On a pitch nearby since 1893

By Sebastián García (seba@theenganche.com)

When the footballers’ union (Futbolistas Argentinos Agremiados) threatened to strike over the mounting debts from the clubs, it casted a shadow over the start of the Apertura 2009 and a tumultuous off-season began in Argentina.

Few people expected Julio Grondona, the infamous President of the Asociación del Fútbol Argentino (AFA) and Néstor Kirchner, former President of Argentina, to come up with a plan to take the broadcasting rights from TSC (a company which belongs to the powerful Grupo Clarín, public enemy of Kircher and Mrs.) and into the government’s hands in a struggle for power that dominated the headlines and changed the future of football broadcasting in the country.

Even less people realised of how close the top-flight in Argentina got to interrupt a record sequence of consecutive competitive seasons dating back to 1893.

No other domestic league in the world can boast a run as long and steady, although sometimes shaky, as the Argentine Primera División.

The first competitive league season in Argentina took place in 1891. A Scottish immigrant named Alec Lamont, who was a teacher at Saint Andrews and also a footballer, brought together six teams and organised the Argentine Association Football League (AAFL) in 1891.

Old Caledonians and Saint Andrews both finished with 13 points (6 wins, 1 draw and 1 defeat –with 2 points awarded for each win-) and they shared the title.

The following year, 1892, the league was abandoned and eventually disappeared. That was when another Scot called Alexander Watson Hutton (remember that name because you will read more about him in The Enganche) took centre stage as he re-organised and re-launched the AAFL on 21 February, 1893 and it is his association the one that is considered as the embryo for the current Asociación del Fútbol Argentino.

Watson Hutton’s entity became the first of its kind in South America and only the eighth in the world. Since then, not a single year went by without the Argentine fans enjoying their competitive league football.

There were strikes, there were delays, there were format changes, but there have always been Primera División for everyone in Argentina and every season was completed.

There are leagues from other countries that can give Argentina a run for its money and some can arguably challenge that feat.

Our valuable source and stats wizard, Karel Stokkermans, provided The Enganche with some incredibly detailed information on the subject.

“The Irish league (organised by the Irish FA, now the FA for Northern Ireland) was first played in 1890/91 and has not missed a single season since” Stokkermans informs us. “However, the campaigns from 1915/16 to 1918/19 inclusive and from 1940/41 to 1946/47 inclusive are not considered official (even though the seasons were completed) due to the restriction on clubs able to enter (although all the strongest Belfast clubs too part).”

An older and uninterrupted league indeed, but it wasn’t always official. The Enganche’s verdict? Argentina edges Ireland in this one.

“Denmark did not have an official nationwide league before 1928” adds our friend Karel, “but a Copenhagen league was first organised in 1889/90 and there have been no war-time interruptions.  There is no doubt that Copenhagen clubs were far superior to anything the rest of the country could offer (the first 'provincial' champions were Koge in 1954)”.

Again, amazing finding and great to know the Danish have been playing the beautiful game since 1889, but the fact that the first official league was only homologated in 1928, gives Argentina the edge again here.

“The Netherlands first organised a regional league ('West') in 1888/89” says Stokkermans, “However, a truly national league was not established until 1956, and an official national championship was first awarded in 1898 when the Western champions played a match against the Eastern champions (however there is no doubt that the Western champions were far superior to any club from the rest of the country from 1888 on)”.

‘Official’ is again the word we were looking for. Top effort from The Netherlands, a truly great footballing nation, but just like in 1978, Argentina got the best out of them in this one.

“Other than those above, no country had a league before 1891” concludes Karel Stokkermans, who very rightfully adds that “of course the Argentine league was also long restricted to Buenos Aires province”.

We agree with Karel’s latest point, but even when it was centralised in Buenos Aires and the Greater Buenos Aires area (like the country’s population, anyway), the Argentine First Division has been official since 1893. It went from being amateur to being professional in 1931, but it was always official and never interrupted.

May that record last forever is The Enganche’s desire.