Date: 19th of May 1888

Place: Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland

Renton FC the Scottish FA Cup champions trounced the English FA cup  champion  West Bromwich Albion 4 to 1. But what does this have to do with the World Cup?

Well Renton FC were the first world champions! Or at least according to the fantasy merchants of Renton FC.

Back then, it was customary for the champions of Scotland and England to play a friendly match at the end of the season. The legend has it on that murky day in Glasgow a thunderstorm ravaged the city and 4 people died. The game almost never took place, but the Rentonions chugged on and insisted on playing in the foulest of conditions. The game ended 4-1 for the Scots, that should have been it. A meaningless game on a dreary Scottish Saturday.

But the Rentonions begged to differ; their logic was pretty simple. British football was king, other nations barely had football associations. They were the chapions of the United Kingdom, so by definition they were champions of the world!

After proclaiming their world domination to the press, they hung a sign over their clubhouse door: CHAMPIONS OF THE WORLD. They also needed a trophy. Solution? They made one!

10 years later, and after 5 matches  in the Scottish league, they dropped out, and subsequently vanished in 1922. But they never were deprived from that title!

Next time when someone tells that the first world champions were Uruguay, silence them with “not according to the Rentonions!”

You are sitting straight in front of Regis being faced with the 16th and last question on the popular show “Who Wants to be a Millionaire”. The question is seemingly very easy, that it makes you suspicious! It’s a slippery slope, a wrong answer would evaporate that $1,000,000 right in front of your eyes!

“In which year was the first world cup tournament held? 1888, 1909, 1911, or 1930?” with a sly smile Regis so innocently asks. After all, the Rentonions have claimed their accolades in 1888, we already know that. But what about 1909 and 1911?

The legend has it that, Sir Thomas Lipton (yes the tea dude) was made a Knight of the Grand Order of Italy for his business exploits on the peninsula. So he wanted to reciprocate and suggested to organize a “world football tournament” in Turin, Italy.

The English FA scoffed at Lipton’s suggestion, so Lipton decided to pull some of his own strings. One of Lipton’s employees had contacts with the lowly amateur club West Auckland FC. The employee managed to convince the poverty-stricken club and players to take part of what was dubbed “the first World Cup”

The band of the West Auckland miners made their way to Turin, Italy sacrificing their jobs and possessions to take part of this honors. Rumors around the peninsula that WAFC stood for Woolwhich Arsenal Football Club. No one from West Auckland protested! :)

The championship was held in a knockout format, and West Auckland managed to get to the final after beating Stuttgarter Sportfreunde 2-0. On April 12, 1909, West Auckland faced Swiss side FC Winterthur and beat them 2-0 as well to take the trophy.

Two years later, West Auckland returned, and after beating FC Zürich 2-0, they ran out 6-1 winners in the final over future Italian giants Juventus.

So there you have it. 1888, 1909, 1911, and 1930 all featured an event dubbed the “World Cup”. What would be your answer? Personally, I would still go for 1930!

You can read more about this fascinating story over here

Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) was formed in 1904. And true to its nature of incompetence, it took a quarter of a century to organize the first World Cup. That seems fitting for football’s governing body. FIFA arrived to the decision to hold the first tournament in Uruguay because technically Uruguay were world champions winning the gold medal in the 1926 Olympics.

FIFA desperately needed European teams to take part in their first spectacle. However, most didn’t really fancy the high seas of the Atlantic. England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales were ineligible because they withdrew from organization over an ‘amateur’ player payment dispute. Luckily, with a heavy heart, France, Belgium, and Yugoslavia agreed to make the trip. But the most enthusiastic European participant by far were Romania!

King Carol II, who’s life was marred with scandalous affairs and 2 broken marriages, wasn’t even King 36 days before the tournament. However on the 8th of June 1930 he forcibly reclaimed the throne from his brother Micheal. His first decree made it clear that he was on a mission, he granted general amnesty to all football players serving suspensions due to football offenses.

The soccerphile King had his eyes set on Uruguay, he was going there by hook or by crook! With only few days to spare he hit a stumbling block. Most of his best players worked for an English oil company that refused to grant the players leaves.

The King responded like any hot-blooded king would, he picked up the phone and threatened to close the operations of the English company. They begrudgedly agreed.

The Romanians, along with the French, Belgians, and Yugoslavs took their 2 week journey over the Atlantic on the Conte Verde. On their opening game, and in front of a paltry 300 spectators, they won Peru 3-1. The ‘Royals’ apparently weren’t exactly box office.

Next up the hosts, and before over 70,000 in the Estadio Centenario, Romania succumbed to both stage fright and superior skill and were swept 4-0. They were knocked out!

Carol’s adventure ended abruptly, but football historians credit him with igniting the nation’s ongoing passion for football. After all, if it werent’ for him, we wouldn’t have witnessed the exquisite talents of Hagi and Mutu!