Born in Sao Paulo to a Scottish father and a Brazilian-English mother, Charles Miller is credited as being the forefather of football in Brazil. In 1884, he was sent to boarding school in Southampton, England, where he learned to play football and cricket.  There he played for Corinthians and St. Mary’s (modern day Southampton FC). When he returned to Brazil 10 years later, Miller’s suitcase contained two footballs and a Hampshire FA rulebook. In those days, cycling, rowing and golf were the main sports played in Sao Paulo, but at just 19 years of age, Miller set up Brazil’s first football club, Sao Paolo Athletic Club (SPAC), and the first football league in Brazil, the Liga Paulista de Foot-Ball. After the initial meeting on December 29, 1900, the league contained 5 initial teams, these were SPAC, Internacional, Mackenzie, Germania and Paulistano. Based in the Gardim America district of the city, Paulistano were the strongest of these sides, and they were comprised of the children from the richest families in Sao Paulo.

 

Their first games played out on a pitch marked with lime, stakes and string until a proper small stadium was erected, complete with a grandstand for 2,000 people. They called their ground The Velodrome, because it was surrounded by a cycling track, and it became a popular place to be on a Sunday afternoon for Sao Paulo society. The first game there took place on 3rd of May, 1902 against Charles Miller’s SPAC – Paulistano would lose on this occasion, however that did not stop them from reaching the championship final, although they again lost to SPAC. But Paulistano eventually got one up over their rivals, by defeating them in the Paulista Championship match of 1905, claiming their first title.

 

Two years later in 1907, the club took on the Englishman John Hamilton as their coach – this is thought to be the first appointment of a professional coach by a Brazilian team. Their reward for this forward-thinking came in the form of a further two championships in 1908 and 1913. In September of 1910, the club hosted Corinthians FC at the Velodrome, who were visiting from London. The famous London side trounced them 5-0, but left an indelible impression on the people of Sao Paulo leading to the birth of Corinthians Paulista. Paulistano captain Carlito joined the club in 1909, leading the club to another championship. After building a new headquarters, they added  another championship to their trophy cabinet within in 1917.

 

In 1918, Brazil was hit with Spanish Flu epidemic, but this didn’t stop Paulistano from claiming another championship and then one more in 1918. The club had won four Paulista Championships in succession, a feat that has not been matched to this day. This was thanks in no small part to Arthur Friedenreich, disputed to be the all-time top scorer in all of football, and one of the games all time greats with 1329 goals. At that time in Brazil, football was exclusive to whites, and as the sports first professional black player, Friedenreich faced much discrimination. Despite his talent, he wasn’t allowed to attend the same places his white team mates could, such as parties, swimming pools and tennis courts. In 1919 and 1920 respectively, Paulistano became the state and national champion. In 1925, the team embarked on a triumphant tour of Europe, becoming the first Brazilian team to visit the continent. They visited France, Switzerland and Portugal, winning 9 of their 10 games – with Friedenreich being crowned by the French press as “The King of Football” On their return, they were treated to a banquet hosted by the president of Brazil, Artur Bernandes.

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Achievements: Taca Iaduran – Winners x1

                              Copa dos Campeoes Estaduais – Winners x1

                              Campeonato Paulista - Champions x8

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Star player: Arthur Freidenreich DoB 18 July 1892, Sao Paulo, Brazil, nickname: The Tiger

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Nicknamed The Tiger, Friedenreich is regarded as the sports first outstanding black player. His supporters claim that he is the all time top scorer in professional football, with 1329 goals – although this is highly disputable. Friedenreich was the son of a German-Brazilian businessman and an African-Brazilian washerwoman who was the daughter of freed slaves. At that time, football in Brazil was dominated by whites, and Friedenreich was the first Afro-Brazilian to play professionally. He was convinced to play by his father who played for SC Germania, a club comprised of German immigrants. He played for the Brazilian national team, winning the 1919 and 1921 Copa Americas, and was titled The King of Football while on Paulistano’s 1925 European tour. He never got to play in the World Cup due to the disagreement between the sports governing bodies in Brazil – only players from Rio went to the 1930 edition, and by then he was already 38. He died in 1969. Nobody knows exactly how many games he played or how many goals he scored, but Pele fans claim the number to be 1239 goals in 1329 games, not 1329 games in 1329 games.