Liga Occidental De Jalisco

Liga Amateur de Jalisco

Founded	1908
Folded	1943
Country	México
Divisions	3
Level on pyramid	3
Most championships	Guadalajara (13)
Website	www.femexfut.org.mx

Liga Amateur de Jalisco was a football league in Mexico founded by Federación Deportiva de Occidente de Aficionados, where clubs from the city of Guadalajara played from 1908 to 1943. The league folded in 1943, when the Primera División de México, the first professional league in Mexico was founded. Important clubs came out of this league, such as Guadalajara, Atlas, Nacional and Oro.

History

As early as 1906 clubs around the city of Guadalajara had been founded, and they began playing friendly matches. The first clubs to be established in 1906 were Guadalajara, Atlético Occidental, Excelsior, Liceo de Varones, Cuauhtémoc and Iturbide. Most of the players who played for these clubs were workers and miners from the factories and mines around the city. These first clubs faced problems, such as learning the rules of this new sport, as well as learning how to make the ball which they needed to play. The balls they had been introduced to had been brought by wealthy men returning from Europe.

In 1908 Rafael Orozco, President of Club Guadalajara pitched an idea to create a league, and so in that same year the Liga Tapatía de fútbol was founded with Rafael Orozco as president, Alberto de la Mora as secretary, and Agustín Arce as treasurer.

The two first tournaments were played in various fields and amateur styles, and thus the two first titles went to Guadalajara. By 1910, due to the Mexican Revolution, most of the fields had been affected by fighting, making it difficult for the tournament to be played. Nonetheless, the tournament went on, with Liceo de Varones taking the cup that year. That club was mostly made up by seminarians. Guadalajara and Liceo de Varones became the first derby in the league.

In 1916 Atlas was founded by young returning students that had studied in England, and they brought a different style to Mexico. This club represented the high-class society in the city of Guadalajara, and became rivals with Guadalajara, therefore quickly becoming a Derby, considered the oldest in Mexico, and is referred to as the Clásico Tapatío.

The following years, from 1917 to 1921, Atlas due to the experience they had gained playing in England—went on to win four consecutive leagues. That all came to and end in 1922 when Guadalajara, with new and experienced players, managed to with the next four titles, from 1922 to 1925, once again claiming supremacy in the league.

In 1926 the Primera Fuerza invited a club from the league to play, and so the Selección Jalisco was formed, made up with the best players from Guadalajara, Atlas, Oro, Nacional and Morelos. With good performance by the Selección Jalisco, many players did return to their clubs, signed by the top clubs in Mexico City. This had an effect on the Tapatio League, but would also encourage other players to take their spot, which helped the league to continue.

Amateur Era Occidental League Champions (1908–1943)

Season Champion Runner-Up 1908–09 Guadalajara Atlético Occidental 1909–10 Guadalajara Liceo de Varones 1910–11 Liceo de Varones Guadalajara 1911–12 Guadalajara Liceo de Varones 1912–13 Liceo de Varones Guadalajara 1913–14 Liceo de Varones Guadalajara 1914–15 Not Played 1915–16 Not Played 1916–17 Colón Guadalajara 1917–18 Atlas Colón 1918–19 Atlas Guadalajara 1919–20 Atlas Colón 1920–21 Atlas Guadalajara 1921–22 Guadalajara Atlas 1922–23 Guadalajara Atlas 1923–24 Guadalajara Atlas 1924–25 Guadalajara Nacional 1925–26 Nacional Guadalajara 1926–27 Nacional Atlas 1927–28 Guadalajara Nacional 1928–29 Guadalajara Nacional 1929–30 Guadalajara Nacional 1930–31 Nacional Atlas 1931–32 Nacional Guadalajara 1932–33 Guadalajara Latino 1933–34 Nacional Atlas 1934–35 Guadalajara Atlas 1935–36 Atlas Nacional 1936–37 Nacional Atlas 1937–38 Guadalajara Nacional 1938–39 Nacional Oro 1939–40 Oro Nacional 1940–41 S.U.T.A.J. Nacional 1941–42 Rastro Oro 1942–43 Oro Rastro

Champions

The total championships by each club are summarized in the following chart.

Team	Championships
Guadalajara	13
Nacional	7
Atlas	5
Liceo de Varones	3
Oro	2
Colón	1
S.U.T.A.J.
Rastro

Top scorer

Year	Name	Club	Goals
1908-09	Eugenio Cherpenel	Guadalajara
1909-10	Guillermo Simoni	Guadalajara
1910-11	Salvador Palafox	Guadalajara
1912-13	Agustín Valenzuela	Liceo de Varones	6
1913-14	Daniel Benítez	Liceo de Varones	6
1918-19	Pedro Fernández del Valle	Atlas	7
1921-22	Anastasio Prieto	Guadalajara	4
1922-23	Anastasio Prieto	Guadalajara	9
1923-24	Daniel Gómez	Nacional	6
1937-38	Salvador Suárez	Guadalajara