A tale of clubs, pitches and men. How association football took root in the Lake Geneva region (1860s–1910s)

‘Tomorrow, Thursday, at 3pm, a football match will take place on the Plaine de Plainpalais, between 11 English from Lausanne and Geneva’. This brief notice, published in January 1869 Le Journal Genève, may be one of earliest mentions area’s press new ball game – football. Although chronology association football’s ‘cultural transfer’ to Switzerland conditions that facilitated game’s introduction country are well-documented, adoption by local population remains under-researched. Based extensive empirical research combining original archive materials articles contemporary generalist sports newspapers, present study explored factors led young men Geneva embrace foreign game. It also examined two less-well studied aspects early history Europe: difficulty finding places play urban areas profiles first leaders. The results extend previous creation clubs (association or rugby) outside Great Britain associations Switzerland.