La Coupe de l'Europe Centrale 1927

International club competitions had been tried before, Early examples were (theoretically at first) TheAustria/Habsburg Monarchy Challenge Cup ,The Torneo Internazionale Stampa Sportiva, The Sir Thomas Lipton Trophy and the Coupe Van der Straeten Ponthoz.
Hugo Meisl believed that football would benefit from international club competitions. By the middle of the 1920s the situation in central Europe was right for putting such a theory into practice. Austria (1924), Hungary (1925) and  Czechoslovakia (1926) had all introduced professionalism into their league football, and they remained the strongest nations in continental football. Nearby Italy was also enjoying a meteoric rise. Public interest was high, games were well attended and international competition would provide a good source of extra revenue for the professionalized clubs.
In the summer of 1927 Meisl and his Hungarian counterpart Dr.Fischer Mór ironed out the arrangements for La Coupe de l'Europe Centrale, more popularly known as the Mitropa Cup.
Meisl invisaged an international league, but this would have added to fixture congestion, so a cup format was settled on. In theory the league champions and runners up (or cup winners) from each country would qualify. Germany and Italy were approached to participate. Italy declined on account of their complex and  protracted domestic arrangements.Germany were concerned by professionalism and the fact that the play offs that they needed to decide their national championships went on into the summer. 
The initial tournament was contested by two teams each from Austria, Hungary, Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia:

Austria
SK Admira Vienna (league champions)
SK Rapid Wien (cup winners-Wiener Cup)

Czechoslovakia
Sparta Prague (league champions)
Slavia Prague (cup winners-Stredoceský Pohár)

Hungary
MTK (Budapest)
 Újpesti  
(Neither of these sides won a league or cup - they finished 3rd and second respectively behind Ferencváros in Nemzeti Bajnokság I)

Yugoslavia
Hajduk Split (league champions)
BSK (Belgrade) (league runners up)

First Round
		1st Leg	2nd Leg	Aggregate
MTK	BSK	4-2	4-0	8-2
Rapid Wien	Hajduk Split	(14.8.27) 8-1	(21.8.27) 1-0	9-1
Sparta Prague	Admira Vienna	5-1	3-5	8-6
Slavia Prague	Újpesti	4-0	2-2	6-2

Semifinals
		1st Leg	2nd Leg	Aggregate
Slavia Prague	Rapid Wien	(28.09.27) 2-2	(02.10.27) 1-2	3-4
MTK	Sparta Prague	2-2	0-0	2-2*

* history tantalizes us here: Sparta were awarded the tie because 'a player of MTK had occupied an irregular position'. I can find no explanation for this ruling.

Final

30.10.27: Sparta Prague  6-2 Rapid Wien 
(Letná Stadium, Pague, attendance: 25,000)
13.11.27: Rapid Wien 2-1 Sparta Prague 
(Hohe Warte Stadium, Vienna, attendance: 40,000)
Sparta won 7-4 on aggregate.

 Rapid Wien

Sparta Prague

Many sources state that John Dick was the manager of Sparta when they won the Mitropa in 1927. However, it would appear that this is incorrect, as Dick was with the Antwerp club Beerschot from 1923 (when he first left Sparta) until his return to Prague in either 1928 or 1929. Václav Špindler was the 'trainer' in 1927.

Germany v Norway 1936

Magnar Isaksen, spoiler of Adolf Hitler's only visit to the football.

Never trust a man who doesn't like football...
Adolf Hitler only attended one match in his life. By the 1930's football was immensely popular in Germany, and those in the know fancied them to do well at the Berlin Olympics in 1936. Hitler's advisers were sure that the footballers would be successful, and persuaded him to attend the match against Norway.
The Norwegians were lightly regarded, and the Fuhrer attended the game with Goebbels, Hermann Goering and Rudolf Hess.
As we know, football never goes to plan. Norway took the lead in the sixth minute through Magnar Isaksen. Isaksen doubled Norway's lead in the 84th minute. It finished 2-0. Germany were out...
Norway went on to win the bronze, and are in fact still remembered as 'the Bronze Team'.

Norway

There is no evidence that Isaksen was Jewish.

line ups:
Germany: Hans Jakob (SSV 1899 Regensburg) - Reinhold Münzenberg (Alemannia Aachen), Heinz Ditgens (Bor.München-Gladbach) - Rui Gramlich (Eintracht Frankfurt), Ludwig Goldbrunner (Bayern München), Robert Bernard (VfR Schweinfurt) – Ernst Lehner (Schwaben Augsburg), Otto Siffling (SV Waldhof Mannheim), August Lenz (Borussia Dortmund), Adolf Urban (FC Schalke 04), Wilhelm Simetsreiter (Bayern München) 

Norway: Henry Johansen (Valerengens IF) - Nils Eriksen (Odds BK), Öivind Holmsen (Lyn Oslo) - Frithjof Ullberg (Lyn Oslo), Jörgen Juve (Lyn Oslo), Rolf Holmberg (Odds BK) - Odd Frantzen (Hardy Bergen), Reidar Kvammen (Viking Stavanger), Alf Martinsen (Lilleström SK), Magnar Isaksen (Lyn Oslo), Arne Brustad (Lyn Oslo)

Reading in Italy 1913, Attilio Fresia

Reading 1913-14

without doubt, Reading FC are the finest foreign team seen in Italy.

 Corriere della Sera

In the summer of 1913 Reading of the Southern League undertook a tour of Italy. It is likely that Willy Garbutt was involved in organizing this. Garbutt began his career with Reading (1903–1906) before moving on to Woolwich Arsenal and Blackburn Rovers. In 1912 his playing career at an end, he moved to Genoa and managed the team.
 After a transcontinental railway journey Reading played the following six fixtures in Italy.

11.05.13: Genoa FCB 2-4 Reading
Genoa fielded 5 British born players. Both of Genoa's goals were scored by Attilio Fresia, who had moved there from Andrea Doria that season for a fee equivalent to £400.

12.05.13: Milan FCB 0-5 Reading

14.05.13: Casale 2-1 Reading
Casale, who won the Italian National Championship in became the first Italian team to defeat English professional opposition. The local press had billed Reading as the Football League runners-up (they were 8th in the Southern League- the 1912–13 league runners up were Aston Villa ). Bizarrely Casale played on a very small pitch-probably about 50 yards (34 yards according to one report ) by 90 yards.

15.05.13: Pro Vercelli 0-6 Reading 
The best team in Italy. Reading won with ease in a controversial and fiery game. Reading's Morris retaliated to a kick from one of Pro Vercelli's players and the Pro Vercelli team and the home crowd 'turned ugly'. Reading were going to walk off the pitch, but Pro Vercelli's captain was able to restore order.

18.05.13: Italy 0-2 Reading
Italy's starting line up included 8 players from Pro Vercelli, 2 from Genoa and 1 from Milan.
Following this match Reading were invited to play against Germany  but their travelling arrangements (they left for England the following day) forced them to decline.

 Attilio Fresia 

Attilio Fresia 's performance for Genoa aroused Reading's interest. Fresia had made his international debut against Belgium ten days before reading's arrival. He brought a new dimension to ther Italian game with his high level of skill and astuteness.  Reading signed him for £17, but the transfer (being the first of it's kind) was delayed by bureaucracy and Fresia remained in Genoa , assisting Garbutt, until December 1913. Fresia became the first Italian to play football in England. He didn't make much of an impression (although media interest was high)- the press observed that he struggled  on heavy pitches. Fresia returned to Italy the following year. After the war he moved to Brazil in the hope of recovering his health (he had chronic respiratory problems) and worked with Palestra Italia. He returned to Italy once more in 1922, and died the following year aged 32.

Isidro Lángara

Isidro Lángara Galarraga had a very prolific goalscoring record. He was a big. powerful man, nicknamed  El Tanque,  capable of serving up unstoppable shots from as far out as 50 metres from goal. His career spanned the years 1930-1948. Here we will focus on his first spell at Real Oviedo from 1930-36, during which he was also capped 12 times by Spain, scoring 17 goals. In the season 1933-34 he scored  60 goals in 32 games for Oviedo and another 9 goals in 5 games for Spain, which remains the highest  season goal tally  for any Spanish player.
Lángara won the  Pichichi Trophy three times in a row.
During the Civil War he joined the Republican forces. When Bilbao was taken by the Fascists Lángara went to Central America with the Basque National team. Calling themselves  Euzkadi they joined the Mexican league. After the war Lángara, like a lot of his countrymen, remained in exile, playing in Argentina.

season	League		All Football
	Goals	Games	Goals	Games
1930–31	15	18	15	18
1931–32	22	16	38	29
1932–33	24	18	37	23
1933–34	27	18	60	32	Pichichi winner
1934–35	26	22	34	27	Pichichi winner
1935–36	28	21	47	31	Pichichi winner

               

Internationals
date	Opposition	Goals
24.04.32	Yugoslavia	1
11.03.34	Portugal	5
18.03.34	Portugal	2
27.05.34	Brazil (World Cup)	2
31.05.34	Italy (World Cup)
24.01.35	France
05.05.35	Portugal	2
12.05.35	Germany	2
19.01.36	Austria	2
23.02.36	Germany	0
24.04.36	Czechoslovakia
03.05.36	Switzerland	1

Southern Russia 1912-1913

In 1912 most of what is now the country of  Ukraine was Southern Russia, a big part of a huge Empire (Western parts of Ukraine were ruled by Austria- Hungary).
The 1912 championships were inauspicious for the clubs from the region.

Kharkov vs Moscow

Kiev gave St Petersburg a walk over, and Odessa , having received a bye, withdrew in the next round. The game at Kharkov was a landmark, though. Big football had arrived in Ukraine. The city team hosted Moscow, who ran out 6-1 winners.
The following season things improved.

Odessa have an impressive certificate announcing them as the Football Champions of the Russian Empire for 1913. However, they were not awarded the championship, having fielded 4 foreigners in their team. The rules only permitted 3.

Here is the 'winning' line up:  Dukhno, Geezer, Jacobs, Townend, Bogemski, Mizerski, Kazhdan,Carr, Karazhdi, Oven, Zlochevski

Zenón Díaz

As we have seen in earlier posts, Argentine football in its early years  was dominated by European in migrants or the sons of Europeans. Zenón Díaz was neither. He was of Rosario, a native south American, the first to play for the Albiceleste. 
In 1903 Diaz had been spotted by Rosario player (and later club president)  Miguel Green. Green was walking home from work (likely he was an employee of the railway company in which the club originated)  when he saw a group of young men playing some informal ball game in the street. He was so taken by Diaz's dexterity and athleticism that he persuaded him to join Rosario as a goalkeeper.
Diaz took to football. He soon became an outfield player, a solid defender.

 Zenón Díaz played for the combined Rosario XI against the Nottingham Forest Tourists in 1905. Weeks later he appeared in the Argentina team that took on Forest.

He made his full international debut in August 1906 in a 2-0 win over Uruguay at Montevideo. 
Diaz had to wait until August 1913 for his next international call up. This was followed by a further three year hiatus after which he made a further 4 appearances (as a 35 year old) in 1916.

Der Papierene

He was truly symbolical of of Austrian soccer at its peak period: no brawn but any amount of brain.Technique bordering on virtuosity , precision work and an inexhaustible repertoire of tricks and ideas.
Willy Meisl Soccer Revolution

He was endowed with such an unbelievable wealth of  variations and ideas that one could never really be sure which manner of play was to be expected. He had no system , to say nothing of a set pattern. He just had...genius.  
Friedrich Torberg Die Erben der Tante Jolesch

I'm going to step outside our 1863-1937 time zone for a moment, and mention Ferenc Pukas, Pele, Johann Cruyff and Lionel Messi. Hopefully, in invoking these great names I will convince you that there is no paradox in a great side, the success of which relies on united play (Total Football is a handy term), having one star who shines above the common effort.
Hugo Meisl's Wunderteam were early exponents of what we would now call Total Football. Supporting the man with the ball, filling the gaps left by teammates, moving seamlessly from defensive to attacking roles and vice versa, changing shape in response to the state of play.
The cherry on top of Meisl's cake was a lightweight, cerebral striker - Matthias Sindelar. He was 175 cm tall and weighed just 74 kg
Meisl initially discarded Sindelar in favour of a more robust and basic English style centre forward- Josef Uridil- he was still very much in love with British football- particularly the Glasgow Rangers team he had seen in Vienna in 1905. The Scottish game had instilled in Meisl a faith in the effectiveness of the short passing game, but he also wanted his centre forward to be a great physical presence. From his debut in 1926 Sindelar was an occasional in the national team, in 1931 though, Meisl made him a regular.
When Austria's Wunderteam enjoyed a run of 14 unbeaten matches (April 1931- December 1932) Sindelar played in 11 of the matches. In total 'The Mozart of Football' played 43 times for Austria (25 wins,11 draws, and 7 defeats) and scored 26 goals.



For my German readers:
(Friedrich Torberg)

Auf den Tod eines Fußballspielers

Er war ein Kind aus Favoriten
und hieß Matthias Sindelar.
Er stand auf grünem Platz inmitten,
weil er ein Mittelstürmer war

Er spielte Fußball, und er wußte
vom Leben außerdem nicht viel.
Er lebte, weil er leben mußte
vom Fußballspiel fürs Fußballspiel.

Er spielte Fußball wie kein zweiter,
er stak voll Witz und Phantasie.
Er spielte lässig, leicht und heiter,
er spielte stets, er kämpfte nie.

Er warf den blonden Schopf zur Seite,
ließ seinen Herrgott gütig sein,
und stürmte durch die grüne Weite
und manchmal bis ins Tor hinein.

Es jubelte die Hohe Warte,
der Prater und das Stadion,
wenn er den Gegner lächelnd narrte
und zog ihm flinken Laufs davon.

Bis eines Tages ein andrer Gegner
ihm jählings in die Quere trat,
ein fremd und furchtbar überlegener,
vor dem´s nicht Regel gab noch Rat.

Von einem einzigen harten Tritte
fand sich der Spieler Sindelar
verstoßen aus des Planes Mitte
weil das die neue Ordnung war.

Ein Weilchen stand er noch daneben,
bevor er abging und nachhaus.
Im Fußballspiel, ganz wie im Leben,
war´s mit der Wiener Schule aus.

Er war gewohnt zu kombinieren,
und kombinierte manchen Tag.
Sein Überblick ließ ihn erspüren,
daß seine Chance im Gashahn lag.

Das Tor, durch das er dann geschritten,
lag stumm und dunkel ganz und gar.
Er war ein Kind aus Favoriten
und hieß Mattihas Sindelar. 

Merseyside

Timelines

		Everton			Liverpool
1878		St. Domingo's F.C. formed by  Rev. Ben Swift Chambers of St. Domingo Methodist Church.
1879		Name changed to Everton. Games are played at  Stanley Park.
1882		Move to Priory Road.
1884		Move to Anfield.
1888		Founder Members of the Football League.
1892		The schism in Everton  FC over the rental of Anfield . President John Houlding attempts to replace Everton, proposing that his new club, which he wants to name Everton F.C. and Athletic Grounds, Ltd, be allowed to take over Everton’s place in the league and fulfill their fixtures. Consequently Houlding forms another club, Liverpool FC, and Everton leave Anfield for Goodison Park.
1893		The two sides meet in the Liverpool Senior Cup final, which Liverpool win 1–0.
				1893–94		Join the Football League (Div.2)
1894		First ‘official’ Merseyside derby played on October 13th.
			1896		Tom Watson becomes manager. Colours change from blue and white quarters to red with white knickers.
1901–02	Royal blue jerseys introduced.
			1906		The Kop erected.
			1915		Football betting scandal- 4 Liverpool players banned.
1927–28		Dixie Dean scores 60 goals in a league season.

Seasons

	Everton		Liverpool
	League	FA Cup	League	FA Cup
1887–88		R2
1888-89	8th	Withdrew
1889–90	2nd	R2
1890–91	Winners	R1
1891–92	5th	R1
1892–93	Div.1 3rd	Runners up	Lancashire League	3QR
1893–94	Div.1 6th	R1	Div.2 Winners (promoted)	R3
1894–95	Div.1 2nd	R3	Div.1 16th (relegated)	R2
1895–96	Div.1 3rd	R3	Div.2 Winners (promoted)	R2
1896–97	Div.1 7th	Runners up	Div.1 5th	Semi finals
1897–98	Div.1 4th	Semi finals	Div.1 9th	R3
1898–99	Div.1 4th	R2	Div.1 2nd	Semi finals
1899–1900	Div.1 11th	R1	Div.1 10th	R2
1900–01	Div.1 7th	R2	Div.1 Winners	R1
1901–02	Div.1 2nd	R1	Div.1 11th	R2
1902–03	Div.1 12th	R3	Div.1 5th	R1
1903–04	Div.1 3rd	R1	Div.1 17th (relegated)	R1
1904–05	Div.1 2nd	Semi finals	Div.2 Winners (promoted)	R1
1905–06	Div.1 11th	Winners	Div.1 Winners	Semi finals
1906–07	Div.1 3rd	Runners up	Div.1 15th	R4
1907–08	Div.1 11th	R4	Div.1 8th	R3
1908–09	Div.1 2nd	R2	Div.1 16th	R2
1909–10	Div.1 10th	Semi finals	Div.1 2nd	R1
1910-11	Div.1 4th	R3	Div.1 13th	R2
1911-12	Div.1 2nd	R4	Div.1 17th	R2
1912-13	Div.1 11th	R4	Div.1 12th	R3
1913-14	Div.1 15th	R1	Div.1 16th	Runners up
1914-15	Div.1 Winners	Semi finals	Div.1 13th	R2
1919-20	Div.1 16th	R1	Div.1 4th	R4
1920-21	Div.1 7th	R4	Div.1 4th	R2
1921-22	Div.1 20th	R1	Div.1 Winners	R2
1922-23	Div.1 5th	R1	Div.1 Winners	R3
1923-24	Div.1 7th	R2	Div.1 12th	R4
1924-25	Div.1 17th	R3	Div.1 4th	R4
1925-26	Div.1 11th	R3	Div.1 7th	R4
1926-27	Div.1 20th	R4	Div.1 9th	R5
1927-28	Div.1 Winners	R4	Div.1 16th	R4
1928-29	Div.1 18th	R3	Div.1 4th	R4
1929-30	Div.1 22nd (relegated)	R4	Div.1 12th	R3
1930-31	Div.2 Winners (promoted)	Semi finals	Div.1 9th	R3
1931-32	Div.1 Winners	R3	Div.1 10th	R6
1932-33	Div.1 11th	Winners	Div.1 14th	R3
1933-34	Div.1 14th	R3	Div.1 18th	R5
1934-35	Div.1 8th	R6	Div.1 7th	R4
1935-36	Div.1 16th	R3	Div.1 19th	R3
1936-37	Div.1 17th	R5	Div.1 18th	R3

Head to head:
League:

	W	D	L	F	A	GD
Everton	32	19	22	119	104	+15
Liverpool	22	19	32	104	119	-15

FA Cup:
In the pre 1937 era the teams were drawn against each other in the FA Cup 4 times, winning 2 ties each.


1901-02- R1:           Liverpool            2-2          Everton
1901-02- R1 (R):     Everton               0-2          Liverpool

1904-05 - R1:          Liverpool            1-1          Everton

1904-05 - R1 (R):    Everton               2-1          Liverpool

1910-11- R2:           Everton               2-1          Liverpool

1931-32 - R3:          Everton               1-2          Liverpool