Buenos Aires Football Club
| Full name | Buenos Aires Football Club |
|---|---|
| Founded | 9 May 1867 |
| Dissolved | c. 1881 |
| Ground | Buenos Aires Cricket Club |
The Buenos Aires Football Club (frequently abbreviated as "BAFC") was an Argentine association football club from Buenos Aires, considered the first football club not only in Argentina but in South America. Although BAFC was founded to play association football, the club would then adopt the rules of rugby union.
By 1867 there was a wide British community living in Buenos Aires. Most of them had established there coming from the United Kingdom as managers and workers of the British-owned railway lines that operated in Argentina. British citizens founded social and sports clubs where they could practise their sports, such as bowls, cricket, football, golf, horse riding, rugby union and tennis amongst others.
The "Buenos Aires Football Club" was founded on Thursday 9 May 1867 in Temple street, known today as Viamonte, in the city of Buenos Aires. The founding members were railway workers who all came from northern England, specially brothers Thomas and James Hogg.
The founding committee was formed by: Thomas Hogg, 24 years old, born in Skelton, York, Yorkshire; his brother James Hogg, 26 years old, born in Skelton, York, Yorkshire; Thomas Jackson, 29 years old, born in Cumberland; Thomas Barlow Smith, 21 years old, born in Stoney Middleton, Derbyshire; and Walter Heald, secretary, 29 years old, born in Pendle, Lancashire.
Likewise, the rules of the club were as follows:
The first match had to take place on 25 May 1867 and was advertised in the English language daily newspaper The Standard, published in Argentina:
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