Tuesday 24 January 2017

La Historia de Los Mundiales - en Primera Persona (Free Magazine)


La Historia de Los Mundiales - en Primera Persona is a 312-page Spanish language publication from Kaiser Magazine, covering the World Cup from its first edition up to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. It dedicates four pages to the 1930 World Cup.

Monday 23 January 2017

Andy Auld - From Child Soldier to World Cup Semi-Finalist (With a Split Lip)



The U.S. team that took part in the 1930 World Cup contained six players that were born in Britain. The Canadian historian Colin Jose has done much to dispel many of the misconceptions that have surrounded the team over the decades. He has written very detailed biographies of each players background and careers.

The biography of Andy Auld, written by Jose for the U.S. National Soccer Hall of Fame, to be found on Wayback Machine, contains the information that in 1913 Auld joined the British Army. There is a discrepancy in the two accounts written above by Colin Jose with regard to his date of birth. One states he was born 26th January 1900 and the other 1901. That would suggest that the Scot would have been twelve or thirteen years old when he enlisted in the Army. As suspect as this claim may seem it is well documented that during World War One some 250,000 boys under the age of 18 joined the war effort. This became a very controversial subject in British Military history. The rules for enlistment, in place before the war, required all applicants to be eighteen years old to sign up and nineteen to serve overseas. All these young boys, keen to join the war effort, lied about their age and it appears the authorities were very reluctant to check proof of age

This raises several questions with regard to Andy Auld. Is his approximate date of birth roughly correct or was he born a few years earlier? If he was born in 1900/01 then he would have clearly lied about his age. However, two other possibilities exist. Either the year of his enlistment is incorrect and it was a few years later or he never joined the Army at all?

I was unable to obtain information regarding birth records for Andy Auld although his gravestone gives 1900 at his birth date. However, I was able to find the 1901 Scotland Census and the information contained therein possibly contradicts the 26th January 1900 birth date stated elsewhere. It states that a four-month-old Andrew Auld lived at Chemical Row with his parents Thomas and Mary, and six older siblings (two sisters and four brothers) ranging between twenty-three and three years old. Another reason to believe that he was born in 1901 is that according to outbound passenger lists, Andy Auld of Dynamite Road, Stevenston, ticket number 51909, aged 22, occupation Miner, departed from Glasgow on 22nd June 1923 on the Canadian Pacific steamship liner Metagama bound for Quebec, Montreal.  So it appears almost certain that in 1913 he was nowhere near the age of 18 and that if he did join the Army he certainly lied about his age.

I was also unable to find enlistment records for the British Military to determine what birth date he provided but I was able to find four different Andrew Auld's that served in British Armed Forces during this period. All four records, dated 1919, pertain to ''individuals entitled to the Victory Medal and/or British War Medal granted under Army Orders''. The four Andrew Auld's are listed by their regiment or corps and are thus as follows: Royal Garrison Artillery, R.F.A (listed as a Gunner), Royal Irish Rifles and the Seaforth Highlanders. The last one I believe to be most likely the Andy Auld we are looking for. So it would appear that Andy Auld did serve in the British Military as a child soldier and left a war hero.

According to Colin Jose, when Auld arrived in the United States he was able to sign professionally for Providence and between 1926 and 1930 he earned five caps for the U.S. national team. During the 1930 World Cup, he played in all three of the U.S. teams matches including the semi-final against Argentina. It was against the South Americans that he had his lip ripped wide open by an opponent.

Proud of his Scottish roots, Andy Auld passed away in 1977, his gravestone engraved with two thistles either side of his name.

Saturday 21 January 2017

1930: El Primer Mundial (Photographic Album)


1930: El Primer Mundial is a photographic booklet that contains images of the first World Cup in Uruguay and is published by the Centro de Fotografía de Montevideo.

Thursday 19 January 2017

Rafael Garza Gutiérrez ''Récord'' - Mexican Captain

Here are a series of Spanish language articles including access to his family tree about the career of legendary Mexican footballer Rafael Garza Gutiérrez, more commonly known as ''Récord''. A defender for Club America he was Mexico's captain at the 1930 World Cup.

''Récord'' shakes hands with Argentinian keeper and captain, Angel Bossio, before their World Cup match.

Family Tree

El otro lado del balón Magazine, October 11, 2012  

Son los campeones americanos que a Record tienen por capitan.. (Fibra America 60 Aniversario)


A four page article from the archives from Club America:
Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4

Watch a short video about ''Récord'' at deportes.televisa.com

FIFA Articles Related to 1930 World Cup

In the interest of trying to collect and gather articles and online resources related to the first World Cup in one place for anyone that wants to research the competition in Uruguay in 1930 are links to four articles from FIFA's website. All published in 2016.

Better to travel hopefully than to arrive?

Journey's end for Belgium's beach boys

Centenario Celebrations set the tone

Castro's clincher secures Celeste's crown


Wednesday 18 January 2017

Tantos mundiales, tantas historias - By Alfredo Relaño (Book plus video)



This is a Spanish language book by author Alfredo Relaño. Tantos mundiales, tantas historias contains thirteen pages on the first World Cup in 1930. You can read it on issuu or google books. Below is a video where the author speaks on film (in Spanish) about the tournament in Uruguay.


Monday 16 January 2017

Unlucky Bolivia or false history?

Follow me on Twitter: @WC1930blogger

On July 17th, 1930, the Bolivian national team took to the field of Parque Central in Montevideo to face Yugoslavia in their Group Two match. The Bolivians were considered to be the weakest team in the group that also included Brazil. The Brazilians, just three days before, were surprisingly beaten by the Yugoslavs by two goals to one and were hoping for a Bolivian win in order to have any chance of advancing further in the tournament. As it transpired the Yugoslavs ran out 4-0 winners after a goalless first half and both Brazil and Bolivia were knocked out before they had the chance to play one another. 

One reason that the Bolivians were unlucky is that one of their players, Gumercindo Gomez, broke his leg in a challenge with Yugoslav defender Milutin Ivkovic around the eighth minute of the match. Substitutes were not permitted during this time and the South Americans had to play some eighty minutes with ten men. But the misfortune of Gomez is not the subject of this article because according to Cris Freddi in his The Complete Book of the World Cup (2002 edition), Bolivia had four goals disallowed. Freddi doesn't state the reasons why the Uruguayan referee Francisco Mateucci annulled the Bolivian strikes nor does he note the source of his claim. Indeed this claim would be repeated in an online article by The Guardian in 2010, most likely drawing on Freddi's account.

It would be understandable that the Bolivians would be much aggrieved not to come away with a four all draw or even a victory if such goals had dampened the resolve of their Yugoslav opponents. And such a controversy may have caused protest from the Brazilians believing some conspiracy may be afoot by the Uruguayan referee to knock out one of the seeded teams from the tournament that may challenge Uruguay for the title. 

How can one team be so unlucky to have four goals disallowed? Perhaps one or two but not four surely? If it all sounds incredulous it's because it never happened. Bora Jovanovic, the Yugoslav journalist who travelled to Montevideo to report for Belgrade newspaper Politika, wrote two dispatches on the match that were published in the July 18th and August 2nd editions of Politika and nowhere does he mention that Bolivia had four goals disallowed. Indeed he reports that it was the Yugoslavs that were unlucky with Marjanovic, Bek and Vujadinovic all striking their opponents crossbar early in the match. 

In the interest of playing Devil's Advocate maybe there was bias reporting on the part of Jovanovic who may have whitewashed it out of his account so not to question the legitimacy of his nation's 4-0 victory. So what did the Bolivian and Brazilian press report, those papers who have much to gain on such a scandalous sensation! 

Bolivia's La Razon, albeit publishing the cablegram from United Press (UP), is silent on the subject of their country's quadruple misfortune, indeed it describes how unlucky Alborta was when his shot hit the Yugoslav crossbar in the first half.

The same is true of the Brazilian newspapers. The reports that were written in Critica (18 July 1930), Diario de Noticias (18 July 1930), Folha da Manha (18 July 1930) and A Batalha make no mention of any such controversy. Many of these reports are extensively written with every foul, throw-in and shot at goal (wide or on target) described in an era before there was any television coverage and live radio reporting was new on the scene. These journalists were true chroniclers of the game and every chance to report on any such bad refereeing would be keenly accounted for. Even Spain's El Sol , with no axe to grind, make no such descriptions.

That's not to say that these contemporary football journalists are always right, we may look no further than the issue of Bert Patenaude's hat-trick against Paraguay. But this concerns the identity of goalscorers in a period when players bore no shirt numbers and not such incidences as four disallowed goals.

Cris Freddi's book is an impressive tome on the subject of the World Cup and is a worthy read but he is wrong on this issue. How did he make such a mistake? His bibliography contains no reference to any newspapers from the period and if I was to make an educated guess I believe he based his information on a mistranslation of a German magazine IFFHS Weltmeistershaft 1930, published in 1994, which describes the Bolivian crossbar being struck four times. However, I cannot be certain.

Yugoslavia vs Bolivia (youtube video)


Sunday 15 January 2017

''The year America won through to the semi-finals'' - Glasgow Herald, 2 June 1982 (Google newspapers)


This is an article from the Glasgow Herald, 2 June 1982, p7 (click on title), from google newspapers about the US teams journey to the World Cup semi-finals in the first World Cup and is based on the World Cup report written by the US team manager Wilfred R. Cummings that was submitted to the United States Football Association (USFA) in 1931.

Yugoslavia vs Brazil (Match Report/Pravda)

Pravda, 16 July 1930, p.8

This is the newspaper report of the Yugoslavia vs Brazil match played on the 14th July 1930 and appeared in the 16th July 1930 edition of the Belgrade-based publication of Pravda. Below is the Serbian Cyrillic and Croatian text as well a rough English translation. Typing the Cyrillic text into google translator was an arduous task and there are one or two words I was uncertain about which is denoted by (?). So please refer to original report above for further clarification.

Cyrillic text:
КАКО  ЈЕ ИЗВОЈЕВАНА ПОБЕДА
МОНТЕВИДЕО, 14 ЈУЛА - (Радиом) -
Репрезентацја Југославије, одевена у плаве кошу ље са државним грбом на грудима наступила је веома срдачно поздрављена од 35,000 гледалаца, у овом саставу: Јакшић, Ивковић, Михајловић, Арсенијевић, Стефановић, Ђокић, Тирнанић, Марјановић, Бек, Вујадиновић, Секулић.

Гости су почели битку са великим еланом и бурним, темпом, али се крај свега могло приметити да су њихови потези пренагљени, нервозни  и лишени система. Међутим, они су постепено бивали све бољи, благодарећи огромној енергији и Бразилија је тек тада из једне врсте уображености и потцењивања супарника прешла ка озбиљан посао.Али је већ бил доцкан. Југославија је узела мах и домаћн, који су дотле били ноншалантни и мирни, изгубили су своје спокојство и запали у силио уз буђење. Тада се већ јасно могло иазрети да је да је Југославија опасна и способна да се носи равноправно. Њена халф-линија није била довољо повезана да би успоставила лепу игру, али је радила врло корисно, док је иза себе имала врло дисцонирану (?) одбрану, којој је све полазило за руком. Напад је пак био силно ефикасан и он је у 23 минутн забележио први успех. Једна неодољива комбинација Марјановић - Тирнанић довела је напад пред гол. Лопту је докопала спојка, али је спречена у пуцању, препустила крилу и ово је оштрим шутем из близа неодбрањиво затресло мрежу. Свега седам минута касније продро је Бек и поред истрчалог голмана утерао лопту. са стањем од 2:0 гости су игралн ванредно пожртвовано и опрезност Бразилије дозволила им је да и даље, до краја првог полувремена, остану падмоћни (?). possibly the word is пад моћни.

После одмора Југославија попустила и ограничила се махом на чување резултата. У 17 минути лева спојка Бразилије смањила је разлику ка 2-1, али сви покушаји да се постиг не изједначење остали су узалудни. Ова, је нападела често и пуцала доста, међутим тада је био на висини голман гостију, који је бравурозно спречио изравњање.

Од играча Југославије највише су се истакли Бек, Ивковић, Ђокић и Јакшић. И остали су били извсни, али су радили неповезано. Нарочито лева страна изравњање

Успех гостнју награђен је обилним пљескањем, и југословенска колонија изнела је своје земљаке на раменима. Општи је утисак да ће Југославија у четвртак изаћи лако па крај са Боливијом, која је далеко слабији противник и да ће тако ући у финалне борбе.

Croatian text:
KAKO JE IZVOJEVANA POBEDA
MONTEVIDEO, 14 JULA - (Radiom) -
Reprezentacija Jugoslavije, odevena u plave košu lje sa državnim grbom na grudima nastupila je veoma srdačno pozdravljena od 35,000 gledalaca, u ovom sastavu: Jakšić, Ivković, Mihajlović, Arsenijević, Stefanović, Đokić, Tirnanić, Marjanović, Bek, Vujadinović, Sekulić.

Gosti su počeli bitku sa velikim elanom i burnim, tempom, ali se kraj svega moglo primetiti da su njihovi potezi prenagljeni, nervozni i lišeni sistema. Međutim, oni su postepeno bivali sve bolji, blagodareći ogromnoj energiji i Brazilija je tek tada iz jedne vrste uobraženosti i potcenjivanja suparnika prešla ka ozbiljan posao.Ali je već bil dockan. Jugoslavija je uzela mah i domaćn, koji su dotle bili nonšalantni i mirni, izgubili su svoje spokojstvo i zapali u silio uz buđenje. Tada se već jasno moglo iazreti da je da je Jugoslavija opasna i sposobna da se nosi ravnopravno. Njena half-linija nije bila dovoljo povezana da bi uspostavila lepu igru, ali je radila vrlo korisno, dok je iza sebe imala vrlo disconiranu (?) odbranu, kojoj je sve polazilo za rukom. Napad je pak bio silno efikasan i on je u 23 minutn zabeležio prvi uspeh. Jedna neodoljiva kombinacija Marjanović - Tirnanić dovela je napad pred gol. Loptu je dokopala spojka, ali je sprečena u pucanju, prepustila krilu i ovo je oštrim šutem iz bliza neodbranjivo zatreslo mrežu. Svega sedam minuta kasnije prodro je Bek i pored istrčalog golmana uterao loptu. sa stanjem od 2:0 gosti su igraln vanredno požrtvovano i opreznost Brazilije dozvolila im je da i dalje, do kraja prvog poluvremena, ostanu padmoćni (?). possibly the word is pad moćni.

Posle odmora Jugoslavija popustila i ograničila se mahom na čuvanje rezultata. U 17 minuti leva spojka Brazilije smanjila je razliku ka 2-1, ali svi pokušaji da se postig ne izjednačenje ostali su uzaludni. Ova, je napadela često i pucala dosta, međutim tada je bio na visini golman gostiju, koji je bravurozno sprečio izravnjanje.

Od igrača Jugoslavije najviše su se istakli Bek, Ivković, Đokić i Jakšić. I ostali su bili izvsni, ali su radili nepovezano. Naročito leva strana izravnjanje

Uspeh gostnju nagrađen je obilnim pljeskanjem, i jugoslovenska kolonija iznela je svoje zemljake na ramenima. Opšti je utisak da će Jugoslavija u četvrtak izaći lako pa kraj sa Bolivijom, koja je daleko slabiji protivnik i da će tako ući u finalne borbe.

English translation:
HOW TO WIN was won
MONTEVIDEO, July 14 - (Radio) - 
Yugoslav national team, dressed in a blue shirt with the state emblem on the chest performed very warmly welcomed by 35,000 spectators, in this composition: Jaksic, Ivkovic, Mihajlovic, Arsenijevic, Stefanovic, Djokic, Tirnanic Marjanovic, Bek, Vujadinović, Sekulic.

Guests start the battle with great enthusiasm and turbulent pace of, but the end of it could be deduced that their actions premature nervous system and deprived. However, they are gradually gets better, owing to enormous energy and Brazil's only then from one kind of arrogance and underestimating rivals moved toward serious business. But it was already too late. Yugoslavia took the moss and homely, which hitherto were nonchalant and calm, they lost their serenity and burned in power to the awakening. When it comes clearly be taken to that Yugoslavia was dangerous and able to cope equally. Its half-lines was not sufficiently linked together to establish a nice game, but it worked very useful, while backed by a very disconiranu (дисцонирану?) defense, which all went well. The attack was in turn greatly efficient and is in the 23 minute recorded the first success. An irresistible combination Marjanovic - Tirnanic led the attack in front of goal. The ball was usurped clutch, but is prevented from cracking, she left wing and this is a sharp shot from near the net indefensible. Only seven minutes later, penetrated Bek and next pitched ball inside the box. the status of 2: 0 guests have gaming extraordinary dedication and vigilance of Brazil allowed them to remain until the end of the first half, remain padmoćni (?) ({падмоћни} possibly the word is пад моћни which translate as ''the mighty fall''.)

After the rest of Yugoslavia abated and limited itself mostly to save the results. At 17 minutes into the match left coupling Brazil reduced the difference to 2-1, but all attempts to achieve no equalization remained futile. This is often part of the hood and shoot enough, but when he was at the height of the visitors' keeper, who masterfully balancing the prevent. 

Players Yugoslavia were the most highlighted Bek, Ivkovic, Djokic and Jaksic. The others were excellent, but they worked disjointed. In particular, balancing the left side.

Success ratings awarded by heavy clapping and Yugoslav colony presented her countrymen on his shoulders. The general impression is that Yugoslavia on Thursday come out easily and end with Bolivia, which is far weaker opponent and that it will enter the finals.

Bert Patenaude and the First World Cup Hat-trick - Part Three


This is an article about hat-tricks in the World Cup from the official FIFA magazine, FIFA 1904, Issue #12, December 2016/January 2017. It makes reference to the first World Cup hat-trick by American forward Bert Patenaude as well as an interesting brief history of the origin of the word 'hat-trick'.
The article appears on page 58.

English edition
German edition
French edition
Spanish edition

Bert Patenaude and the First World Cup Hat-trick - Part Two



Saturday 14 January 2017

Especial Don Balon - Historia de la Seleccion Chilena 1910-1998 (Free Magazine)


This Spanish language Chilean publication from Don Balon magazine, Especial Don Balon - Historia de la Seleccion Chilena 1910-1998 (Click on title), provides a very brief written account and match line-ups of Chile's three matches in the first World Cup in Uruguay, from pages 9-12.

Guillermo Stabile on Film

Guillermo Stabile was born on the 17th January 1905 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. In 1920 he joined CA Huracan and would go onto to win two league titles in 1925 and 1928. His 1928 league title was accompanied by 28 league goals. 

In 1930 he was selected for the Argentinian squad for the first World Cup in Uruguay but was not expected to play. He got his opportunity in Argentina's second match against Mexico when Roberto Cherro had been ruled out due to a nervous disposition after their controversial opening match against France and when Cherro's replacement as striker, Manuel Ferreira, the Argentinian captain, had to return to Buenos Aires to sit a law exam. And thus history was made. 

He scored a hat-trick against the Mexicans, twice against Chile and the United States and once in the final against Uruguay. He would finish the tournament as the leading scorer with eight goals. His four matches in the World Cup represented his entire international career for his country as a player.
After the World Cup, he went to play in Italy for Genoa and briefly for Napoli. In 1936 he moved to Paris to act as player-coach for Red Star Olympique. He would return to Argentina to coach several clubs as well as the national team where he won six Copa America titles for his country in 1941, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1955 and 1957.

In 1948, he made a cameo role in the successful Argentinian football film Pelota de Trapo. Below you can watch the film its entirety.


His appearance comes around the 54:10 mark and is on the right of the scene of the two characters in conversation.

The video below shows the Argentinian team arriving back to Argentina in 1951 after playing in England and Stabile exits the plane around the 33-second mark.



On the 26th December 1966, the Argentinian legend passed away. He was 61 years old. Below is footage of his funeral.


                                     

Suggested further reading:



Thursday 12 January 2017

Yugoslavia's Aleksandar Tirnanic's goal versus Brazil (Montevideo vidimo se! - Official trailer)


This is a two-minute plus Official trailer for the film Montevideo vidimo se!, the sequel of Montevideo bog te video, the semi-fictional story of Yugoslavia's participation in the first World Cup in Uruguay. It contains a recreation of Tirnanic's goal against Brazil in their 2-1 victory. It is interesting to compare this with the diagram of the goal contained in the video in the link below that was published in Argentina's La Prensa the day after the match.

Yugoslavia vs Brazil

Tuesday 10 January 2017

The Road to the First World Cup - Part 3 (Joefa's World Cup History) Republished



This is part 3 of Joefa's Road to the First World Cup and is 43 minutes long. The first nine minutes contains film footage of the Barcelona Exposition in 1929 where FIFA held its 18th Congress to decide on the host for the first World Cup before going into further detail on how Uruguay was awarded the World Cup. It also contains information on the countries who accepted the invitation as well as their travelling schedule. Go check out his youtube channel and subscribe.

Republished after disappearing off Youtube.

The Road to the First World Cup - Part 2 (Joefa's World Cup History) Republished





This is part two of Joefa's Road to the First World Cup and is some 93 minutes long. It is essentially footage of the football matches of the 1928 Olympic football tournament in Amsterdam where Uruguay secured their second gold medal victory. Go check out his youtube channel and subscribe.

Republished after the video disappeared off Youtube.

Monday 9 January 2017

Seleccao Brasileira -90 Anos 1914-2004, Authors Antonio Carlos Napoleao, Roberto Assaf (Google Books)


This is a book on the Brazilian national team that is both a written and statistical history. Contained inside is a Portuguese language account of Brazil's participation in the first World Cup in 1930 as well as results and statistics of their two matches in the competition and their exhibitions against France, Yugoslavia and the United States. Click on the links below:

Seleccao Brasileira -90 Anos 1914-2004, Authors Antonio Carlos Napoleao, Roberto Assaf (link 1 - written account) (link 2- line-ups and statistics)


Ustavie svet - Mundial je tu! by Juan Vasle (Book)


This is a Slovenian publication of the history of the World Cup. Ustavie svet - Mundial je tu! by Juan Vasle is 496 pages long of which around twenty-three are dedicated to the first World Cup in 1930. Click on title for access.

Brasil Copa 1930 (Album - Player bios)


This is from a flickr (click here) account that has several photostreams of albums of Brazil in the World Cups throughout the years that contains headshots and short player biographies. Published in Brazil in Portuguese.

1930 World Cup Final Uruguay vs Argentina (Match Report in La Voz)


This match report was published in the Spanish newspaper La Voz, on 31st July 1930, on page 7. Below are links to two videos on the FIFA website which contains footage of the final.