The earliest known reference to a football team in Pachuca dates from 1892, when a local newspaper reported that the side was being reorganised following a “split”.
“A disagreement had developed between the people based in Pachuca and the group known as ‘the mountain men’ from Real del Monte.
“Reading that made me laugh because it seemed typically Cornish. The Cornish have always been fond of a division.
“They were instructed to resolve their differences and build a more competitive team.”
In 1895, Rule organised a meeting at which it was agreed that Pachuca Cricket Club, Pachuca Football Club and Velasco Cricket Club should merge into a single, more powerful organisation.
That agreement resulted in the creation of Pachuca Athletic Club.
Rule provided land close to his hacienda where the club could stage its matches, but his Methodist faith led him to stipulate that no games could take place on Sundays.
By 1902, new clubs had begun appearing in places including Orizaba, Veracruz.
Orizaba still challenge Pachuca’s claim to being Mexico’s oldest club, maintaining that the distinction belongs to them.
The two sides joined three other clubs to establish Mexico’s first officially recognised football competition, the Liga Mexicana de Football Amateur Association.
Orizaba became the inaugural league champions in 1902, while Pachuca also enjoyed early success by securing the championship in the 1904-05 season.
The sport was not enjoyed only by the miners on the field, as Cornish women also played an important role in the atmosphere surrounding matchdays.
“They enthusiastically attended the games and frequently dressed in the team’s colours,” Dr Schwartz explains.
“The earliest account of people eating pasties in Mexico describes a pause during a cricket match. I suspect the Cornish women prepared them.”
Pasties were particularly practical for miners of that era: their substantial crust provided a convenient grip for dirty hands, while the sturdy pastry could withstand being dropped into a mine shaft.
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