This item is of exceptional importance for any football collection, particularly those focused on the origins of Uruguayan football. It was sent from Montevideo to Buenos Aires on October 10, 1897, from Mr. Omar Ragu to Mr. Ernesto Voigtlander in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
It reads in German:
Lieber Voigtländer!
Ihre Postkarte vom 4. ds. empfing ich - Ihre Betr. Mitteilung interessiert mich. Ich werde, ich werde nicht unterlassen, an Bord des Dampfers zu gehen.
Die Spielzeit des Fußballklubs wurde mit heutigem Tage für dieses Jahr geschlossen erklärt, jetzt soll gerudert werden.
Mit besten Grüßen, Hr. Omar Rogu
Which translates to English as:
Dear Voigtlander!
Your postcard from the 4th inst. I received - your subject. I'm interested in the message. I will, I will not fail to go on board the steamer.
The football club's season was declared closed for this year as of today, and rowing should now begin.
With best regards, Mr. Omar Rogu.
And so begins the story.!
When Uruguayans first saw the British playing football, they reacted with astonishment, curiosity, and mockery. These British came from ships docking in Montevideo in the late 19th century.
It was in 1881 when the first football match in Uruguay was played between the Rowing Club and the Cricket Club. At this stage, football was practiced by the British elites, who considered it a social occasion, a form of physical culture, and a patriotic expression. However, the German influence soon took root, as football was seen as a significant social and cultural event, as well as a business presence that British and German transport companies could not overlook.
On March 30, 1900, the Uruguay Association Foot-ball League, now the Uruguayan Football Association, was founded to organize football in the country and its championships. It was initiated by Albion leader Enrique Lichtenberger, who invited only three other institutions: Central Uruguay Railway Cricket Club, Uruguay Athletic, and Deutscher Fussball Klub. This association organized the first Uruguayan Football Championship that same year.
The rest is history...
This item here is a vivid image of this period. A sportsman, likely a football player, is communicating with another, both of European origin, discussing the sport for the coming year, 1898. A club closed in 1897, likely to reopen the following year. In 1897, from March to September, the Saravia Revolution took place in Uruguay, culminating in the Pact of the Cruz. War, sport, business—this is the living image of the Rio de la Plata in 1897, from which the football champions of Uruguay and Argentina emerged. A unique and spectacular item that will only enhance your collection.