At the 1900 Summer Olympics, an association football tournament was contested for the first time. Only two matches were held between the three club sides, and no medals were awarded.
France's representatives were determined by the USFSA, which elected the Parisian champion Club Français. For Belgium, after Racing Club de Bruxelles declined to participate, a student selection with players from the Université libre de Bruxelles was sent by the Federation.Great Britain's first home Olympic football adventure by Jon Carter, ESPN, 26 June 2012Before the World Cup: Who were football’s earliest world champions? by Paul Brown on Medium Sports, 6 June 2018 The team was reinforced with a few non-students. English club Upton Park F.C. represented Great Britain.
The International Olympic Committee originally credited Great Britain, France and a "Mixed Team" with gold, silver and bronze medals, respectively, as part of its attempt to reconcile early Olympic Games with the modern award scheme. The Belgian team included one British and one Dutch player. In 2024 the bronze medal was reallocated to Belgium.
The football matches were held at the Vélodrome de Vincennes in Paris.Games of the II. Olympiad - Football Tournament by Søren Elbech and Karel Stokkermans on the RSSSF
Competition schedule Originally there were four matches scheduled for the 1900 Olympics, all including a French team.
16 September 1900: France v. Switzerland 23 September: France v. Belgium 30 September: France v. Germany 7 October: France v. Great Britain
As Switzerland and Germany eventually did not send a team, the match involving France and Great Britain was moved forward to 20 September.
The final schedule of the tournament: + LegendMMatch Thu 20 Fri 21 Sat 22 Sun 23M1 M2
Venue
Squads
Matches In the first match, the British squad had little difficulty defeating the Club Français (wearing the USFSA uniform). Upton Park led 2–0 after the first half, getting two more goals in the second to win 4–0. In the second match, Gaston Peltier scored in the first minute to give the USFSA XI an early lead, but Université de Bruxelles scored twice to take a 2–1 first half lead. The French scored five goals in the second half, however, to take the match 6–2.
Team details GK Lucien Huteau RB Louis Bach LB Pierre Allemane RH Virgile Gaillard CH Alfred Bloch LH Maurice Macaire OR Eugène Fraysse (capt.)IR René Garnier CF Marcel Lambert IL René GrandjeanOL Fernand Canelle
GK James JonesRB Claude BuckenhamLB William GoslingRH Alfred ChalkCH T. E. BurridgeLH William QuashOR Richard TurnerIR F. G. SpackmanCF John NicholasIL Jack ZealleyOL Henry Haslam (capt.)
Team details GK Lucien Huteau RB Louis Bach LB Pierre Allemane RH Virgile Gaillard CH Alfred Bloch LH Maurice Macaire OR René Ressejac-DuparcIR René Garnier (capt.)CF Gaston PeltierIL Marcel LambertOL Fernand Canelle
GK Eric ThorntonRB Marius DelbecqueLB Hendrik van HeuckelumRH Lucien LondotCH Ernest Moreau de MelenLH Raul KelecomOR Eugène "Edmond" NeefsIR Camille Van HoordenCF Gustave Pelgrims (capt.)IL Alphonse RenierOL Hilaire Spanoghe
Final ranking
Medal summary
Medal table
Medalists Gold Silver Bronze (Upton Park FC)James JonesClaude BuckenhamWilliam GoslingAlfred ChalkTom BurridgeWilliam QuashRichard TurnerFred SpackmanJohn NicholasJack ZealleyHenry Haslam (Club Français) Pierre AllemaneLouis BachAlfred BlochFernand CanelleRené Ressejac-DuparcEugène FraysseVirgile GaillardGeorges GarnierRené GrandjeanLucien HuteauMarcel LambertMaurice MacaineGaston Peltier (Université de Bruxelles)Marius DelbecqueHendrik van Heuckelum (NED)Raul KelecomMarcel LeboutteLucien LondotErnest Moreau de MelenEugène NeefsGustave PelgrimsAlphonse RenierHilaire SpanogheEric Thornton (GBR)Coach:Frank König (SWI)
See also List of Olympic medalists in football
References