FFF

France v England; a cross-channel bout. It was the Franco-Prussian war that made the French realise that their nation was lacking in strength, spirit and organisation. The loss of Alsace-Lorraine was one thing but the emergence of Prussia and unified Germany as powers hit France hard. France had been beaten because the nation was weak, especially in mind and body. They believed the Germans were fortified by their disciplined national gymnastics, so the French middle classes soon followed suit and formed clubs named such as La France, Le Regeneratrice and La Patriote. Gymnastic events often began with a declaration of loathing of the Germans. It was a start!

The first physical sport that made itself popular to the French was cycling, after all the Penny Farthing was invented in France. Soon cycle racing became popular as the inadequate railway system and rural nature of much of the country encouraged a cycle industry; sport sponsorship began and velodromes were constructed. The Tour de France started in 1903 and by 1914 there were 3.5 million bikes in France.  This was however a summer sport which went along with rowing, track and field but in winter rugby featured in the south-west backed by British industry and Paris played Bordeaux in historic encounters.

In Paris, the Elite, Anglophile embraced English sports as Baron de Coubertin set about saving the aristocracy by adopting some of the strategies of the British privileged classes, educating the effete and over-intellectual products of the French lycees. It was the students of the lycees who eventually founded Racing Club in 1882 and Stade Francais in 1883.  Unfortunately these clubs were playing rugby which became popularised before the Great War.

Football was being played in Le Havre where a bunch of Oxbridge graduates, playing in light and dark blue quarters, founded their athletic club in 1872. In 1972, I was part of a delegation from Oxbridge made up from soccer, rugby and athletics teams to visit Le Havre, enjoy civic celebrations and  play sport against the "ancient" club. Celebrations v Sport meant only one result!
Entente Cordiale.

In 1891 Paris based Scots formed the White Rovers and Standard Athletic Club. Le Club Francais was inspired by two lycee students from Dumfries and with Racing and Standard Francais a "championship" was established with six Paris Basin based teams in 1894. This set the ball rolling, the Swiss got involved and rapidly a 100 clubs gathered around the French ports, the North-east industrial areas, around Marseilles but not in the Massif where skittles remained a favourite pastime.

By the 1900s there was an English FA (founded in 1863) and FIFA sited on French soil in 1904 BUT there was still no French FF, no national cup or national league. The first international match was on 1st May 1904 against Belgium which ended 3-3. It took the Great War to pass before the French nation rallied in peace time to develop their national cup in 1917 (their 100th anniversary) and the association in 1919.

Remarkably, despite the two countries proximity, they have only played each other 30 times. The first in 1923 England won 4-1 in France. The first match in England took place in 1933 after 7 games in France and England won 4-1 again. To date the French have won 8 and drawn 5 times with England winning 17. Since 1999, France have won 4 times, drawn twice and lost once!