Brazil and Scotland meet in their final Group C match
Miller’s Scottish roots link the two footballing nations
He helped introduce football to Brazil in the late 19th century
Brazil and Scotland meet on Wednesday in their final group-stage match at the . It will be the fifth World Cup clash between the storied footballing nations, include the Seleção’s memorable 4-1 comeback in 1982, when Zico’s superb free-kick helped turn the tide. From climate, language and cuisine to their favourite drinks, Brazil and Scotland may appear worlds apart. Yet they share a connection that reaches back to the very origins of football in Brazil.
The story is no secret. After a spell in England, Charles Miller returned to Brazil with a pair of football boots, two leather balls, a pump and a copy of the rules for a sport that was rapidly gaining popularity across the UK. What is less widely known, however, is that the Sao Paulo-born pioneer, raised in the Bras district, had Scottish roots on his father’s side.
John Miller was born on 13 June 1844 in Fairlie, a town on Scotland’s west coast near Glasgow, where he grew up with his family.
“When they were young, the Millers would sit on the coastal hills above the pebble beaches and freezing waters of Largs and Fairlie, watching ships enter the estuary on their way to the prosperous industrial towns of Greenock, Glasgow and Paisley,” wrote author and historian John Mills in Charles’ biography.
John moved to Brazil in the 1860s to work on the Sao Paulo Railway, which linked Santos to Jundiao. He travelled with his older brother, Andrew, with both men enticed by the prospect of earning more than they could back home.
Charles was born on 24 November 1874 at his maternal grandparents’ country house, in what is now the Bras district of Sao Paulo. The son of John Miller and Carlota Alexandrina Fox – who was of English heritage – he was raised in a British environment and learned to read and write in English at home. His father commissioned Austrian artist Ferdinand Piereck to paint him at the age of five. That painting shows the future pioneer of Brazilian football wearing a kilt, the traditional Scottish garment, in the family tartan.
“He always spoke about Scotland with great respect. He was very proud of his British roots, being both English and Scottish,” recalled Maria Ignez Rudge Miller, Charles Miller’s granddaughter, who lived in his house as a child.
Charles was sent to England to study at the age of nine and was introduced to several sports there, but it was football that became his passion. While still young, he impressed for St Mary’s and Corinthian Football Club, the latter of which would later inspire the creation of Sao Paulo giants Corinthians. After a decade in the UK, he returned to Brazil and introduced members of the British community to a game that was still unfamiliar across much of the country.
On 14 April 1895, in the Varzea do Carmo area of Sao Paulo, he organised what is widely considered the first match in Brazilian football history. Miller lined up for a team of Sao Paulo Railway employees, the same company his father had worked for and where he himself would go on to work. His side beat a team of Gas Company workers 4-2.
“On a cold autumn afternoon in 1895, I brought some friends together and invited them to play a game of football. The name alone was something new, as people at the time were really only familiar with cricket,” Charles himself would later tell the now defunct Brazilian magazine O Cruzeiro in 1952. “When we arrived at the field, the first task was to shoo away the cattle belonging to the Paulista Transport Company, which were peacefully grazing on the grass. We began our match soon afterwards. It unfolded in curious fashion: some players even took part in long trousers because they did not have proper kit.”
That day marked the beginning of a sporting phenomenon that would eventually sweep across Brazil. Playing for Sao Paulo Athletic Club, Charles Miller won the first three editions of the Campeonato Paulista between 1902 and 1904, finishing as the competition’s top scorer in 1902 and 1904. As the decades passed, football spread across the country and turned professional, moving ever further from the amateur roots established by Miller.
“My grandfather was a very respected person because of his attitude and values. I remember that, when I was little, he always spoke about honesty, character and truthfulness. He was well-off financially, but simple in the way he behaved. His relationship with his grandchildren was somewhat formal, very British,” revealed Maria Ignez. Today, the main tribute to Charles Miller is the square that bears his name and is home to the Pacaembu, one of Brazil’s most traditional stadiums and a venue used to host the 1950 FIFA World Cup™. It remains a landmark in the history of Brazilian football. “We are very proud,” his granddaughter admitted.
In Miami, Brazil and Scotland will renew a relationship that stretches back to the very birth of Brazilian football – through a Brazilian pioneer who was the son of a Scot.
“I like to say that Brazilian football is a reflection of Brazil itself,” said Carlos Rudge Miller Junior, Maria Ignez’s brother. “When he played in England, he showed that agile dribbling and creativity [associated with Brazilian football]. Even back then, he had something unique about him. I like to think Brazilian football reflects our Samba spirit; despite its British origins, it became unmistakably Brazilian.” His technique even left a mark on the language of Brazilian football. The modern word chaleira evolved from charleira, a term inspired by Charles’ skill and the distinctive flair he brought to the beautiful game.
Sources: FIFA Official
