Charles William Miller

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Charles William Miller (sometimes incorrectly referred to as Muller), who was born on November 24, 1874 in São Paulo to a Scottish father John and a Brazilian mother of English descent Carlota Fox, is considered to be the father of football in Brazil.

In 1884 he was sent to public school in Southampton, Hampshire, England where he learnt to play football and cricket. Whilst at school he played for and against both Corinthians and St. Mary's. He also played one match for the MCC against Hampshire, scoring 12 runs.

He returned to Brazil in 1894 to work at the São Paulo Railway Company becoming the Royal Mail's agent and Acting British Vice-Consul in 1904. In January 1906, he married the renowned pianist Antonietta Rudge; the union produced two children, Carlos (1907) and Helena (1909). The late 1920s saw the couple split with Antonietta moving in with the poet Menotti. In 1939 on perhaps his last return to England, he was nearly killed in the first IRA bombing on the mainland; his daughter stopped to window shop just yards and seconds before the bomb went off on the steps to the nearby underground station.

Miller was instrumental in setting up the football team of the São 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.

It was Miller that suggested the name to the first President of Sport Club Corinthians Paulista.

He died on June 30, 1953. Amongst his many accolades, he is credited for establishing rugby in his home of Brazil.

[edit] Sources

• An Entirely Different Game, The British Influence on Brazilian Football Aidan Hamilton ISBN 1-84018-041-2