Source: TheGuardian
The history of works teams: from Atlético Madrid to British Airways FC
Manchester United, Arsenal, PSV and Civil Service FC were all started to give staff some exercise and entertainment By Chris Evans for The Set PiecesOn the face of it, Atlético Madrid have little in common with an amateur club in the 10th tier of English football. Although, if you look beyond the world-class players, their 68,000-capacity stadium and string of major trophies, Atléti have similar roots to British Airways FC of the Combined Counties Football League. Both sides once served as a leisure activity for airline workers. While BA’s club still carries the airline’s name, Atlético have given up the Athletic Aviacion de Madrid tag they carried from 1939 to 1947 after a merger with a team set up by members of the Spanish Air Force.There are works teams throughout Europe. Manchester United fans may know their club used to be called Newton Heath, but perhaps some are not aware that the name originated from a group of employees who worked for the Carriage and Wagon department of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway. The team initially played fixtures against other departments and other rail companies – wearing green and gold – at North Road, a ground chosen more for its proximity to the railway than its suitability for football. Related: The Englishman who went skiing and became a football manager | Cam Melling Related: This is PSV: from a team for factory workers to champions of Holland Continue reading......read full article
