Early Olympic Football: The Unofficial Beginnings and the Rise of Amateur Tournaments
Football was not originally included in the modern Olympic Games, which began in 1896, likely because international football was still in its early stages. Despite claims of an unofficial tournament during the first Olympics, where an Athens XI supposedly lost to a team from Smyrna (Izmir), which then lost 15-0 to Denmark, the authenticity of these events is questionable. Olympic historian Bill Mallon has noted: “Supposedly a match between a Greek club and a Danish club took place. No such 1896 source supports this and we think this is an error which has been perpetrated in multiple texts. No such match occurred.”
Football tournaments were held at the 1900 and 1904 Games and the Intercalated Games of 1906, involving clubs and mixed teams. Although the International Olympic Committee (IOC) considers these official Olympic events, they are not recognized by FIFA.
In 1906, after teams from Great Britain, Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, and France withdrew from an unofficial competition, the remaining teams were Denmark, Smyrna (comprising one Armenian, two Frenchmen, and eight Britons), Athens, and the Thessaloniki Music Club. Denmark won the final against Smyrna with a score of 9-0.
The London Games of 1908 featured a proper international tournament organized by the Football Association, including six teams, which expanded to 11 teams in 1912 when the Swedish Football Association managed the event. These early matches often resulted in lopsided scores; for instance, Sophus Nielsen scored ten goals in a match in 1908, and Gottfried Fuchs matched this feat in 1912, with both records standing for over 90 years.
Adhering to the Olympic spirit of amateurism, many countries couldn’t send their full international teams. However, Great Britain circumvented this by sending the England national amateur team, which included some players who were professionals at club level, such as Ivan Sharpe of Derby County and Vivian Woodward of Tottenham Hotspur. This team convincingly won the first two official tournaments, defeating Denmark on both occasions.
