The Biscay Regional Championship (Campeonato Regional de Vizcaya), also called the North Regional Championship (Campeonato Regional Norte) in its early editions, was an official football tournament in Spain organised by the North Football Federation.

It was played annually between 1913 and 1940 and served to elect the representatives of the region in the Spanish Cup, which at that time served as the overall annual national championship.[1]

History

The tournament was launched in 1913, following the creation of the North Football Federation (Federación Norte), initially consisting of clubs from the Basque provinces (Biscay, Gipuzkoa and Álava) and Cantabria (then the province of Santander). The first edition of the Northern Regional Championship started on 12 October 1913, with six teams: three from Biscay (Athletic Bilbao, Arenas Club de Getxo and Deportivo de Bilbao)[2] and three from Gipuzkoa (Real Sociedad, Sporting de Irun and Racing de Irun – the latter two would soon merge as Real Unión). Athletic was the first champion.

In 1916 the Royal Spanish Football Federation permitted the clubs from the province of Santander to abandon the North Federation and join the new Cantabrian Regional Federation of Football, along with clubs from the province of Oviedo. But the situation was reversed again two years later.

After several disagreements between the clubs of Biscay and Gipuzkoa, culminating in a pivotal championship match between Athletic and Real Sociedad being abandoned,[3] in 1918 the National Committee of the Spanish federation agreed to divide the Northern Federation in these two regions.[4] Thus, in the 1918–19 season the Gipuzkoa clubs launched their own championship[1] while the North Championship teams continued with other Basque teams and the return of Racing de Santander, representing the Cantabrian clubs.

In 1922 the clubs in the province of Santander finally left the North Federation to create its own umbrella organisation, which launched the Cantabrian Regional Championship.[5][1] That same year, the Assembly of the Northern Federation agreed to the change of name to the Biscay Federation (Federación Vizcaína), being composed exclusively of clubs from the province[6] (although Deportivo Alavés of Álava also participated in the championship).

In 1934 the Spanish federation undertook a major restructuring of the national tournaments, so that the regional championships were replaced by the superregional, which gathered the best clubs in various regional federations. In the case of the Basque Country, this was called the Basque Cup, launched in season 1934–35. This tournament was held for two years until being interrupted by the Spanish Civil War.[1]

During the last months of the war in 1939, football resumed activity in some areas controlled by the National side, under the impetus of the Spanish Federation and the regional federations. Five teams participated in the reborn Biscay Championship, including its winners Bilbao Athletic (a team formed by Athletic Bilbao, who decided not to use the club's official title as they only had a makeshift squad and were worried about embarrassing results tarnishing their reputation)[7] and runner-up Barakaldo Oriamendi, who both took part in the 1939 Copa del Generalísimo.

The last edition of the Championship of Biscay, which was also a qualifier for access to the 1940 Copa del Generalísimo, was played in the 1939–40 season. Another restructuring approved by the Spanish Federation in 1940 marked the demise of the regional championships.

Winners

Season Champion Copa del Rey[a] Runner-up Copa del Rey[a][b]
1913–14[8][c] Athletic Club Winners Real Sociedad N/A
1914–15[9][c] Athletic Club Winners Arenas Club de Getxo N/A
1915–16[10][c] Athletic Club Winners Real Sociedad N/A
1916–17[11][c][d] Arenas Club de Getxo Runners-up Athletic Club N/A
1917–18[12][c] Real Unión[e] Winners[13] Arenas Club de Getxo N/A
1918–19[14][f][g][h] Arenas Club de Getxo Winners Racing de Santander N/A
1919–20[15][f] Athletic Club Runners-up Racing de Santander N/A
1920–21[16][f] Athletic Club Winners Arenas Club de Getxo N/A
1921–22[17][f] Arenas Club de Getxo Quarter-finals Racing de Santander N/A
1922–23[18][i][j] Athletic Club Winners Arenas Club de Getxo N/A
1923–24[19] Athletic Club Semi-finals Arenas Club de Getxo N/A
1924–25[20] Arenas Club de Getxo[k] Runners-up Athletic Club N/A
1925–26[21] Athletic Club Group stage Arenas Club de Getxo Group stage
1926–27[22][23] Arenas Club de Getxo Runners-up Athletic Club Group stage
1927–28[24] Athletic Club Group stage Deportivo Alavés Semi-finals
1928–29[25] Athletic Club Semi-finals Arenas Club de Getxo Round of 16
1929–30[26] Deportivo Alavés Quarter-finals Athletic Club Winners
1930–31[27] Athletic Club Winners Arenas Club de Getxo Semi-finals
1931–32[28] Athletic Club Winners Arenas Club de Getxo Round of 32
1932–33[29] Athletic Club Winners Arenas Club de Getxo Round of 32
1933–34[30] Athletic Club Quarter-finals Barakaldo CF Round of 32
1934–35[31][l] Athletic Club Round of 16 CA Osasuna Semi-finals
1935–36[32][l] Arenas Club de Getxo Round of 16 Real Unión Group stage
1936–39 No competition: Spanish Civil War
1939[33][m] Bilbao Athletic[7] Round of 16 Barakaldo Oriamendi Semi-finals
1939–40[34][m] Athletic Club Round of 16 Barakaldo Oriamendi Round of 32

Notes

  1. ^ a b Progress made in the Copa del Rey by qualifiers from the regional championship.
  2. ^ Runners-up also qualified for the Copa del Rey from 1926.
  3. ^ a b c d e Included clubs from Biscay, Gipuzkoa and Cantabria and known as the North Championship.
  4. ^ Clubs from Cantabria left the federation and joined the Asturias Championship in 1916–17 and 1917–18.
  5. ^ Athletic Club "retired from the competition once finalised"[12] after finishing top of the table.[3]
  6. ^ a b c d Included clubs from Biscay, Cantabria and Álava and known as the North Championship.
  7. ^ Clubs from Cantabria returned to the competition for 1918–19.
  8. ^ Clubs from Gipuzkoa quit the competition and formed their own from 1918–19 onwards.
  9. ^ Included clubs from Biscay and Álava and known as the Biscay Championship.
  10. ^ Clubs from Cantabria quit the competition and formed their own from this season onwards.
  11. ^ Arenas won a playoff 2–1 against Athletic after both finished level on points.[20]
  12. ^ a b Member clubs played in the Basque Cup (along with those from Gipuzkoa and Navarre).
  13. ^ a b Reverted to Biscay championship; clubs from Álava moved to the Gipuzkoa Championship.

Summary of Champions

Club Winners Runner-up
Athletic Club 16[a] (1913–14, 1914–15, 1915–16, 1919–20, 1920–21, 1922–23, 1923–24, 1925–26,
1927–28, 1928–29, 1930–31, 1931–32, 1932–33, 1933–34, 1934–35, 1939–40)		 4 (1916–17, 1924–25, 1926–27, 1929–30)
Arenas Club de Getxo 6 (1916–17, 1918–19, 1921–22, 1924–25, 1926–27, 1935–36) 10 (1914–15, 1917–18, 1920–21, 1922–23, 1923–24,
1925–26, 1928–29, 1930–31, 1931–32, 1932–33)
Deportivo Alavés[b] 1 (1929–30) 1 (1927–28)
Real Unión[c] 1 (1917–18)[3] 1 (1935–36)
Bilbao Athletic[d] 1 (1939)[a]
Barakaldo CF 3 (1933–34, 1939, 1939–40)
Racing de Santander[e] 3 (1918–19, 1919–20, 1921–22)
Real Sociedad[c] 2 (1913–14, 1915–16)
CA Osasuna[f] 1 (1934–35)

Notes

  1. ^ a b Athletic Bilbao includes the 1939 win in its honours list for a total of 17.
  2. ^ Only participated from 1922 to 1936 (including Basque Cup).
  3. ^ a b Only participated from 1913 to 1918 and from 1934 to 1936 (including Basque Cup).
  4. ^ Only participated in 1939.[7]
  5. ^ Only participated between 1913 and 1916, and between 1918 and 1922.
  6. ^ Only participated in Basque Cup (1934–35 and 1935–36).

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Spain – List of Champions of Norte". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. 21 January 2000. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
  2. ^ "Historia" [History] (in Spanish). Club Deportivo Bilbao. Archived from the original on 28 February 2018. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
  3. ^ a b c Félix Martialay (2000). ¡¡¡Amberes!!! Allí nació la furia española [Antwerp!!! There the Spanish fury was born] (in Spanish). CIHEFE [es]. p. 168. ISBN 9788492109777. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
  4. ^ "Vizcaya-Guípúscoa The lawsuit gives the contrast with National Committee". El Mundo Deportivo. 7 May 1918. Retrieved 3 May 2009.
  5. ^ "The conflicts of the Spanish soccer". El Mundo Deportivo. 30 October 1922. Retrieved 3 May 2009.
  6. ^ "Federation Federation North becomes Vizcaína". Mundo Deportivo. 24 July 1922. Retrieved 3 May 2009.
  7. ^ a b c "Bilbao Athletic history". Athletic Bilbao. Retrieved 24 September 2017.
  8. ^ "Campeonato Regional del Norte 1913–14" [North Regional Championship 1913–14]. FutbolME (in Spanish). Retrieved 9 December 2017.
  9. ^ "Campeonato Regional del Norte 1914–15" [North Regional Championship 1914–15]. FutbolME (in Spanish). Retrieved 9 December 2017.
  10. ^ "Campeonato Regional del Norte 1915–16" [North Regional Championship 1915–16]. FutbolME (in Spanish). Retrieved 9 December 2017.
  11. ^ "Campeonato Regional del Norte 1916–17" [North Regional Championship 1916–17]. FutbolME (in Spanish). Retrieved 9 December 2017.
  12. ^ a b "Campeonato Regional del Norte 1917–18" [North Regional Championship 1917–18]. FutbolME (in Spanish). Retrieved 9 December 2017.
  13. ^ Diego García (6 November 2017). "El Real Unión campeón de 1918: histórico por una renuncia" [Real Unión champion of 1918: historic for a resignation] (in Spanish). Marca. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
  14. ^ "Campeonato Regional Vizcaíno 1918–19" [Biscay Regional Championship 1918–19]. FutbolME (in Spanish). Retrieved 9 December 2017.
  15. ^ "Campeonato Regional Vizcaíno 1919–20" [Biscay Regional Championship 1919–20]. FutbolME (in Spanish). Retrieved 9 December 2017.
  16. ^ "Campeonato Regional Vizcaíno 1920–21" [Biscay Regional Championship 1920–21]. FutbolME (in Spanish). Retrieved 9 December 2017.
  17. ^ "Campeonato Regional Vizcaíno 1921–22" [Biscay Regional Championship 1921–22]. FutbolME (in Spanish). Retrieved 9 December 2017.
  18. ^ "Campeonato Regional Vizcaíno 1922–23" [Biscay Regional Championship 1922–23]. FutbolME (in Spanish). Retrieved 9 December 2017.
  19. ^ "Campeonato Regional Vizcaíno 1923–24" [Biscay Regional Championship 1923–24]. FutbolME (in Spanish). Retrieved 9 December 2017.
  20. ^ a b "Campeonato Regional Vizcaíno 1924–25" [Biscay Regional Championship 1924–25]. FutbolME (in Spanish). Retrieved 9 December 2017.
  21. ^ "Campeonato Regional Vizcaíno 1925–26" [Biscay Regional Championship 1925–26]. FutbolME (in Spanish). Retrieved 9 December 2017.
  22. ^ "Campeonato Regional Vizcaíno 1926–27" [Biscay Regional Championship 1926–27]. FutbolME (in Spanish). Retrieved 9 December 2017.
  23. ^ "En el Encuentro cumbre del día, el "Arenas" bate al "Athetic" por 3 a 2, colocándose como muy probable campeón" [In the summit meeting of the day, the "Arenas" beat the "Athetic" by 3 to 2, standing as very likely champion]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). 7 February 1927. Retrieved 24 April 2019.
  24. ^ "Campeonato Regional Vizcaíno 1927–28" [Biscay Regional Championship 1927–28]. FutbolME (in Spanish). Retrieved 9 December 2017.
  25. ^ "Campeonato Regional Vizcaíno 1928–29" [Biscay Regional Championship 1928–29]. FutbolME (in Spanish). Retrieved 9 December 2017.
  26. ^ "Campeonato Regional Vizcaíno 1929–30" [Biscay Regional Championship 1929–30]. FutbolME (in Spanish). Retrieved 9 December 2017.
  27. ^ "Campeonato Regional Vizcaíno 1930–31" [Biscay Regional Championship 1930–31]. FutbolME (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 29 March 2019. Retrieved 9 December 2017.
  28. ^ "Campeonato Regional Vizcaíno 1923–32" [Biscay Regional Championship 1931–32]. FutbolME (in Spanish). Retrieved 9 December 2017.
  29. ^ "Campeonato Regional Vizcaíno 1932–33" [Biscay Regional Championship 1932–33]. FutbolME (in Spanish). Retrieved 9 December 2017.
  30. ^ "Campeonato Regional Vizcaíno 1933–34" [Biscay Regional Championship 1933–34]. FutbolME (in Spanish). Retrieved 18 March 2019.
  31. ^ "Copa Vasca 1934–35" [Basque Cup 1934–35]. FutbolME (in Spanish). Retrieved 9 December 2017.
  32. ^ "Copa Vasca 1935–36" [Basque Cup 1935–36]. FutbolME (in Spanish). Retrieved 9 December 2017.
  33. ^ "Campeonato Regional Vizcaíno 1938–39" [Biscay Regional Championship 1938–39]. FutbolME (in Spanish). Retrieved 9 December 2017.
  34. ^ "Campeonato Regional Vizcaíno 1939–40" [Biscay Regional Championship 1939–40]. FutbolME (in Spanish). Retrieved 18 March 2019.
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