Football at the 1900 Summer Olympics

• 1. Tournament Origins And Setup

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  The 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris marked the first time association football appeared on the Olympic stage. Organizers struggled to define what a national team meant for this new international competition. 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 team came from English club Upton Park F.C., though they included some non-students to fill out the squad. 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.

• 2. Match Schedule And Venues

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  Originally there were four matches scheduled for the 1900 Olympics, all including a French team. The first match was set for the 16th of September 1900 between France and Switzerland. A second match followed on the 23rd of September featuring France against Belgium. The third encounter was planned for the 30th of September with France facing Germany. The final game was scheduled for the 7th of October pitting France versus Great Britain. As Switzerland and Germany eventually did not send a team, the match involving France and Great Britain was moved forward to the 20th of September. The Vélodrome de Vincennes in east Paris hosted both of the actual matches that took place during this compressed schedule.

• 3. Team Selections And Squads

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  Club Français wore the USFSA uniform when they faced their opponents on the field. Their lineup included goalkeeper Lucien Huteau and captain Eugène Fraysse among other players like Alfred Bloch and Gaston Peltier. Upton Park F.C. represented Great Britain with James Jones in goal and Henry Haslam leading the attack. Richard Turner and Jack Zealley formed part of the English defensive line. Université de Bruxelles sent a student selection that included one British player named Eric Thornton and one Dutch player named Hendrik van Heuckelum. Frank König from Switzerland served as coach for the Belgian squad while Gustave Pelgrims captained the team.

• 4. Competitive Match Outcomes

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  In the first game, the British squad had little difficulty defeating Club Français by a score of 4, 0. Upton Park led 2, 0 after the first half before adding two more goals in the second period. Gaston Peltier scored in the first minute to give the USFSA XI an early lead against the English side. The second match saw Université de Bruxelles take a 2, 1 first half lead over Club Français. The French scored five goals in the second half however to win the match 6, 2. These results determined which teams would advance through the tournament's brief competition structure.

• 5. Medal Controversy And Reallocation

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  The International Olympic Committee originally credited Great Britain, France and a "Mixed Team" with gold, silver and bronze medals respectively. This decision reflected their attempt to reconcile early Olympic Games with the modern award scheme. The Belgian team included one British and one Dutch player within their roster during these matches. In 2024 the bronze medal was reallocated to Belgium following historical review. No medals were awarded at the time of the original competition despite the matches being played between three club sides. This administrative error remained uncorrected for over a century until the recent reevaluation process began.