21 May 1911: The first charity fixture
FC Barcelona has been helping to raise funds for worthy causes for more than a century
21 May 1911 was the date of the very first charity match in FC Barcelona history.
In times of the first Joan Gamper presidency, it was played to raise funds for Manresa Hospital and the venue was the old Carrer Indústria ground. Barça played local rival Català, and won 5-1 with goals from Charles Wallace (2), Romà Forns (2) and Percival Wallace.
Not long after, on June 11, the teams played another charity game, this time in aid of the schools in the second and sixth districts of Barcelona. This one was between Barça and Català too and ended 6-1 to the blaugrana.
Barça is famed worldwide for its dedication to charitable causes, and it’s a tradition that goes back 109 years!