125 years of the club #1: the founding in 1899

Soccer Club Rouennais was founded on July 11, 1899, with Raoult Hurard as its first president.

By 1901, the Sotteville meadows had been used solely for training, and the racecourse became the FCR’s new playing field. In those days, far from today’s professionalism, matches were sometimes played with only nine players against eleven, due to a lack of fighters, and sometimes stopped after the loss of the one and only ball of the game.

On September 3, 1899, Football Club Rouennais met Union Sportive Sottevillaise. The match took place at the Sotteville festival ground, and the Rouennais won 3-1, one of their first away victories.

In 1902, Adam Ferris joined the club. Originally from Scotland, this experienced player with a strong character joined the FCR after a dispute with HAC while playing for the Standard Athlétique Club de Paris. He vows to bring down rival Le Havre before he leaves. Technically and tactically superior to his team-mates, he instilled a new competitive spirit.

At the time, the Haute-Normandie league consisted of just a handful of teams divided into two sections, terrestrial and maritime, and the majority of matches were friendly. Teams from Le Havre dominated regional titles, but competitions became more competitive, and the FCR put in some fine performances, such as its 6-0 home victory over Stade Français in 1903. The level of play improved, and the local press, notably Le Journal de Rouen, began to take a growing interest in FCR results.