Football at the 1900 Summer Olympics
The in the French capital Paris as part of the World's Fair ( Exposition Universelle et Internationale de Paris) discharged International competitions for Physical Education and Sport ( Concours Internationaux d' Exercices et de Physique Sports) also included football games. The International Olympic Committee (IOC ) ranked these games the program of the Olympic Games to 1900 ( Games of the II Olympiad ). Three teams competed only two games, which is why the competition did not have a tournament character. There were represented neither national football champions, and soccer teams.
Men
The management of the World's Fair had four football games provided. A Swiss, a German, a Belgian and a British team to play against the same French team each. It was in the concert promoters therefore not a tournament, but four equal games with new prices.
The German Football Association ( DFB) despatched contrary to initial plans due to lack of available funds, bad experiences you 've done in terms of athletic sport in Paris and difficulties in reaching an appropriate team no team. Switzerland also presented no team. The Empire of Austria that originally expected to send a team, announced early known not to participate.
Team events were generally advertised at the time as competition between club or association teams. These represented generally at international competitions each country in which the club or association was established. The French Association des Sociétés Françaises de Sports Union Athlétiques ( USFSA ), which should depute a team had initially planned to report the reigning champions Le Havre AC. However, the team had several British in its ranks., Which eventually caused you sent the runner- Club Français Paris, who received exclusively French in his club
The British team consisted of the London club team Upton Park FC, who had produced four English national team and participated in the Erstaustragung of the FA Cup. Many teams from England were by their professional status is not allowed to start, also held the interest among the English clubs on a trip to France clearly limited. With Upton Park was a team that could produce no great successes and not counted at the time of the strongest British teams.
The reigning champions Racing Club de Bruxelles was invited from Belgium, but also refused this. The attempt to put together a league selection failed because of the lack of interest. Only after a public display managed a team that consisted largely of Brussels and Liège students prepare for the tournament. Among the players was with Hendrik van Heuckelum a Dutchman and Eric Thornton also an Englishman. The player Eugène Neff was " committed " as eleventh man until shortly before the game.
Games
The play of the French against the British took place on 23 September and on 20 September against the Belgians. Venue for both matches was the Municipal Velodrome on the site of the World Expo in Vincennes.
The British team won their game against the French easily 4-0 (halftime 2-0) *. The goals from Nicolas ( 2), Turner and Zealey. Only 500 spectators watched the game. The second game also gave a clear result, this time the French won against the Belgian selection 6:2, although 1:2 were behind after the first half. Only the scorers in the first half are known for France met Peltier for Belgium Spannoghe and van Heuckelum. 1500 people watched this game.
* The standard work on the history of French football is called as the final result 4:1, but this is historically incorrect.
The lack of character of a tournament and the equal treatment of both games with award ceremony and prizes, the classification of results in a ranking of the three participating teams has been impossible and never provided by the organizers in principle. Nevertheless, the IOC has retroactively adopted a final position and made an allocation of the medals, which, as shown, is also reflected in the medals table.
In some literature one finds two first ranks and two second places, accordingly changed there arises also the statistics and medal table dar.