Club Atlas was founded in a bar in Guadalajara, Mexico, where a few British friends recalled their football experience at the English "public school" Ampleforth College, where they had spent a few years. FC Atlas was founded by three Old Amplefordians (old boys) in 1916 upon returning home to Mexico. Los Zorros-The Foxes, now fly the Ampleforth flag in the 55,000 seat stadium, and take their colours from the original OAFC football colours. Red for the blood of St Laurence, Black for his martyrdom.
Alfonso and Juan José "Lico" Cortina, Pedro "Perico" and Carlos Fernández del , the three Orendain brothers and Federico Collignon (who had studied in Berlin) finally decided in 1916 to set up a football team called "Club Atlas" and founded it in Guadalajara.
The technical ability that the "Atlistas" employed – triangular passing and skillful dribbling to avoid opponents' tackles – this was impressive and they quickly joined the elite in Mexican football. As a result, Atlas and Chivas (drink?? actually means "goat"), a fellow Guadalajara team, have a long history in the first division and the game between them is called the 'Clásico Tapatío'. (tapatio refers to someone from downtown Guadalajara-Mexico's second largest city MAP!!-there is also a hot sauce brewed in California)
Club Atlas had a golden age in the late 1990s under the management of Ricardo la Volpe with many promising players but even though they had a team with enormous talent and reached the Verano 1999 Final, they couldn't beat Deportivo Toluca FC in a match decided by penalties.
Atlas had not won a championship since 1951, having a 70-year title drought until 12 December 2021 where they defeated Club Leon at the Estadio Jalisco via penalties. In Liga MX's Apertura play-off final, Club Atlas defeated Leon in front of a 50,000 crowd. A giant flag of a fox clawing at the trophy was on show from the start of the game. The Atlas club is known as Los Zorros, The Foxes.
The players opened a vintage bottle of whisky given to them in 1951, when they won the club's previous title, coincidently, the year that Spurs won the English First Division. Remember Spurs also won The Double in 1960-1.
Both clubs, Atlas and Spurs, now have TWO "Premier" titles to their name. For Spurs to match the Atlas whiskey celebration, the club's top brass might have to wait a long time on present form, but should they eventually top the PL, they may be obliged to celebrate in the Spurs' Cheese Room at their new stadium.
In a stomach-churning blow to fans of the north London club, the infamous ‘Cheese Room’ appears to be no longer part of the stadium's catering. It was claimed in January 2017 that the stadium would include a fromagerie for clients “to select their own specially sourced half-time cheeses”. But now the club has confirmed, gratingly, that those plans have melted away. I think the catering department reckoned that by the time the club won its next Premier League title, they could be offering some very mature cheddars.
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