Barcelona: George Girvan Scores Team’s Premier Goal and Educates Spaniards on Foul Play

Discover the Scottish Roots of FC Barcelona: Did you know that the first goal ever scored by Barcelona in a competitive game was by George ‘Geordie’ Girvan, a Scottish footballer? Girvan’s story begins in the textile mills of Ayrshire and Renfrewshire where he worked before being sent to Catalonia to teach the locals how to manufacture lace fabrics for his company, Johnston Shields. There, he played for factory side FC Escoces, or “the Scottish Team”. Barcelona, on the other hand, was founded in 1899 by Hans Gamper, a Swiss businessman. Initially, it was a club of mainly foreign wealthy gentlemen players until their city rivals, Catala, started poaching Scots from Escoces. Although this led to some controversy, it eventually resulted in Barcelona dropping their no-foreigners policy and fielding Scots in their first tournament, the 1900-01 Copa Macaya. Read on to discover more about Girvan’s legacy at Barcelona and the Scottish connection to one of the world’s most popular football clubs.



Original Post Link