Walter Wild

Walter Wild is an English football player, founding member and first president of FC Barcelona of the November 29th 1899 with the April 25th 1901.

The foundation of the club

The October 22nd 1899, Joan Gamper passes a classified in the newspaper Los Deportes to recruit people interested by the practice of football. After some meetings with the gymnasium Plate , an small group of 12 people was formed to create a sporting company centered on the practice of football. Around Joan Gamper, one finds his compatriot Otto Kunzle, English Walter Wild , John and William Parsons, German Otto Maier and the Lluis Catalans To dare, Bartomeu Terradas, Enric Ducal, Pere Pooch, Carles Pujol and Josep Llobet. Everyone agrees on the name of the club, its initials and the color of the shirts. The November 29th, the statutes of the FootBall Club Barcelona are given to the authority proper.

Great beginnings

The first direction is chaired by Walter Wild (oldest of the 12…), attended of John Parsons the vice-presidency. Lluis To dare becomes the secretary, Bartomeu Terradas the treasurer and Joan Gamper the spokesperson and captain of the team.

As of the publication of the constitution of the club in the sporting magazines, of new players arrive, and the December 8th, FC Barcelona argument its first match with the cycle-racing track of the Bonanova : a defeat 0-1 vis-a-vis a group of English yellows of the Catalan capital. Walter Wild takes part in the meeting as a defender, station which it occupied in ten matches in which it took part.

The first success

The first victory proceeds the December 24th 1899 vis-a-vis the enemy first the FC Català which Barça crushes 3-1… first enemy because the FC Català asserts the exclusive use of the cycle-racing track of the Bonanova . The club thus uses the ground of Can Tunis .

The first large building site of the direction of the club is thus the search for a ground worthy of this name. The place found by the direction of the club is a ground very close to the Casanovas hotel with which an agreement is concluded for the provision of 2 rooms being used as cloakroom. The November 18th 1900 is held in front of 4000 people the first recontre with the ground known as of the hotel Casanovas . During all this period, Walter Wild is re-elected regularly at the time of the assemblies of the club.

The first competition

In 1901, FC Barcelona argument the Macaya Cut, regarded as the ancestor of the Championship of Catalonia. In spite of 51 goals in 6 matches (including 31 of Joan Gamper!!!), Barça must leave the title to Hispania, the pet peeve of the season 1900-1901 (2 null and 3 defeats during 5 confrontations).

Walter Wild argument at the time of this competitions its last 2 matches with its club.

And the return to the country

The April 25th 1901, Walter Wild is constrained to present its resignation, of the professional requirements obliging it to return to England.

In less than two years, the club, under the presidency of Walter Wild , and thanks to the will of Joan Gamper became an entity structured very well, with its own ground of football and on the way towards its first title… ----

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