportiva Argentina venue, sited in the Palermo neighborhood, next to Hipódromo Argentino. Apart from football, the venue held a large variety of sport events in several disciplines, such as athletics, auto racing, aviation, aerostatics, aeronautics, boxing, bicycle racing, motorcycle racing, polo, rugby union, trot, sulky races, show jumping, among others.[4]

Sociedad Sportiva had also hosted football matches in 1905 when another English team, Nottingham Forest, toured Argentina to play a series of friendly matches. On August 15, 1905, the Argentina and Uruguay national teams played the first edition of Copa Lipton at SSA.

In 1924 the Ministry of War led by Agustín P. Justo expropriated the lands and transferred them to the National Army.[5] On those lands, it would be built Campo Argentino de Polo, the main polo stadium of Argentina.[5]

Background

[edit]
Further information: British football clubs tours to South America
Alumni team for the match
South Africa

British teams were considered the best in the world by then, and some of them served as inspiration to establish football clubs in Argentina and Uruguay, helped by the immigration of British citizens that had arrived to work for British companies (mostly in railway construction). Belgrano A.C., Rosario A.C., Alumni, and Quilmes (in Argentina) were some examples of clubs established by British immigrants to South America.[6][7]

In some cases, the influence of British clubs on Argentine football extended to the colours adopted by some clubs. Arístides Langone, president of Club Atlético Independiente, was so impressed by the Nottingham Forest squad that beat local Alumni by 6–0 that he suggested to change the jersey colours from white and blue to red. The request was approved and Independiente adopted the colour that would later become an identity mark for the club, being known as El Rojo (The Red).[8]

Southampton F.C. had been the first foreign club to tour South America, followed by Nottingham Forest F.C. in 1905. One of its games, against Alumni in Buenos Aires, was attended by 10,000 spectators, what proves the interest of Argentine fans to see the local forces facing British sides, considered technically superior by them.[9]

The South Africa national team had reaffiliated to The Football Association and was formed exclusively by white players, with seven of them born in South Africa and eight originated from England and Scotland.[10]

Match details

[edit]
Friendly match
Alumni Argentina1–0 South Africa
A. Brown 61' Report
Attendance: 12,000
Referee: Argentina Guillermo Jordán
Alumni
South Africa

Aftermath

[edit]
Cartoon depicting the Alumni team with the title "Those who defeated South Africa" published in Caras y Caretas magazine
Medal awarded to Alumni players after the match

For our national football, the Alumni vs Sudaprica match constitutes a triumph and its memory will remain for a long time in the memory of all, serving as an example and stimulus for the future

— La Nación, 25 Jun 1906[11]

The alumni's triumph in foot ball marks the beginning of a new era for the Republic.

— Caras y Caretas no. 404[12]

The victory over South Africa, considered the first significative win of an Argentine team,[3] was largely celebrated by fans and media in Argentina and helped local football to increase interest for a sport which was still under development.[2][12]

At the moment of the match, Alumni was the most successful team in Argentina, with a total of 8 titles won by then. The club had consolidated as a natural successor to Lomas A.C. (the most winning team in the XIX century with 5 championships won within 6 seasons[13] and considered the first big of Argentine football),[14][15] and would keep their status until the team retired from competitions in 1911.[16][11][17][18][19]

The Alumni's win gained more relevance for the fact that South Africa played a total of 12 matches in South America, winning 11 with 60 goals scored and only 7 conceded.[20] being Alumni the only team that could beat them. Nevertheless, the South Africans would take revenge on 22 July, defeating Alumni 2–0.[6][1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c British Clubs in Argentina and Uruguay (1904–1929) by Sergio Hernández on RSSSF
  2. ^ a b La primera hazaña on La Nación, 20 Jul 2020
  3. ^ a b A cien años de un triunfazo on Clarín, 2006
  4. ^ "La Sportiva" on Viejos Estadios website
  5. ^ a b La Sociedad Sportiva Argentina y su terreno, historia de una disputa by Rodrigo Daskal on Historia Política
  6. ^ a b Historia del Fútbol Amateur en la Argentina by Jorge Iwanczuk. Publisher: Autores Editores (1992) – ISBN 9504343848
  7. ^ Plaza Jewell, el club donde nació el deporte rosarino, cumple hoy 145 años, La Capital, 27 Mar 2012
  8. ^ Independiente y Nottingham Forest unidos para siempre Archived 2018-06-22 at the Wayback Machine on Olé, 27 Aug 2010
  9. ^ The World's Game: A History of Soccer, by Bill Murray, William J. Murray
  10. ^ Before The 'D'...Association Football around the world, 1863-1937, page 4
  11. ^ a b "Alumni: en el nombre del fútbol" on Clarín, 21 April 2003
  12. ^ a b "El match de foot ball – triunfo de Alumni" on Caras y Caretas num. 404, 30 Jun 1906
  13. ^ A 130 años del primer partido oficial del fútbol argentino: Lomas Athletic, el legendario campeón del siglo 19 on TN.com.ar
  14. ^ Lomas marcó el rumbo on Clarín, 14 Jul 2001
  15. ^ El club (historia) on lomasac.com.ar
  16. ^ Alumni A.C., El Eterno Campeón by Jorge Gallego at the CIHF
  17. ^ EL ALUMNI ATHLETIC CLUB at the BAEHS (archived)
  18. ^ La historia de Belgrano y Alumni, los finalistas del torneo de rugby by Hernando De Cillia and Jorge Ciccodicola on Página/12, 26 Oct 2024
  19. ^ Alumni, Cuna de Campeones y Escuela de Hidalguía by Ernesto Escobar Bavio – Editorial Difusión, Buenos Aires (Published 1953)
  20. ^ Gira Sudamericana de Sudáfrica 1906 Archived 21 November 2021 at the Wayback Machine on Fútbol Nostalgia website
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