1891 Argentine Primera División

The 1891 Primera División was the first ever Argentine championship making Argentina's the oldest football league outside Continental Europe.[1] This tournament was organized by the Argentine Association Football League whose president was F.L. Wooley. This league only lasted one season, so in 1892 no championship was held. In 1893 other Association with the same name would be established by Alexander Watson Hutton becoming current Argentine Football Association.[2]

Primera División
St. Andrew's shared the title
with Old Caledonians
Season1891
Dates12 April – 13 September
ChampionsSt. Andrew's
Old Caledonians
(1st title)
Relegated(none)
Matches played21
Goals scored71 (3.38 per match)
Top goalscorerEngland Frederick Archer (Buenos Aires and Rosario Railway)
(7 goals)
Biggest home winO. Caledonians 6–0 Belgrano F.C.
Biggest away winBuenos Aires F.C. 2–6 O. Caledonians
← (none)
1893 →

Summary

The championship took the format of a league of 5 teams, with each team playing the other twice. Many of the results of individual games have been lost, hence the lack of goals for and against in the table below. Hurlingham registered in the tournament but did not take part of the same.[3][4]

At the end of the season, St. Andrew's and Old Caledonians finished at the top position with 13 points each. They were declared joint champions, but played a playoff match to decide which team got to keep the medals, being St. Andrew's the winner.

The current Association has not included this title in their documents, except in its web page where only St. Andrew's is listed as champion.[5]

Final standings
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 Old Caledonians 8 6 1 1 32 11 +21 13 Champion
2 St. Andrew's 8 6 1 1 23 12 +11 13
3 Buenos Aires and Rosario Railway 8 2 2 4 19 24 −5 6
4 Buenos Aires F.C.[lower-alpha 1] 8 2 1 5 18 22 −4 5
5 Belgrano F.C.[lower-alpha 2] 8 1 1 6 10 33 −23 3
Source:
Notes:
  1. This was not the club founded by the Hogg brothers but another football club that only participated in this championship. The team's jersey was red and white in vertical stripes while its venue was located in Flores, Buenos Aires.[4]
  2. Predecessor of current Belgrano Athletic Club

Medal match

As the Association crowned both, St. Andrew's and Old Caledonians as champion, this match was held only to determine which team got to keep the medals.

1891 Argentine Primera División Playoff
St. Andrew's3–1Old Caledonians
Moffatt Report E. Wilson
Referee: J. Wilson

References
  1. "Salvation army" by Tim Pears, The Guardian, Sunday 4 June 2006
  2. "Orígenes de la Asociación" - AFA website
  3. Argentina 1891 by Osvaldo José Gorgazzi at RSSSF
  4. Historia del Fútbol Amateur en la Argentina, by Jorge Iwanczuk - ISBN 950-43-4384-8
  5. Campeones de Primera División - AFA website, retrieved 10 Jul 2016
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