Hans Max Gamper-Haessig, commonly known as Joan Gamper, was a Swiss-born football executive and versatile athlete. He founded football clubs in Switzerland and Spain, most notably Barcelona and Zürich.
Football is the most important sport in Catalonia and was introduced in the late 19th century by a combination of mostly British immigrant workers and visiting sailors, and students returning from Britain. Catalonia led the way in the development of football in Spain, organizing both the first association and the first championship. Today football in Catalonia is organized by the Catalan Football Federation and the RFEF and teams from Catalonia compete in La Liga, the Copa del Rey, the Copa Catalunya and several European competitions.
Arthur Witty Cotton, also known as Don Arturo, was a footballer, club president and businessman. Witty played for FC Barcelona in the first Copa del Rey final and later served as club president between 1903 and 1905. He was also a successful trader and his family company, the Witty Group, continues to operate today. He was the older brother of Ernest Witty.
The Hispania Athletic Club Tournament–Alfonso Macaya Cup, popularly known as the Copa Macaya, was a football competition contested by clubs from Catalonia which ran from 1900 until 1903, disappearing at the same time of its organizers, Hispania AC, who won the first edition in 1901. Initially, the championship was open to all Spanish clubs, thus some historians consider this cup to be the first national championship in Spain, as well as the predecessor and forerunner for the Catalan football championship which began in 1903. Until that point, the teams founded at the end of 1899 and during 1900 had been limited to playing friendly games only. It was one of the first football championships played on the Iberian Peninsula, after Taça D. Carlos I in Portugal (1894) and the Merchants Cup in Gibraltar (1895).
The 1899-1900 season was the first season for FC Barcelona. During this season, the club only played friendly matches against local clubs.
Carles Comamala López-Del Pan was an orthopedic surgeon by profession and a football player for Barcelona between 1903 and 1911. He was a director of Barcelona in 1909–1911.
The 1900–01 Copa Macaya was the 1st staging of the Copa Macaya. This tournament is best known for being the very first football competition played on the Iberian Peninsula. The competition was held on the road between 20 January 1901 and ended on 14 April, and it was won by Hispania AC, narrowly beating FC Barcelona by just two points.
Arthur Leask Mace was a Spanish footballer of English descent who played as a forward for FC Barcelona between 1901 and 1903. He is best known for being the referee of Barça's first-ever game on 8 December 1899. In addition to football he was also an outstanding tennis player, winning the men's doubles in the first International Tennis Competition in Spain in 1903, partnering with Ernest Witty.
John Parsons Alexander, was an Anglo-Spanish footballer who played as a forward for FC Barcelona. His younger brother, William, followed him every step through.
The Velódromo de la Bonanova was a sports venue in the city of Barcelona, Spain. It was the first velodrome in the city, although it was located in the neighboring municipality of San Gervasio, which in 1897 was annexed to the Catalan capital. Later it hosted other sports competitions, especially football, being the very first playing field of FC Barcelona.
The Sociedad de Foot-Ball de Barcelona was a football scratch team that existed between 1892 and 1896, mainly consisting of players from the British colony of Barcelona, but also with Catalans and even Frenchmen. This entity was initially known as the Barcelona Football Club (1892–94), before being renamed as Sociedad de Foot-Ball de Barcelona following a restructuring in 1894. It was one of the first Catalan football clubs and is considered a predecessor of FC Barcelona founded in 1899. Some historians ascribe this entity as "a group of thirty friends, English workers, who played alternately and without a regular squad".
Català Futbol Club, and later Català Sport Club, was a football team based in Barcelona, Spain, which existed from 1899 until its dissolution in the late 1920s. It was one of the most important entities in the amateur beginnings of football in Catalonia, being noted for its prominent role in promoting local football in the city. Català is best known for being the first unofficial football team to be formed in the city of Barcelona, although officially it comes second behind FC Barcelona, with whom they had a very strong rivalry at the turn of the century.
Team Anglès or English Colony Team, was a football scratch team based in Barcelona, Spain, which existed only during the year 1900, playing a total of four friendly matches against the likes of FC Barcelona and Català FC. The team mainly consisted of members of the British colony living in Barcelona, hence its name. Some historians ascribe this entity as "a group of thirty friends, English workers, who played alternately and without a regular squad".
William Parsons Alexander was an Anglo-Spanish footballer who is best known for being, along with his brother John, one of the founders of FC Barcelona in 1899, and then serving as the club's vice-captain in 1899 and 1900. Oddly enough, despite having been a captain of the Barça first team, he never actually played a single match for the club. William was also one of the founders of the Real Club de Tenis Barcelona.
Luis de Ossó Serra was a Spanish footballer who played as a forward for FC Barcelona. He was one of the most important footballers in the amateur beginnings of FC Barcelona, being among the 12 founders of the club in 1899, and then serving the club as a forward for six years, netting 68 goals in 72 appearances, thus contributing decisively in the conquest of Barça's first official titles, 1901–02 Copa Macaya, which was the club's first-ever official title, 1902–03 Copa Barcelona and the 1904–05 Catalan championship.
Miguel Valdés Padró was a Spanish gymnast and footballer who played as a midfielder for Català FC and FC Barcelona. He was one of the founding members of Català FC in 1899, but immediately moved to city rivals FC Barcelona, which he helped to a win the 1901–02 Copa Macaya, the club's very first piece of silverware.
Udo Steinberg Werle was a German engineer, athlete and sports official who played football as a forward for the Spanish club FC Barcelona between 1902 and 1910. He is best known for being the author of Barça's first-ever goal in the history of the El Clásico.
Alfonso Macaya Sanmartí was a Spanish football executive and businessman. He is widely regarded as one of the most important figures in the amateur beginnings of football in Catalonia since he was the fundamental head behind the foundation of Hispania AC in 1900, and then serving the club as its honorary president, a position from which he played a pivotal role in the promotion and creation of the Copa Macaya, the first football championship played on the Iberian Peninsula, and the forerunner for the Catalan championship which began in 1903. He also chaired the Catalan Tennis Federation (1906–09) and even held the presidency of the Real Club de Tenis Barcelona from 1929 to 1935.
Julius Müller Wislicenus was a German footballer who played as a midfielder for FC Barcelona. Together with his brother Juan, he ran an import business in the center of Barcelona, but he is best known for being the oldest player in the club's history, having played a dozen games for the Barça team in the 1908–09 season at the age of 44, his only reported experience as a professional footballer. He was also an outstanding tennis player and athlete.
John Henry Ball was an engineer and a footballer who played as a midfielder for Team Anglès in 1899 and who joined the ranks of FC Barcelona in 1900, although he did not play a single match for the Blugrana. He briefly worked as a referee in the first edition of the Copa Macaya, overseeing the first competitive match in the history of football in Catalonia.
