The World’s Oldest Football Clubs (World Soccer Magazine 1961)

In the July 1961 issue of the newly formed World Soccer Magazine Roger MacDonald wrote an article entitled The Export Game. He says :
“Scarcely any nation on the globe does not attribute the origin of soccer to British influence: it would be difficult to overestimate the British role in the development of the Association game. He went on in the article to produce a list of the oldest clubs by country with the following caveat. “There has been much controversy over the question of dates, especially as many clubs either began in another field of sport or playing another code of football; usually because of this reason and sometimes because the facts are hidden in the murky past, there are differences of opinion as to which is the oldest club in a number of countries. Even England, where records appear to have been kept more carefully than elsewhere, people will argue today over this question; Charterhouse, Hallam and Forest have all been attributed with the honour which I consider belongs to Sheffield FC, whom the majority accept as the oldest club in the world”
Eighteen months in the January 1963 edition of the same magazine he explained that FIFA has taken up his idea and compiled an immensely superior list through the cooperation of its member associations.”
His two lists are:

World Soccer Magazine July 1961                                                

Sheffield 1855 (England)

Harvard University (USA) 1860

Buenos Aires (Argentina) 1865

Queens Park (Scotland) 1867

Druids (Wales) 1870

Le Havre (France) 1872

Orygyte (Sweden) 1875

Lisbon (Portugal) 1875

Copenhagen (Denmark) 1879

Cliftonville (Ireland) 1879

Dordrecht (Holland) 1882

Durban (South Africa) 1882

Christiana (Norway) 1885

Albion FC (Uruguay) 1886

Hamburg (Germany) 1887

Morozovsky (USSR) 1887

Cricketers (Austria) 1889

Genoa (Italy) 1893

Belgium 1895 (Date FA formed)

Switzerland 1895 (Date FA formed)

Athletico Bilbao (Spain) 1898

World Soccer Magazine January 1963

Sheffield 1855 (England)

Harvard University (USA) 1860

Buenos Aires (Argentina) 1865

Ulm T.G.S (Germany) 1866

Queens Park (Scotland) 1867

Druids (Wales) 1870

Le Havre (France) 1872

U.S. Gantoise (Belgium) 1874

Lisbon (Portugal) 1875

Orygyte (Sweden) 1875

Copenhagen B.K. (Denmark) 1879

Cliftonville (Ireland) 1879

Haarlem FC (Holland) 1879

Saint Gall (Switzerland) 1879

Albion FC (Uruguay) 1882

Slavia Prague (Czechoslovakia) 1882

Durban (South Africa) 1882

First Vienna (Austria) 1884

Christiana (Norway) 1885

Ujpest Dozsa (Hungary) 1885

Morozovsky (USSR) 1887

It was these lists that were the inspiration to start writing my book and I don’t think my list will look like either of these!