1901–02 Athletic Bilbao season

• 11 June: The club's Board was then elected, with Luis Márquez being appointed the first president of the club, Francisco Íñiguez as vice-president, José María Barquín as treasurer and Enrique Goiri as its secretary, while Juan Astorquia and Alfred Mills were named the team's captain and vice-captain respectively.^[1] Since the figure of coach as we know it today did not exist at the time, it was Astorquia and Mills, as captain of the clubs, who was in charge of making up the line-ups and dictating the tactics to be followed. The most logical name for a new football club founded in Bilbao (Bilbao Football Club) was already "taken", so the name they chose was Athletic Club, using the English spelling. The name is an apparent homage to the Club Atleta of the Nervión Shipyards (1889–94).^[1]

• 5 September: The Club is officially established after obtaining the permission of the Civil Government. In the infamous meeting held at Café García, 33 members signed the documents to make it official and register as a sports organization with the local council.^[1] In addition to the 7 original founders of 1898, Juan Astorquia, Alejandro Acha, Luis Márquez, Fernando and Pedro Iraolagoitia, Enrique Goiri and Eduardo Montejo; that group also included the likes of Alejandro de la Sota, Amado Arana, the Silva brothers (Ramón and Luis), Juan Astorquia's brother, Luis, Antonio Zubillaga, and Alfred Mills, who was the only foreign-born person among the 33 who signed the documents.^[1][2]

• Early November: Since there were hardly any fields in Bilbao, the two sides agreed to share the Hippodrome of Lamiako, which they rented together.^[3] Lamiako was thus the home to one of the first great rivalries in the history of Spanish football.

• 10 November: Athletic Club played its first-ever match against another club in a friendly against Bilbao FC at the Hippodrome of Lamiako. It ended in a 0–0 draw.^[4][5]

• 16 November: Athletic Club played its first-ever international match at Lamiako against English Mariners XI, which is the crew of either a British warship or a merchant ship, winning 2–1.^[5][6]

• 19 January 1902: Athletic Club secured its first-ever win after beating Bilbao FC 4–2 with goals from Juan Astorquia (2), Ramón Silva and Mario Arana.^[7] It was also the first time that a paid match was held in Vizcaya, since this time they charged a ticket price of 30 cents of a peseta.^[4][8]

• Early-March: The two rivals agreed to join the best players of each club to play two games against the Bordeaux-based side Burdigala. This temporary merge became known as Club Bizcaya.

• 9 March: Bizcaya played its first match on foreign territory, winning 2–0 in Buerdos, France with goals from Ramón Silva and Walter Evans.^[9]

• 31 March: Bizcaya played the return fixture at home, the very first visit by a foreign team to Bilbao, trashing the French side with a resounding 7–0 victory with a poker from William Dyer and a hat-trick from Juan Astorquia.^[10] Lamiako had its record attendance on that day, gathering a crowd of three thousand spectators, a tremendous amount at the time.^[3]

• 13 May: Athletic Club played its first competitive match in the Copa de la Coronación and also secured its first competitive victory with a 5–1 win over Club Español (now RCD Espanyol). Juan Astorquia scored the club's first competitive goal, William Dyer scored the club's first competitive penalty and Walter Evans scored the club's first competitive hat-trick.^[11]

• 14 May: Athletic Club trashes New Foot-Ball Club in the semi-finals of the Copa de la Coronación with a resounding 8–1 victory, with a poker from Bilbao FC's William Dyer, two goals from Walter Evans of Bilbao FC and a goal each from Astorquia and French Raymond Cazeaux, both of Athletic.^[12]

• 15 May: Athletic Club wins its first-ever piece of silverware after a 2–1 win over FC Barcelona in the final, courtesy of Astorquia and Cazeaux. The trophy was presented by the mayor of Madrid and Bizcaya returned to Bilbao with it. Athletic still has that trophy in their trophy room at the San Mamés stadium.^[13][14][15]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
—	FW	ESP	Mario Arana (First club)
—	FW	ESP	(First club)
—	FW	FRA	Raymond Cazeaux (First club)
—	FW	ESP	Eduardo Montejo (First club)
—	FW	ESP	Antonio Zubillaga (First club)
—	FW	ESP	José Maria Barquín (First club)
—	FW	ESP	Ramón Silva (First club)
—	FW	ESP	Alejandro de la Sota (First club)
—	FW	ENG	Walter Evans (Bilbao FC)
—	FW	ENG	William Dyer (Bilbao FC)
—	FW	ESP	Juan Astorquia (First club)

Source:^[16]

^[5]

Athletic Club v Bilbao FC

1 December 1901	Athletic Club	1 – 1	Bilbao FC	Leioa, Basque Country
	Juan Astorquia A. Acha Mills, Larrañaga Iraolagoitia, Luis Silva, A. Arana Astorquia, M. Arana, Sota, R. Silva, Barquín	Report1 Report2	Walter Evans L. Arana Careaga, Ugalde J. M. Arana, J. Ansoleaga, M. Ansoleaga Langford, Dyer, Butwell, Evans and Guinea	Stadium: Hippodrome of Lamiako

Athletic Club II v Bilbao FC II

8 December 1901	Athletic Club II	1 – 0	Bilbao FC II	Leioa, Basque Country
	Montejo Alday R. Eguren, Montejo Azpeitia, R. Gutiérrez, L. Astorquia Ángel Pérez, F. Iraolagoitia, Ibáñez de Aldecoa, P. Iraolagoitia, R. Quintana	Report1 Report2		Stadium: Hippodrome of Lamiako

Athletic Club v Bilbao FC

15 December 1901	Athletic Club	0 – 2	Bilbao FC	Leioa, Basque Country
	A. Acha Larrañaga, Mills A. Arana, J. Eguren, L. Silva M. Arana, R. Silva, Sota, Goiri	Report1 Report2	Walter Evans L. Arana Careaga, Rivas P. Arana, Cockram, Ugalde Langford, Dyer, Butwell, Evans	Stadium: Hippodrome of Lamiako Referee: José María Barquín

Athletic Club XI v Combinado Jugadores

12 January 1902	Athletic Club XI	3 – 1	Combinado Jugadores	Leioa, Basque Country
	Mario Arana Careaga A. Arana, J. M. Arana M. Arana, M. Castelllanos, Ansoleaga Chávarri, Renovales, F. Belausteguigoitia, Lasserre, Orbe	Report	? Aulighin Bary, Mills Smith, Curtis, Seyh Lewich, Mackins, Dyer, Langford, Evans	Stadium: Hippodrome of Lamiako

Athletic Club v Bilbao FC

19 January 1902	Athletic Club	4 – 2	Bilbao FC	Leioa, Basque Country
	Ramón Silva 1–0' Juan Astorquia 2–0', 4–2' Mario Arana 3–1' Acha Mills, Larrañaga L. Silva, J. Eguren, Goiri M. Arana, R. Silva, Astorquia, Sota	Report1 Report2	William Dyer 2–1' Walter Evans 3–2' Renovales P. Arana, Cockram Ansoleaga, Mackins Dyer, Langford, Levick, Lee, Evans	Stadium: Hippodrome of Lamiako Referee: José María Barquín
Note: The first time that a paid match was held in Biscay. Lee arrived late, so Bilbao FC played with one less player for some time.

Athletic Club II v Bilbao FC II

9 March 1902	Athletic Club II	1 – 0	Bilbao FC II	Leioa, Basque Country
	V. Azcué R. Quintana R. Ortiz, Ibarzabal Orue, V. Azcué, Meltzer Alday, Montejo, A. Gutiérrez, R. Eguren, R. Gutiérrez	Report	Mackins Renovales, Aureolaga C. Castellanos, E. McLennan, Chávarri Guinea, M. Orbe, L. Orbe, Newgin	Stadium: Hippodrome of Lamiako
Note: Athletic played with one more player.

Burdigala v Club Bizcaya

9 March 1902	Burdigala	0–2	Club Bizcaya	Burdeos, France
?	Kuber Boyer, Balade Sudraud, Sarrailh, Paillre Cornali, Cahiol, Sergenton, Giraud, Cabanol	Report	Ramón Silva Walter Evans L. Arana Larrañaga, Ugalde A. Arana, Careaga, J. M. Arana Sota, R. Silva, Dyer, Astorquia, Evans	Referee: Denis

Club Bizcaya v Burdigala

31 March 1902	Club Bizcaya	7–0	Burdigala	Hippodrome of Lamiako, Biscay
15:30	William Dyer Juan Astorquia L. Arana Mills, Larrañaga L. Silva, J. Eguren, A. Arana Evans, R. Silva, Dyer, Astorquia, Goiri	Report	Kuhn Ricard, Giraud Peyre, Paillere, Mendes Rabaud, Guillocheau, Dumas, Kraus, Sudraud	Referee: Raine

Club Bizcaya v Club Español

13 May 1902 1902 Copa de la Coronación quarter-finals	Club Bizcaya	5–1	Club Español	Hipódromo, Madrid
	Juan Astorquia Walter Evans William Dyer -' (pen.) L. Arana L. Silva, JM. Arana A. Arana, Ugalde, R. Silva Sota, Astorquia, Dyer, Cazeaux and Evans	Report1 Report2	Ángel Ponz Mora Soler, Carril Aracil, G. Galliardo, A. Galliardo Ruiz, Ponz, Montells, Peña and Méndez	Referee: Samuel Morris

Club Bizcaya v New Foot-Ball Club

14 May 1902 1902 Copa de la Coronación Semi-finals	Club Bizcaya	8–1	New Foot-Ball Club	Hipódromo, Madrid
	Walter Evans Raymond Cazeaux William Dyer Juan Astorquia L. Arana L. Silva, JM. Arana A. Arana, Ugalde, R. Silva Sota, Astorquia, Dyer, Cazeaux and Evans	Report1 Report2	Montojo José López Amor Bisbal, Mira F. Hodans, F. Salazar, F. Valcárcel Valdeterrazo, Montojo, Vallarino, Piñano, Díaz	Referee: Samuel Morris

Club Bizcaya v FC Barcelona

15 May 1902 1902 Copa de la Coronación Final	Club Bizcaya	2–1	FC Barcelona	Hipódromo, Madrid
	Juan Astorquia 10' Raymond Cazeaux 20' L. Arana Careaga, Larrañaga L. Silva, A. Arana, Goiri Astorquia, Cazeaux, Dyer, R. Silva, and Evans	Athletic RSSSF bdfutbol	John Parsons 75' S. Morris Puelles, Meyer M. Morris, Witty, Valdés Parsons, Gamper, Steinberg, Albéniz, and E. Morris	Referee: Carlos Padrós