Football in Gibraltar

Football in Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory with a long tradition of football.
Country	Gibraltar
Governing body	Gibraltar Football Association
National team	Gibraltar
Nickname(s)	Gib
First played	1892
Clubs	19
Audience records
Season	Gibraltar Premier Division Gibraltar Second Division

Football in Gibraltar is a popular sport. Football has a strong tradition in Gibraltar, having first been introduced by British military personnel in the 19th century. In 1895 the Gibraltar Football Association was founded, making it one of the ten oldest active football associations in the world.

Football was introduced to the civilian population of Gibraltar by the British Armed Forces in the late 19th century. It is not known exactly when the first civilian football teams were formed, but the earliest records mention that the Prince of Wales F.C. already existed in 1892, and the Gibraltar F.C. was formed in November 1893.

Between 1895 and 1907, the only known football competition organised by the Gibraltar Civilian Football Association was the Merchants Cup. The cup was donated each year by the Merchants of Gibraltar. The first ever Cup Final was between the Gibraltar F.C. and the Jubilee F.C. and was witnessed by 1,500 spectators.

In 1902, the military authorities in Gibraltar designated one of their four football grounds at North Front as a civilian ground. Before this there was no civilian football grounds in Gibraltar, so the only way the Gibraltar Civilian Football Association could practice outside the annual Merchants Cup was by playing friendly matches against the military teams whenever possible.

The Gibraltar Football League was set up in October 1907. The military had well-established league and cup competitions before this, but local civil teams were not allowed to compete in them. The first league competition saw eight teams competing, with Prince of Wales F.C. being the winner. The growing success of the league and cup competitions was reflected in the increasing number of new teams that were registering with the association. Such was the increase in participating teams that a Second Division was added in 1909, and in 1910 the association was organising separate leagues and cup competitions for senior and junior divisions. This continuously growing interest in football in Gibraltar was also reflected in the association's affiliation with The Football Association in 1909. Up until 2005-06, the league operated a Third Division, however the loss of several reserve teams that dominated the Second Division led to the two divisions merging.