The Southampton-educated man who introduced football to Brazil was born in Sao Paulo, Brazil in 1875, the son of an Scottish engineer and a Brazilian mother of English descent. At the age of 9 Charles was sent to England to be educated at Banister Court School in Southampton, where he excelled at football, winning a place in the school team (image below) and later in the St Mary’s team (forerunners of Southampton FC). When he returned to Sao Paulo in 1894 to work for the local railway company, he took with him a football, a pair of boots and a book of rules. Discovering that no one in Sao Paulo knew how to play the game, he set about teaching them. He was instrumental in setting up the football team the Sao Paulo Athletic Club (SPAC) and the Liga Paulista, the first football league in Brazil. With him as striker SPAC won the first three championships in 1902, 1903 and 1904. He died in Sao Paulo in 1953 and is buried there.
Charles Miller
Miller, seated in the centre, with the Banister Court six-a-side team.
Further reading:
God is Brazilian, by Josh Lacey. (HS/r)
An Entirely Different Game, by Aidan Hamilton. (HS/r)
Navigation
Browse A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y-Z
Get Involved
If you wish to
- suggest additional information for this entry
- suggest amendments to this entry
- offer your own research
- make a comment
then fill in the form on the Contact page.