“Football was introduced into Uganda by missionaries from United Kingdom,” said Sev A. Obura, the former general secretary of the Uganda Olympic Committee.
It was foremost introduced by Rev.Archdeacon R. H. Walker of the Namirembe Church Missionary Society 1897, supported by G. L. Pilkington who deligently coached the boys at the Mengo school with games being first played at Kakeeka in Mengo on a large grass field situated between Kampala and Rubaga. The second playing field established was near Old Kampala hill below Lord Lugard’s palace.
In 1900 another missionary A.G Fraser carried a football to Uganda and for years later laid out a soccer field at King’s School in Buddo.
The King’s School Budo was at the forefront in the development of football in Uganda as it was the home to the first semi-organized football tournaments and teams. The Buddo Old Boys was established around 1909 including the development of an alumni football team. Football practices took place regularly at the Coronation Ground at the Old Kampala, which became the Old Kampala Sinior Secondary School Sports Ground. After the move of the Mengo High School from Namirembe to Buddo Hill soon after 1927,the Buddo Old Boys became the United Old Budonian Club. Over the next and the Old Boys fielded separate sides in the competition,each winning the trophy on a number of occasions.
The nature of the competition eventually changed with teams like Public Works Department(PWD OR Piida), Entebbe Government Printing Press (Puleesi), Kenya and Uganda Railways and Harbours (Leerwe) coming to prominence in the tournament.
The game became more physical and as a consequence school teams like Buddo School dropped out of the competition.
In the 1950’s the Kabaka’s Cup was administered by the Uganda Football Association and more than 30 teams entered the competition. In 1956, the Uganda National Team played in England but lost to By 1957 political problems had arisen when the Baganda Football Association was refused permission by the parent body to run the Kabaka’s Cup Copetition. In turn the Buganda Football Association suspended all clubs which entered for the Kabaka’s Cup.
Until the launch of the Uganda Cup in 1971 the Kabaka’s Cup remained the most prestigious cup competition in the country. Other tournaments in the pre-independence years were the Aspro Cup, Buganda FA Challenge Cup, Coronation Cup, Luwangula Cup, Victory Cup and Wardle Cup.Kampala and District Football League(KDFL).
The main league in Uganda spanning at least three decades was the Kampala and District Football League(KDFL). BY 1966 the league had three tiers with a First Division,Second Division and Third Division which was divided into two sections comprising a North Zone and a South Zone.
Kampala City Council FC competed in the Third Division South and gained promotion to the next level for the 1967 season. Other teams that are known to have played in the KDFL include Aggrey Memorial,Army FC, Bitumastic, Coffee Kakira, Express FC, Kampala Police FC, KDS (Kampala District Bus Service), Kitegombwa,Luo Union,Mengo Old Boys, Mulago Hospital, Old Agrarians, Prisons FC Kampala, Railways, Nsambya, Sudanes FC, UEB, United Bidonians and Young Salumbey.
Little is known about champion clubs in the KDFL other than United Budonians winning the league in 1949,Police taking the tittle in 1953 and the Railway African Club football team winning the second Division in the same season. Express FC clinched the Division one title in the 1964 season.
The demise of the KDFL began with the formation of the National Football League in 1968 but the two competitions were run concurrently for a few season and the KDFL was still operating in 1971. The KDFL was then abandoned to allow room to a wider national competition with several divisions. Teams like Kampala City Council FC, Nsambya and NIC became members of the newly formed second division of the National League.
In terms of record the highest goal scorer in KDFL history was Ali Kitonsa of of Express FC who scored 54 goals in 18 appearances during the 1964 season. In terms of high scores Express defeated Kitegombwa 17-0 in the resul has probably been surpassed.
When Uganda soccer team team played barefoot in England, lost 10-1
The Uganda team players being inspected before the Wycombe Wanderers match. Uganda lost 10-1.
