1891 in Argentine football explained

Country:Argentina
Soccer:no
Season:1891
Division1:Primera División
Champions1:St. Andrew's
Old Caledonians
Nextseason:1893
Flagicon:yes

1891 in Argentine football saw the first ever Argentine championship which was run by the Association Argentine Football (AAF) making Argentina's the oldest football league outside mainland Britain.[1] This tournament was organized by the Argentine Association Football League which president was F.L. Wooley. This league only lasted one season, so in 1892 no championship was held. In 1893 other Association with the same name would be established by Alexander Watson Hutton becoming current Argentine Football Association.[2]

At the end of the season, St. Andrew's and Old Caledonians finished at the top position with 13 points each. They were declared joint champions, but played a playoff match to decide which team got to keep the medals, being St. Andrew's the winner. Nevertheless, the Argentine Football Association website only mentions St. Andrew's as the first champion ever,[3] although the body (established in 1893) did not organised the tournament.

Primera división

See main article: 1891 Argentine Primera División.

The championship took the format of a league of 5 teams, with each team playing the other twice. Many of the results of individual games have been lost, hence the lack of goals for and against in the table below. Hurlingham registered in the tournament but did not take part of the same.[4] [5]

Final standings

width=40pxPoswidth=250pxTeamwidth=40pxPtswidth=40pxGwidth=40pxWwidth=40pxDwidth=40pxL
1 Old Caledonians138611
2 138611
3 Buenos Aires and Rosario Railway 78314
4 Belgrano F.C. 58215
5 Buenos Aires Football Club 28107

Playoff game

This match was played to decide which team got to keep the medals.

Notes and References

  1. https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2006/jun/04/worldcup2006.football3 "Salvation army" by Tim Pears
  2. http://www.afa.org.ar/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7793&Itemid=128 "Orígenes de la Asociación" - AFA website
  3. http://www.afa.org.ar/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1599&Itemid=222 Campeones de Primera División - AFA website
  4. https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/arg1891.html Argentina 1891 by Osvaldo José Gorgazzi at RSSSF
  5. Historia del Fútbol Amateur en la Argentina, by Jorge Iwanczuk -