Horta Football Association

{{Infobox organization

| name = Football Association of Horta | former_name = Associação de Futebol de Horta | bgcolor =  | fgcolor =  | image = | image_border = | image_size =  | image_alt =  | caption = | map =  | map_size =  | map_alt =  | map_caption =  | map2 = | abbreviation = AF Horta | predecessor = | successor = | formation = {{Start date and age|1930|10|21}} | extinction =  | type = [[Non-governmental organization|NGO]] | status = Foundation | purpose = Football Association | headquarters = | location = [[Horta (Azores)|Horta]] ([[Azores]]), [[Portugal]] | coordinates =  | region_served = [[Faial Island|Faial]], [[Pico Island|Pico]], [[Flores Island (Azores)|Flores]], [[Corvo Island|Corvo]] | membership = | language = [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]] | general_secretary =  | leader_title = President | leader_name = Eduardo Pereira | leader_title2 = Vice-President | leader_name2 = Luís Garcia | leader_title3 = Vice-President | leader_name3 = Alberto Ventura | leader_title4 = Assembly President | leader_name4 = Jorge Alberto Costa Pereira | key_people = | main_organ =  | parent_organization = [[Portuguese Football Federation]] | affiliations =  | budget = | num_staff = | num_volunteers = | website = {{url|http://afhorta.fpf.pt/}} | remarks = }} The '''Horta Football Association''' ({{langx|pt|Associação de Futebol de Horta}}) is one of the 22 [[Portuguese District Football Associations|District Football Associations]] that are affiliated with the [[Portuguese Football Federation]]. The AF Horta administers lower-tier [[football (soccer)|football]] in the [[concelho|municipalities]] on the islands of [[Faial Island|Faial]], [[Pico Island|Pico]], [[Flores Island (Azores)|Flores]] and [[Corvo Island|Corvo]], as well as those clubs registered in the islands.

==History== The foundation of the Football Association of Horta was only possible after the founding of many of the football clubs that marked its history, and specifically the founding of the Fayal Sport Club, Angústias Atlético Clube and Sporting Club da Horta.<ref name="AFHHistoria">{{cite web |editor=AFH |url=http://afhorta.fpf.pt/Associa%C3%A7%C3%A3o/Hist%C3%B3ria/Funda%C3%A7%C3%A3o.aspx |title=Fundação |language=pt |location=Horta (Azores), Portugal |year=2013 |publisher=Associação de Futebol de Horta}}</ref> Even in its early history, Horta was known as the "Azorean city of Sporting Excellence", and on 2 February 1909, the Fayal Sport Club was established by an enthusiastic group of students from the ''Liceu of Horta'' (its first President was Manuel Tânger).<ref name=AFHHistoria/> Since there were no other club on the island at the time, the Fayal Sport played against visiting foreign workers of the submarine cable companies, and in particular, the British Football Club.<ref name=AFHHistoria/> Although the events were well contested, the games themselves were friendly, with no organizational structure. Interest in association football was so popular that, in 1913, Fayal S.C. completed its first inter-island game in Ponta Delgada, winning the matches and tournament in the regional capital.<ref name=AFHHistoria/>

It took another 14 years before another team, the ''Sporting Club da Horta'' was founded on 28 May 1922, under the direction of its first president Domingos Homem Garcia. In the same year, Fayal S.C. invited Casa Pia, and its celebrated kicker Cândido de Oliveira for a match.<ref name=AFHHistoria/> This was a precursor to the founding of the 'Angústias Atlético Clube' (Angustias Athletic Club), was formed on 6 January 1923, under the direction of their first President Manuel Stattmiller de Saldanha e Albuquerque.<ref name=AFHHistoria/>

These changes and the growth of the popularity laid the seeds for the creation of the Football Association.<ref name=AFHHistoria/> In January 1924, the British Football Club proposed the ''"constitution of an Association"'' to begin operating almost immediately, while Fayal S.C. suggested that an association would be more practical in the proceeding season. Unfortunately, the three principal clubs did not intend in the formative period of the association's creation.<ref name=AFHHistoria/>

In 1928, there were contacts between clubs to organize an Azorean Championship.<ref name=AFHHistoria/> The three teams on Faial met on 21 October 1930, at the ''Grémio Literário Artista Fayalense'' in the ''Largo do Bispo'' represented by António de Sousa Ramos Jr. (Fayal Sport Club), Jaime Maria Soares de Melo (Angústias Atletico Club), and Manuel d'Azevedo Castro Neves (Sporting Clube da Horta), whom achieved a consensus to form the ''Asociação de Futebol da Horta''.<ref name=AFHHistoria/>

==Notable clubs== Historically, the following teams were important in the development of association football on the islands, and responsible for the founding of the Horta Football Association:

* [[Angústias Atlético Clube|Angústias AC]] * [[Futebol Clube da Madalena|FC Madalena]] * [[Sporting Clube da Horta|SC Horta]]

==Current Divisions - 2023–24 Season== The AF Horta runs the following division covering the sixth tier of the [[Portuguese football league system]]. ;Faial/Pico<ref name="Futebol Total">{{cite web |url=http://futeboltotal-victor.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/AF%20Horta |title= Futebol Total - Horta |access-date=2012-04-09 }}</ref> * Angústias FC * CD Lajense * Club Fraternidade * [[Fayal Sport Clube]] * Futebol Clube da Madalena * Futebol Clube dos Flamengos * Vitória do Pico

==See also== * [[Portuguese District Football Associations]] * [[Portuguese football competitions]] * [[List of football clubs in Portugal]]

== References == {{Reflist|2}}

[[Category:Portuguese District Football Associations|Horta]] [[Category:Football in the Azores]] [[Category:Sports organizations established in 1930]]