Football at the 1920 Summer Olympics

The football at the 1920 Summer Olympics, was one of the 154 events at the 1920 Summer Olympics, held in Antwerp. It was the fifth time football (soccer) was on the Olympic schedule. The tournament was contested by 14 teams, with host country Belgium winning the gold medals. Spain won silver, while the Netherlands won bronze medals.

quads

*Main|Football at the 1920 Summer Olympics - Men's team squads

Tournament

14 teams entered the competition which was organized on a knockout basis. 12 teams entered the first round, with the 6 winners joining the host nation (Belgium) and France, in the quarter-finals.

Perhaps the most far-reaching of the results was that which saw Norway defeat Great Britain in the first round. The British delegation were concerned with the rise in 'professional' opponents within the international game. As Bernard Joy in "Association Football" (1960) was to write: "Out of pocket experiences were paid far in excess of the reimbursement for hotels and travelling. ... [Payments] for time lost from work, were made for playing and training, and teams were taken off for intense preparation together. Whatever the reason or excuse, thinly-veiled professionalism was rampant". Ironically Norway were not a professional side. The complaint was, however, clearly addressed at a growing trend within the game.

Czechoslovakia, participating in their first international tournament, cruised to the final, inflicting heavy defeats on Yugoslavia, Norway, and France. Belgium beat a talented Spain and then the Netherlands on their way to the final. The final stages of the tournament decended into farce. Belgium won the gold medal by default after
Czechoslovakia walked off in protest during the final, unhappy with the performance of the English referee, John Lewis. As a result they were disqualified and a second consolation tournament was organised to decide the silver and bronze medallists. However beaten semi-finalists, France, had already returned home, so the beaten quarter-finalists played-off for the right to play the other beaten semi-finalist, Holland. Spain emerged triumphant overcoming Sweden 2-1 , Italy 2-0 and then Holland 3-1 in the silver medal final.

Results

First round

footballbox
date = August 28, 1920
team1 = fb-rt|TCH
score = 7–0
report = [http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/tournament=512/edition=197008/matches/match=32275/report.html Report]
team2 = fb|YUG|kingdom
goals1 = Vanik goal|20 goal|46 goal|79
Janda goal|34 goal|50 goal|75
Sedlacek goal|43
goals2 =
stadium = Broodstraat, Antwerp
Referee: Rafael van Praag (NED)
Attendance: 600----footballbox
date = August 28, 1920
team1 = fb-rt|ESP|1785
score = 1–0
report = [http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/tournament=512/edition=197008/matches/match=32273/report.html Report]
team2 = fb|DEN
goals1 = Arabolaza goal|54
goals2 =
stadium = La Butte, Brussels
Referee: Willem Eymers (NED)
Attendance: 3.000----footballbox
date = August 28, 1920
team1 = fb-rt|ITA|old
score = 2–1
report = [http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/tournament=512/edition=197008/matches/match=32276/report.html Report]
team2 = fb|EGY|1882
goals1 = Baloncieri goal|25
Brezzi goal|57
goals2 = Osman goal|30
stadium = Jules Ottenstadion, Ghent
Referee: Paul Putz (BEL)
Attendance: 2.000----footballbox
date = August 28, 1920
team1 = fb-rt|NOR
score = 3–1
report = [http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/tournament=512/edition=197008/matches/match=32277/report.html Report]
team2 = fb|GBR
goals1 = Gundersen goal|13 goal|51
Wilhelms goal|63
goals2 = Nicholas goal|25
stadium = Olympic Stadium, Antwerp
Referee: Johannes Mutters (NED)
Attendance: 5.000----footballbox
date = August 28, 1920
team1 = fb-rt|NED
score = 3–0
report = [http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/tournament=512/edition=197008/matches/match=32274/report.html Report]
team2 = fb|LUX
goals1 = J. Bulder goal|30
Groosjohan goal|47 goal|85
goals2 =
stadium = La Butte, Brussels
Referee: Georges Hubrecht (BEL)
Attendance: 3.000----footballbox
date = August 28, 1920
team1 = fb-rt|SWE
score = 9–0
report = [http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/tournament=512/edition=197008/matches/match=32278/report.html Report]
team2 = fb|GRE|old
goals1 = Olsson goal|4 goal|79
Karlsson goal|15 goal|20 goal|21 goal|51 goal|85
Wicksell goal|25
Dahl goal|31
goals2 =
stadium = Olympic Stadium, Antwerp
Referee: Charles Barette (BEL)
Attendance: 5.000

Quarter-finals

footballbox
date = August 29, 1920
team1 = fb-rt|NED
score = 5–4
report = [http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/tournament=512/edition=197008/matches/match=32280/report.html Report]
team2 = fb|SWE
goals1 = Groosjohan goal|10 goal|57
J. Bulder goal|44 goal|88|p.k.
de Natris goal|115
goals2 = Karlsson goal|16 goal|32
Olsson goal|20
Dahl goal|72
stadium = Broodstraat, Antwerp
Referee: Josef Fanta (TCH)
Attendance: 5.000----footballbox
date = August 29, 1920
team1 = fb-rt|TCH
score = 4–0
report = [http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/tournament=512/edition=197008/matches/match=32279/report.html Report]
team2 = fb|NOR
goals1 = Vanik goal|8
Janda goal|17 goal|66 goal|77
goals2 =
stadium = La Butte, Brussels
Referee: Charles Barette (BEL)
Attendance: 4.000----footballbox
date = August 29, 1920
team1 = fb-rt|FRA
score = 3–1
report = [http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/tournament=512/edition=197008/matches/match=32281/report.html Report]
team2 = fb|ITA|old
goals1 = Boyer goal|10
Nicolas goal|14
Bard goal|54
goals2 = Brezzi goal|33|p.k.
stadium = Olympic Stadium, Antwerp
Referee: Henri Christophe (BEL)
Attendance: 10.000----footballbox
date = August 29, 1920
team1 = fb-rt|BEL
score = 3–1
report = [http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/tournament=512/edition=197008/matches/match=32282/report.html Report]
team2 = fb|ESP|1785
goals1 = Coppée goal|11 goal|52 goal|55
goals2 = Arrate goal|62|p.k.
stadium = Olympic Stadium, Antwerp
Referee: Johannes Mutters (NED)
Attendance: 18.000

emi-finals

footballbox
date = August 31, 1920
team1 = fb-rt|TCH
score = 4–1
report = [http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/tournament=512/edition=197008/matches/match=32284/report.html Report]
team2 = fb|FRA
goals1 = Mazal goal|18 goal|75 goal|87
Steiner goal|70
goals2 = Boyer goal|79
stadium = Olympic Stadium, Antwerp
Referee: Johannes Mutters (NED)
Attendance: 12.000----footballbox
date = August 31, 1920
team1 = fb-rt|BEL
score = 3–0
report = [http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/tournament=512/edition=197008/matches/match=32285/report.html Report]
team2 = fb|NED
goals1 = Larnoe goal|46
Van Hege goal|55
Bragard goal|85
goals2 =
stadium = Olympic Stadium, Antwerp
Referee: John Lewis (ENG)
Attendance: 22.000

Final

The final was highly controversial and remains the only occasion in which an international final has had to have been abandoned.
Belgium was awarded the gold medal by default after
Czechoslovakia walked off the field in the 40th minute of the final when Czech left-back Karel Steiner was ejected.

They were unhappy with the performance of the 65 year-old English referee, John Lewis, as well as the English linesmen, Charles Wreford-Brown and A. Knight, who had allowed a contentious second Belgian goal in the 28th minute that Henri Larnoe had converted.

Lewis had already refereed the Belgian semi-final victory over the Netherlands, a match observed by the Czechs (it had taken place on the same day and in the same stadium as their own victory against France).

The Czechs protested the result of the final. Their protests, translated from the original French, were as follows:

1. We were allocated an English linesman, which is in contradiction with the rules which state that each participating nation has the right to one of both linesman. This violation of the rules was prejudicial to us during the game, because the English linesman was not impartial and this is why we seek the cancellation of the match. Immediately after the game we brought this notice to the attention of M. Rodolphe Seeldrayers.

2. The majority of the decisions of the referee Mr. Lewis were wrong and it was obvious that it gave the public the wrong impression about our game. Also both Belgian goals were the result of incorrect decisions of the referee and we seek a rigorous investigation on that point.

3. During the match, Belgian soldiers were introduced to the crowd until they circled the pitch and because of their provocative presence our players were unable to play their normal game. As a result of the very regrettable incident at the end of the match when there was a pitch invasion lead by the soldiers and our national flag was insulted we will not participate until we have received an apology from the (Belgian) soldiers. [http://www.aafla.org/SportsLibrary/JOH/JOHv1n4/JOHv1n4d.pdf#search='1920%20Czechoslovakia%20football']

Czechoslovakia's protests were dismissed, and after much debate, they were disqualified from the tournament.

footballbox
date = September 2, 1920
13:00
team1 = fb-rt|BEL
score = 2–0
report = [http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/tournament=512/edition=197008/matches/match=32288/report.html Report]
team2 = fb|TCH
goals1 = Coppée goal|6|p.k.
Larnoe goal|30
goals2 =
stadium = Olympic Stadium, Antwerp
Referee: John Lewis (ENG)
Attendance: 35.000

Consolation first round

footballbox
date = August 31, 1920
team1 = fb-rt|ITA|old
score = 2–1
report = [http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/tournament=512/edition=197008/matches/match=32283/report.html Report]
team2 = fb|NOR
goals1 = Sardi goal|46
Badini goal|96
goals2 = Andersen goal|41
stadium = Broodstraat, Antwerp
Referee: Louis Fourgous (FRA)
Attendance: 500----footballbox
date = September 1, 1920
team1 = fb-rt|ESP|1785
score = 2–1
report = [http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/tournament=512/edition=197008/matches/match=32286/report.html Report]
team2 = fb|SWE
goals1 = Belauste goal|51
Gómez-Acedo goal|53
goals2 = Dahl goal|28
stadium = Broodstraat, Antwerp
Referee: Giovanni Mauro (ITA)
Attendance: 1.500----footballbox
date = September 2, 1920
team1 = fb-rt|EGY|1882
score = 4–2
report = [http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/tournament=512/edition=197008/matches/match=32287/report.html Report]
team2 = fb|YUG|kingdom
goals1 = Abaza goal goal
Allouba goal
Hegazi goal
goals2 = Dubravčić goal
Ružić goal
stadium = Olympic Stadium, Antwerp
Referee: Rafael van Praag (ITA)
Attendance: 500

Consolation semi-final

footballbox
date = September 2, 1920
team1 = fb-rt|ESP|1785
score = 2–0
report = [http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/tournament=512/edition=197008/matches/match=32289/report.html Report]
team2 = fb|ITA|old
goals1 = Sesúmaga goal|43 goal|72
goals2 =
stadium = Olympic Stadium, Antwerp
Referee: Paul Putz (BEL)
Attendance: 10.000

Consolation final

footballbox
date = September 5, 1920
team1 = fb-rt|ESP|1785
score = 3–1
report = [http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/tournament=512/edition=197008/matches/match=32290/report.html Report]
team2 = fb|NED
goals1 = Sesúmaga goal|7 goal|35
Pichichi goal|72
goals2 = Groosjohan goal|68
stadium = Olympic Stadium, Antwerp
Referee: Paul Putz (BEL)
Attendance: 14.000

Medalists

References

External links

* [http://www.rsssf.com/tableso/ol1920f-det.html RSSSF - 1920 Olympic Games]
* [http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/tournament=512/edition=197008/overview.html FIFA - Antwerp, 1920]
* [http://www.aafla.org/SportsLibrary/JOH/JOHv1n4/JOHv1n4d.pdf Article about the 1920 Olympic football tournament]