Standard Athletic Club
Encyclopedia
The Standard Athletic Club is a British social club in Paris
, created on 1 March 1890, as one of the first football clubs in France
. The Standard Athletic Club won the first French football championship in 1894, and then again in 1895, 1897, 1898 and 1901. It also represented France for the one and only Cricket match in the 1900 Olympics
.
, but gradually grew to a size where playing fields were rented in 1906 at the Val d’Or in Suresnes
.
In 1922, the historic decision to ensure a permanent home for the Club led to the purchase of the present grounds in Meudon
. During World War II
, the Club was taken over and used as a radar jamming
station. Just prior to the Liberation of Paris
in 1944, the entire top storey was blown up. The new clubhouse was inaugurated by HM Queen Elizabeth II in 1957 and 1972. The club won the first ever Football Championship of France in 1894 and supplied most of the French team that played the only cricket
match ever to be held in an Olympiad, at the Paris 1900 Olympic Games. Up to the war, the main sporting activities were football, tennis
, field hockey
, and cricket. The hockey teams played in the national First Division. The swimming pool was opened in 1962; the golf section made its debut in 1979; and the first squash court was built in 1976. A Standard Athletic Club member was the first squash champion of France.
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, created on 1 March 1890, as one of the first football clubs in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. The Standard Athletic Club won the first French football championship in 1894, and then again in 1895, 1897, 1898 and 1901. It also represented France for the one and only Cricket match in the 1900 Olympics
Cricket at the 1900 Summer Olympics
A cricket tournament, played as part of the 1900 Summer Olympics, took place on 19–20 August at the Vélodrome de Vincennes. The only match of the tournament was played between teams representing Great Britain and France, and was won by 158 runs by Great Britain....
.
History
The Club was founded on 1 March 1890, in the back-room of the "Horse shoe" bar rue Copernic in the 8th arrondissement. In its early days, the Club was simply a loose association of young Britons who wanted to play sport together in the bois de BoulogneBois de Boulogne
The Bois de Boulogne is a park located along the western edge of the 16th arrondissement of Paris, near the suburb of Boulogne-Billancourt and Neuilly-sur-Seine...
, but gradually grew to a size where playing fields were rented in 1906 at the Val d’Or in Suresnes
Suresnes
Suresnes is a commune in the western suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris. The nearest communes are Neuilly-sur-Seine, Puteaux, Rueil-Malmaison, Saint-Cloud and Boulogne-Billancourt...
.
In 1922, the historic decision to ensure a permanent home for the Club led to the purchase of the present grounds in Meudon
Meudon
Meudon is a municipality in the southwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is in the département of Hauts-de-Seine. It is located from the center of Paris.-Geography:...
. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the Club was taken over and used as a radar jamming
Radar jamming and deception
Radar jamming and deception is the intentional emission of radio frequency signals to interfere with the operation of a radar by saturating its receiver with noise or false information...
station. Just prior to the Liberation of Paris
Liberation of Paris
The Liberation of Paris took place during World War II from 19 August 1944 until the surrender of the occupying German garrison on August 25th. It could be regarded by some as the last battle in the Battle for Normandy, though that really ended with the crushing of the Wehrmacht forces between the...
in 1944, the entire top storey was blown up. The new clubhouse was inaugurated by HM Queen Elizabeth II in 1957 and 1972. The club won the first ever Football Championship of France in 1894 and supplied most of the French team that played the only cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
match ever to be held in an Olympiad, at the Paris 1900 Olympic Games. Up to the war, the main sporting activities were football, tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
, field hockey
Field hockey
Field Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
, and cricket. The hockey teams played in the national First Division. The swimming pool was opened in 1962; the golf section made its debut in 1979; and the first squash court was built in 1976. A Standard Athletic Club member was the first squash champion of France.