The CLUB
On 15 August 1947, O Elvas Clube Alentejano de Desportos was officially founded. The City Council of Elvas led the initiative to merge the local clubs, sending a letter to the three clubs in July 1947 after a prior meeting with their presidents. On 23 July, the general assemblies of Sport Lisboa e Elvas and Sporting Club Elvense approved the creation of a single club in the city due to financial difficulties. André Gonçalves and José de Melo e Sousa, leading the two clubs respectively, initiated the work of the administrative committee of the new club, which would be called Grupo Desportivo de Elvas.
Clube de Futebol Os Elvenses also held a general assembly on 25 July to discuss the proposal. After discussions, the merger was rejected by the majority of votes.
With the decision of the first two clubs made, the selection of the new club’s social bodies began. Initially called Grupo Desportivo de Elvas, it was decided to adopt the name O Elvas to represent the Alentejo region and encompass various sports. The club’s colours would be blue and gold, inspired by Boca Juniors of Argentina. The chosen emblem featured peacock blue and gold yellow, with the coat of arms of the city of Elvas.
At the first assembly of the new club, held at the Cine-Teatro Municipal de Elvas, the statutes were approved and the governing bodies elected, with prolonged applause.
The team turned professional, with players receiving a salary of 1,200$00 per month, thanks to a fundraising of 300 contos by the new management.
First official matches of O Elvas and new competitive system
On 7 September 1947, O Elvas Clube Alentejano de Desportos played its first official match, facing Cacereño, which had finished sixth in Series 7 of the Spanish 3rd Division. O Elvas won overwhelmingly, with a final score of 8-3.
The second match took place on 24 September, during the celebrations of the Feira de São Mateus. On this occasion, O Elvas hosted Sevilla, which had finished sixth in the Spanish 1st Division in the 1946-1947 season and would finish fifth in the 1947-1948 season. The game was highly contested, with Sevilla winning 2-1
These initial games highlighted O Elvas in the sports press of Portugal and Spain, raising questions about the club’s future potential. O Elvas also tried to schedule a match with Valencia, the Spanish champion, which was touring Portugal, but Valencia opted to play against Futebol Clube do Porto instead.
The 1947-1948 season brought significant changes to football competitions in Portugal. The National Championship of the 1st Division continued with 14 teams, but the teams of the 1st and 2nd Divisions stopped competing in the district championships, except for teams from the regions of Lisbon and Porto, which continued to compete in the regional championships.
The 2nd National Division was divided into four groups of eight teams each. The winners of each group would compete in a final phase to determine who would be promoted to the 1st Division. The district championships began to qualify teams for a new 3rd National Division, which would be played in a knockout format, determining promotion to the 2nd Division.
These changes brought new challenges and opportunities for O Elvas, which, after a promising start, sought to establish itself in the Portuguese football scene.
In November 1947, the national championship of the 1st division began. O Elvas faced Futebol Clube do Porto in the 1st round, where the result was unfavourable for our club, losing 4-0.
In the 2nd round, O Elvas thrashed Lusitano de Vila Real de Santo António 7-0, with goals from Patalino (2), Rebelo (2), Massano (2), and ngelo. In the next three rounds, O Elvas went through a rough patch, failing to secure any victories (Atlético 5-2 O Elvas, goals by ngelo and Ernesto | O Elvas 1-2 Sporting | Estoril 3-2 O Elvas).
In the following two rounds, O Elvas thrashed Vitória de Guimarães 3-0 and Boavista 5-0.
In the 9th round of the championship, O Elvas won 3-1 against Sporting de Braga. In the 10th round, the blue and gold club faced Belenenses and brought home a draw (1-1) with a goal from Patalino.
On 4 February 1948, O Elvas faced Benfica in the 12th round in a thrilling match, losing 6-3.
In the next round, O Elvas played Vitória de Setúbal at home and won 2-1.
In the following two rounds (14th and 15th), O Elvas faced two tough opponents, failing to win both games (O Elvas 2-4 FC Porto | Lusitano de Vila Real de Santo António 2-1 O Elvas).
The 16th round was a balanced game, with our team winning 5-3 against Atlético. In the next round, O Elvas visited Sporting and lost 2-1.
In the 18th round, the blue and gold club demonstrated the grit and determination that had been lacking in previous games, winning 4-1 against Estoril. In the following two rounds, O Elvas failed to score any points, losing to Vitória de Guimarães 7-1 and Boavista 2-0.
On 21 April 1948, O Elvas faced Olhanense at home in the 21st round, winning 3-1 against the Algarve club. In the next game, O Elvas travelled to Braga to face Sporting de Braga and lost 4-1.
In the next three rounds, O Elvas defeated Belenenses 2-1, Benfica 2-1, and thrashed Académica at home 12-1.
On 1 June, the last round of the championship took place, with Vitória de Setúbal defeating our team 2-0.
The 1947-1948 season was of great importance for O Elvas, with a promising start that quickly demonstrated the team’s potential. Despite facing challenges and difficult moments throughout the championship, O Elvas achieved notable victories against major teams like Benfica and Sporting de Braga. The season was marked by a series of highs and lows, culminating in an impressive thrashing of Académica. These experiences reinforced the club’s determination and competitive spirit, preparing it for future challenges in Portuguese football.
Taça de Portugal 1948
In March 1948, the Taça de Portugal began, innovatively involving preliminary rounds with clubs from the 2nd and 3rd divisions. Only in the first round did the 1st division teams enter. O Elvas faced and thrashed Desportivo de Faro 13-0 in the round of 32, advancing to the next stage. In the round of 16, the blue and gold club faced Benfica, losing 6-1.
1948/1949 Season
On 22 September 1948, O Elvas faced Futebol Clube do Porto in the 1st round, losing 3-1.
