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 The White Rovers playing against an unofficial Germany national team. | ||
| Full name | White Rovers Football Club | |
|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Rovers | |
| Short name | White Rovers | |
| Founded | November 1891; 131 years ago. | |
| Dissolved | 1899 | |
| Ground | Terrain de Bécon | |
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The White Rovers, also known as White Rovers Paris, was a French amateur football club based in Paris which existed between 1891 and 1899. The club was founded in 1891 by Englishman Jack Wood, who had formerly played football in his home country.[1] White Rovers primarily utilized Anglo-American football players, but was open to all nationalities. The club hosted its football matches on land opposite the commune of Bécon-les-Bruyères and later played matches in Bois de Vincennes.
White Rovers is best remembered for its pioneering role in the amateur beginnings of football in France, being one of the six football clubs that participated in France's first-ever football championship in 1894.[2] Despite being considered favorites and the best team in Paris at the time, the White Rovers will never manage to win the championship, finishing as runner-ups four times in a row between 1894 and 1897, behind the Standard Athletic Club and Club Français.[2] The club subsequently declined; struggling to gather teammates. After two seasons without playing for the title, they agreed to dissolve the club in 1899 due to a lack of players.[2]
White Rovers was the catalyst for many other historic landmarks, being involved in many firsts in France such as the first interclub match, in 1892 against the International Athletic Club; the first international interclub match, in 1893 against England's Marylebone Football Club; the first official match, in 1894 against the Cercle athlétique de Neuilly on 15 April 1894, winning 13–0, so despite its very short life, the Rovers had a considerable mark in the history of football in France.
- ^ "Les débuts du Football français" [The beginnings of French football] (in French). Ballons de football vintage. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 9 July 2010.
- ^ a b c "The father of French football: a tailor from Worcester". www.scottishsporthistory.com. 8 February 2016. Archived from the original on 5 February 2023. Retrieved 24 November 2022.