Football at the 1908 Summer Olympics

Football at the 1908 Summer Olympics
The "Challenge Cup", awarded to
the winning team
Tournament details
Host country Great Britain
CityLondon
Dates19–24 October 1908
Teams6
Venue(s)White City Stadium
Final positions
Champions Great Britain (2nd title)
Runners-up Denmark
Third place Netherlands
Fourth place Sweden
Tournament statistics
Matches played6
Goals scored48 (8 per match)
Top scorer(s)Denmark Sophus Nielsen (11 goals)
1904 (1906)
1912
Winner's certificate

At the 1908 Summer Olympics in London, England, an official football tournament between national representative selections was contested for the first time; football had been played between club teams at the Games of 1900 and 1904.[1][2]

There were eight entries, including two from France (the main team and a B team). [3] Hungary and Bohemia both withdrew after the draw and appointment of referees, leaving six teams to contest the tournament.

Great Britain won the gold medal representing the United Kingdom (Great Britain and Ireland), although all the players were from England.

Sophus "Krølben" Nielsen of Denmark set a record by scoring 10 goals in a 17–1 win over France A. The famous mathematician Harald Bohr, brother of the even more famous Niels Bohr, also played for Denmark, who won the silver medal.

  1. ^ Olympic Football Tournament London 1908, FIFA.com
  2. ^ "Football at the 1908 London Summer Games". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 29 September 2018.
  3. ^ Great Britain's first home Olympic football adventure by Jon Carter on ESPN, 26 July 2012