Boavista

Boavista Futebol Clube, commonly known as Boavista (Portuguese pronunciation: [boɐˈviʃtɐ]), is a Portuguese sports club from the city of Porto. Founded on 1 August 1903 by British entrepreneurs and Portuguese textile workers (thus the "FC" being appended – the British way as opposed to the more common Portuguese way of being prepended to the club's name), it is one of the oldest clubs in the country and plays in the Primeira Liga, Portuguese football's top flight.

Boavista grew to become an important sports club in Portugal, with sections dedicated to several sports including football, chess, gymnastics, bicycle racing, futsal, volleyball, rink hockey and boxing, among others, with the most notable being the football section with their trademark chequered white and black shirts. The club is the most eclectic one in the North region of Portugal, and one of the most eclectic sports clubs in Portugal, practicing a total of 16 sports.

With 9 major domestic trophies won (1 Championship, 5 Portuguese Cups and 3 domestic Super Cups), Boavista is the most decorated Portuguese football club after the "Big Three" (Benfica, Porto and Sporting CP). Boavista spent 39 consecutive seasons in the Primeira Liga (50 in total) and, together with Belenenses, is the only team outside the "Big Three" to have won the Portuguese Championship, in the 2000–01 season. Boavista has a rivalry with fellow city club Porto; the matches between the clubs are sometimes called O Derby da Invicta.

Its stadium, Estadio do Bessa, was built in 1973, although football has been played there at the former 'Campo do Bessa' since the 1910s, and was revamped for use in Euro 2004.

History

Foundation and the chequered shirts (1903–1933)

The club was founded on 1 August 1903, in the Boavista area of the western part of the city of Porto, by two English brothers, Harry and Dick Lowe.

This page also has a version in other languages :  Боавишта (russian)