Walking Tour on the Origins of Football in Bilbao and Biscay

We will observe the house where Rafael Moreno 'Pichichi' was born, learn about his career and reflect on his contribution to the professionalism of football in Spain

We will locate the old Café Donostiarra, above which the first Athletic Club headquarters was installed in 1901. In addition, this will allow us to discuss the date of incorporation of the club.

We will know the history and evolution of both the Church and the Bridge of San Anton, which because of their historical importance appear on the shield of the Athletic Club.

We will also analyze other elements and symbols that appear on the shields of many other Biscayan teams.

We will locate the location of the old Salon Vizcaya, a performance hall in which, according to legend, the expression 'sing the alirón' emerged, used in Spain to refer to the conquest of a League title.

We will know the old site of the Café Lyon d'Or, prominent place in the many intellectuals, both from the city and outside, installed their talks at the beginning of the 20th century.

We will evoke the figure of one of those talkers, Jacinto Miquelarena, and his role in the consolidation of sports journalism in Spain as director of the newspaper Excelsior, which began publication in 1924.

We will locate the old Café García, where meetings prior to the legal constitution of the Athletic Club were held throughout 1901.

We will stop by the statue of Sabino Arana to inquire about the origin of Basque nationalism, which coincides with the arrival of industrialization and football in the region.

We will also analyze the different positions (from rejection to propaganda) that Basque nationalism had with regard to football during the early years of the 20th century.

We will observe the former site of the Zamacois Gymnasium, one of the pioneering centers in gymnastics practice in the city, and reflect on the relationship of some of its members with the Athletic Club.

We will pay attention to the fountain of Plaza de Jado, whose spout is a representation of the Coronation Cup, the first national football competition played in Spain.

We will review the details of that Coronation Cup of 1902, as well as the participation of Vizcaya FC, which ended up proclaimed champions.

We will cross, next to the Guggenheim Museum, the surroundings of the old camp of the English, scene of many of the first football matches held in Bilbao at the end of the 19th century.

We will reflect on the role of the British sailors and coaches who brought football to the region and created the city’s first organized sports club, the Nervion Shipyard Athlete Club, and we will cite some other fields used during the early years of football.

We will walk along the shore of the estuary of Bilbao, which the Athletic Club sails aboard a barge whenever it conquers any title. We will also remember the history of the Acero Club de Olabeaga, which was the first club to celebrate a title with a barge ride.

We will look outside the Casa de la Misericordia in Bilbao and analyze its relationship with the name of the stadium of San Mamés and the identification of the Athletic Club with the lions.

We will examine the exterior of San Mamés Stadium, commenting on some of its architectural curiosities while remembering all the fields used by the Athletic Club before settling in the old San Mamés.