Centenario del Real Madrid - Real Madrid's Centenary

6 March 1902

A group of fans officially founds Madrid Foot Ball Club and creates its first Board of Directors, including Juan Padrós Rubio, President: Enrique Varela, Vicepresident; Manuel Mendía, Secretary; José de Gorostizaga, Treasurer and Antonio S. Neyra, Mario Giralt, Carlos Mertens. Álvaro Spottorno y Arturo Meléndez, Members. Thus, Juan Padrós "legalized" a team that two years earlier had Juan Palacios as president. This Board of Directors also agrees on the team's gear, imitating the famous London Corinthians, it will be; white shorts and t-shirt, blue socks and cap, and a purple band on the coat of arms embroidered in colour.

9 March 1902

Madrid plays the first game between two teams belonging to the Club, this rehearsal will help to make up the First Team and encourage the early viewers. The line-ups were as follows: BLUE: Meléndez, J. Padrós, Spottorno, Gorostizaga, Mendía, Páramo, Neyra, A. Giralt, F. Palacios, Martens and Rodero. RED: J. Giralt, Meléndez, Molera, Salvador, Valcárcel, Spottorno, Stampher, J. Palacios, Varela, Celada y Bueno. The score was unimportant, the blue won 1-0. The game was played on the field in the Plaza de Toros avenue. The Club's premises were the back room of the store "Al Capricho" owned by the Padrós Brothers and La Taurina Tavern, the place from which they headed for the field.

22 March 1902

El "Heraldo del Sport" publishes the instructions for good soccer playing, by Mr. Arthur Johnson, an Englishman that will become the first coach of the team. Johnson will the first in organising the anarchical absurd world of soccer.

15 April 1902

A request is filed before the Chief Constable containing al the new club's regulations. Some days earlier, the Board of Directors had visited the Mayor of Madrid in order to hold a contest celebrating the King Alfonso XIII's coronation, this was a competition that ended up being the first King's Cup.

13 May 1902

The championship starts off with the first big national derby between Barcelona and Madrid. The Catalans with lots of foreigners in their squad, won 3-1. As consolation, Real Madrid beats Español from Barcelona 3-2, obtaining the Copa de la Gran Peña, first trophy that opens the club's glass cabinet.

8 April 1903

Madrid loses the final of the Second Championship Cup against Athlétic de Bilbao, 3-2. At the end of the match, the captain of Real Madrid, J. Giralt asked the captain of the Athletic, Mr. Astorquia, for the revenge in a return match on the following day.

January 1904

Madrid merges with Moderno, Amicale (where there are French players) and Moncloa. Carlos Padrós gives up the presidency of the Madrid Association of Soccer Clubs and takes over Real Madrid, replacing his brother Juan.

16 April 1905

Madrid wins its first Spanish Championship after beating Athlétic Bilbao 1-0, a goal scored by Prast who got the ball from Pedro Parages.

23 October 1905

Carlos Padrós arranges the first international game on the occasion of the French President's visit, M. Loubet, to Spain. There was a draw (1-1) between Gallia Sport from Paris and Real Madrid at the racecourse.

10 April 1906

Madrid defeats the basque Athletic 4-1 and by doing so it achieves the second Cup Championship. The day before it had defeated 3-0 the senior national squad , Huelva Recreation Club
(founded by Englishmen from the Tharsis mines).

30 March 1907

Madrid manages to win the Spanish Cup on defeating Vizcaya now, thanks to a valuable goal by Prast. It will be the first Cup owned by a team because it was won three years in a row.

13 April 1908

The fourth championship in a row is achieved after defeating Sporting de Vigo 2-1. This same year Adolfo Meléndez is designated president of the new Board of Directors. Carlos Padrós is elected honorary president for ever.