Walter Evans (Bilbao footballer)

Last updated
Walter Evans
Personal information
Date of birth Unknown
Place of birth England
Position(s) Striker
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
1901–1902 Bilbao FC
1902 Club Bizcaya
1903–1904 Athletic Club
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Walter Evans was an English footballer who played as a striker for Athletic Club. [1] [2] He was one of the first pioneers of football in the Basque Country, standing out as a great striker for some of the earliest Basque clubs in existence such as Bilbao FC, Club Bizcaya, and Athletic Club, winning three back-to-back Spanish Cups between 1902 and 1904, and being the joint top scorer in the 1902 Copa de la Coronación with 5 goals. [3] The dates of his birth and death are unknown.

Contents

Playing career

Bilbao Football Club

Evans was born in England and at some point, at the turn of the century, he arrived in Bilbao due to work reasons. In 1901, together with fellow Englishmen, George Langford, George Cockram and William Dyer, he was one of the young English workers and residents in Bilbao who joined the recently established Bilbao Football Club. [4] At the end of 1901, the two most important clubs in the city were Bilbao FC and Athletic Club, so a rivalry soon arose between them, and they played several friendlies at the Hippodrome of Lamiako. [5] Evans played a fundamental role in this historic rivalry, netting a total of three goals in four matches, including one in a 1–1 draw on 1 December 1901 and the only goal in a 1–0 win on 15 December, thus sealing Bilbao FC's first-ever win over their city rivals. [6]

On 19 January 1902, Evans scored a consolation goal in a 4–2 loss, in a match that went down in history as the first time that a paid match was held in Biscay, since they charged a ticket price of 30 cents of a peseta. [5] [7] Evans was what would now be called a quality footballer and was perhaps the club's most talented footballer. [8]

Club Bizcaya

The two rivals agreed to join the best players of each club to play two games against the Bordeaux-based side Burdigala. This temporary merge became known as Club Bizcaya, [9] and Evans ousted Athletic's forwards for a spot in the first-ever line-up of the Bizcaya team against Burdigala on 9 March, netting once in a 2–0 win in France, the first time a Bilbao team played on foreign territory, [9] [10] and three weeks later, on 31 March 1902, he was again in Bizcaya's starting XI for the return fixture at home in a 7–0 win over the French side. [9]

Together with Juan Astorquia, Armand Cazeaux and fellow Englishman William Dyer, Evans was part of the Bizcaya team that participated in the 1902 Copa de la Coronacion, the first national championship disputed in Spain and the forerunner for the Copa del Rey. [11] In the quarter-finals on 13 May, he scored a hat-trick against Club Espanyol (now RCD Espanyol) to help his side to a 5–1 win. [9] On the following day, Evans netted a brace in the semi-finals in an 8–1 trashing of New Foot-Ball Club, [9] thus helping Athletic reach the final, in which he started in a 2–1 victory over FC Barcelona. [9] [12] These five goals earned him the top spot in the top scorers of the tournament alongside his teammate William Dyer, who also scored five goals for Biscaya. [3]

Athletic Club

In 1903, Bilbao FC collapsed and its remaining members were officially absorbed by Athletic Club. Together with Juan Astorquia, Alejandro de la Sota, and fellow Englishman George Cockram, Evans was part of the Athletic team that participated in the 1903 Copa del Rey, the first-ever official edition of the competition. [13] In the semifinals, he scored once to help his side to a 4–1 win over Club Espanyol, [14] and in the final against Madrid FC, the game was tied at 2–2 in the 80th minute when Evans provided the game-winning assist to de la Sota with "a beautiful play", thus contributing decisively in a 3–2 comeback victory. [8] [13] Evans played five competitive matches and scored six competitive goals for Athletic between 1902 and 1905 (Athletic Bilbao counts the matches played by Club Vizcaya as its own). [1] He was also part of the team that won the 1904 Copa del Rey, which Athletic won without playing a single match since their opponents failed to turn up. [15]

Honours

Club Bizcaya

Athletic Club

Related Research Articles

Bizcaya, also known as Bizcaya FC or Club Bizcaya was an association football representative team from Bilbao, Spain, which participated in the 1902 Copa de la Coronación and the 1907 Copa del Rey, winning the former. In this respect, the team is similar to London XI. It intended to create a team especially for the tournament using the best players from each Bilbao-based club: Bilbao Football Club and Athletic Club in 1902, and Athletic Club and Unión Vizcaino in 1907.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1902 Copa de la Coronación</span> Football tournament season

The 1902 Copa de la Coronación was a football competition in honour of the coronation of Alfonso XIII of Spain. The Royal Spanish Football Federation does not recognize it as the first season of the Copa del Rey, which began the following year.

The Copa del Rey 1903 was the first official staging of the Copa del Rey, the Spanish football cup competition. It followed the 1902 Copa de la Coronación, held to celebrate the coronation of King Alfonso XIII of Spain, which was won by Club Vizcaya de Bilbao and given to them permanently.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1902 Copa de la Coronación final</span> Football match

The 1902 Copa de la Coronación Final was the final of the Copa de la Coronación, the Spanish football cup competition. The match took place on 15 May 1902 at the Hipódromo in Madrid. The match was contested by Club Bizcaya and FC Barcelona, and it was refereed by Carlos Padrós.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1903 Copa del Rey final</span> Football match

The 1903 Copa del Rey Final was the first final of the Copa del Rey, the Spanish football cup competition. The match took place on 8 April 1903 at the Hipódromo, Madrid. The match was contested by Athletic Bilbao and Madrid FC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luis Arana (sailor)</span> Spanish footballer and Olympic sailor

Luis Arana Urigüen was a Spanish footballer who played as a goalkeeper who won the 1902 Copa de la Coronación with Club Bizcaya. He later became a sailor, representing his country at the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bilbao Football Club</span> Spanish football club

Bilbao Football Club was a football team based in Bilbao, Spain, which existed during the years 1900 and 1903. In 1902 they combined with city rivals Athletic Club to form Club Vizcaya, a team which won the 1902 Copa de la Coronación. The following year they were absorbed by Athletic Club.

Raymond Jerome Cazeaux was an English footballer who played as a forward for Athletic Club. Although little has been recorded of his life, he was one of the most important footballers in the amateur beginnings of Athletic Club, netting a goal in both the 1902 Copa de la Coronación Final and the 1903 Copa del Rey Final, which were the club's first pieces of silverware. Cazeaux was previously believed to have been a Frenchman named Armand, a mistake that has persisted through time until an investigation published in El Correo on March 2023 uncovered the truth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Juan Astorquia</span> Spanish footballer and sports leader

Juan José Astorquia Landabaso, also known as Juanito Astorquia, was a Spanish footballer who played as a forward for Athletic Club. He is widely regarded as one of the most important figures in the amateur beginnings of Athletic Club from Bilbao, having been the fundamental head behind the foundation of the club in 1898 and its official establishment in 1901, and then serving as the club's first captain until 1904 and as its second president between 1902 and 1903.

Alejandro de la Sota Izagirre was a Spanish footballer who played as a forward for Athletic Club. He was one of the most important figures in the early history of Athletic, having been one of its co-founders in 1901, as well as a team captain, and then serving as the seventh president of the club, ruling from 1911 and 1917, becoming one of the most successful and influential presidents of the Basque club.

José Enrique Niceto Goiri Bayo was a Spanish footballer who played as a midfielder for Athletic Club. He was one of the most important footballers in the amateur beginnings of Athletic Club, being among the 7 founders of the club in 1898, and then serving the club as a player, winning both the 1902 Copa de la Coronación and 1903 Copa del Rey, which were the club's very first piece of silverware. He was then involved in the foundation of Club Athletic de Madrid in 1903.

William Llewellyn Dyer was an English businessman and a professional footballer who played as a striker for Athletic Club. He was one of the first pioneers of football in the Basque Country, standing out as a great striker for some of the earliest Basque clubs in existence such as Bilbao FC, Club Bizcaya, and Athletic Club, winning three back-to-back Spanish Cups with the latter two between 1902 and 1904, and being the joint top scorer in the 1902 Copa de la Coronación with 5 goals.

Alfred Edward Elvin Mills was an English footballer who played as a defender for Spanish club Athletic Club. He is best known for being the only foreigner among the 33 founders of the club, the ‘Inglés en Bilbao’. Mills was one of the most important footballers in the amateur beginnings of Athletic, co-founding the club and then serving as a board member and a captain, winning the 1904 Copa del Rey.

Pedro Larrañaga Arana, also known as Perico Larrañaga, was a Spanish footballer who played as a defender for Athletic Bilbao. He was one of the co-founders of Athletic Club in 1901 and was part of the team that won the 1902 Copa de la Coronación, the first national championship disputed in Spain.

Ramón Silva Abaitua was a Spanish footballer who played as a defender for Athletic Bilbao. He was one of the co-founders of Athletic Club in 1901 and was part of the team that won the 1902 Copa de la Coronación, the first national championship disputed in Spain.

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The 1901–02 season was Athletic Club's 1st season in existence. The club played some friendly matches against local clubs such as Bilbao FC. Athletic also played their first match outside of the Basque Country against Club Español at the Copa de la Coronación in Madrid.

Amado Arana Mendívil was a Spanish footballer who played as a defender for Athletic Club. He was one of the co-founders of Athletic Club in 1901 and was part of the team that won the 1902 Copa de la Coronación, the first national championship disputed in Spain, and the team that won the 1903 Copa del Rey, the first official national championship.

Carlos Castellanos Jaquet was a Spanish football pioneer who is widely regarded as one of the most important figures in the amateur beginnings of Football in the Basque Country, having been the fundamental head behind the foundation of Bilbao Football Club in 1900, the first-ever club in Bilbao, and then serving as the club's first president between 1901 and 1903.

Enrique Timoteo González de Careaga y Bishop was a Spanish engineer and footballer who played as a defender for Club Bizcaya, with whom he won the 1902 Copa de la Coronación. He then served as the 3rd president of Athletic Bilbao between 1903 and 1906. Under his presidency, the club officially absorbed their city rivals, Bilbao FC, and won its first two Copa del Reys titles.

Luis Cosme Damián Silva Abaitua was a Spanish footballer who played as a defender for Athletic Bilbao.

References

  1. 1 2 "Walter Evans - Player: Player". www.athletic-club.eus. Archived from the original on 20 November 2022. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
  2. ↑ "Evans, Walter Evans - Footballer". www.bdfutbol.com. Archived from the original on 20 November 2022. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
  3. 1 2 "1902 Copa de la Coronación Top Scorers". www.bdfutbol.com. Archived from the original on 20 November 2022. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
  4. ↑ "El Club Atleta de los Astilleros del Nervión (1889-1894) y el Athletic Club de Bilbao (1901-)" [The Athletic Club of the Nervión Shipyards (1889-1894) and the Athletic Club of Bilbao (1901-)] (in Spanish). CIHEFE. 17 May 2021. Archived from the original on 30 October 2022. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
  5. 1 2 "118 años de la primera rivalidad" [118 years since the first rivalry]. www.aupaathletic.com (in Spanish). 7 November 2019. Archived from the original on 21 July 2022. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
  6. ↑ "Bibao FC – Athletic Club (1901)". memoriasdelfutbolvasco.wordpress.com (in Spanish). 28 February 2014. Archived from the original on 18 November 2022. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
  7. ↑ "Athletic Club contra Bilbao Football Club (1902)" [Athletic Club against Bilbao Football Club (1902)]. memoriasdelfutbolvasco.wordpress.com (in Spanish). 7 March 2014. Archived from the original on 16 October 2022. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
  8. 1 2 "La arenga de Astorquia" [Astorquia's harangue]. athletic.elcorreo.com (in Spanish). 4 May 2015. Retrieved 20 April 2024.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "La Copa de 1902" [The 1902 Cup] (in Spanish). CIHEFE. 17 October 2009. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
  10. ↑ "Burdigala VS Athletic Club 3/9/1902". www.athletic-club.eus (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 18 November 2022. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
  11. ↑ "Squad of Club Vizcaya 1902 Copa de la Coronación". www.bdfutbol.com. Archived from the original on 24 October 2022. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
  12. ↑ "Copa del Rey Alfonso XIII 1902". www.linguasport.com. Archived from the original on 1 September 2022. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
  13. 1 2 "Copa del Rey Alfonso XIII 1903". www.linguasport.com. Archived from the original on 14 July 2017. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
  14. ↑ "Athletic Club VS RCD Espanyol 4/7/1903". www.athletic-club.eus. Archived from the original on 19 November 2022. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
  15. ↑ "Spain - Cup 1904". RSSSF. 13 January 2000. Archived from the original on 9 July 2022. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
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