News Focus
- CF Pachuca, recognised as Mexico’s first football club, owes its existence to 19th-century miners from Cornwall
- The sporting connection began in 1824 when English engineer John Taylor recruited Cornish workers to revive Mexico’s failing mining industry
- Cricket arrived first in the 1850s, with football clubs forming later from these sporting communities
- The club’s nickname ‘Los Tuzos’ (the gophers) pays direct tribute to its mining roots
- Cornish pasties, known locally as ‘pastes’, remain a matchday tradition in Hidalgo today
A statue stands proudly in Hidalgo depicting a figure holding a pickaxe in one hand and a crimped pastry in the other. Flanked by black flags bearing a white cross, this image honours the Cornish miners who brought football to Mexico nearly two centuries ago.
The story begins in 1824. Mexico had just won independence from Spain, but its mining industry lay in ruins. John Taylor, a successful mining engineer from Gwennap in Cornwall, saw opportunity. He had previously rescued flooded mines in his home county. Now he turned his attention to the struggling mines of Real del Monte in Hidalgo state.
“He believed he could achieve the same success there,” explains Dr Sharron Schwartz, a specialist in Cornish mining migration. Taylor’s venture sparked a steady flow of Cornish workers travelling between Cornwall and central Mexico over subsequent decades.
This migration brought more than engineering expertise. The settlers carried their culture, language, and love of sport across the Atlantic. The earliest records mention cricket rather than football. In the late 1850s, Frank Rule, a wealthy Cornish miner, established a cricket team in Pachuca. Football clubs soon followed, with many players switching between both sports.
The first written reference to a football team in Pachuca dates to 1892. A local newspaper reported a reorganisation following a dispute between town residents and miners from the mountains. “How Cornish,” laughs Dr Schwartz. “The Cornish love a schism.”
By 1895, Rule had united the Pachuca Cricket Club, Pachuca Football Club, and Velasco Cricket Club into Pachuca Athletic Club. He donated land for a pitch near his estate, though his Methodist faith forbade matches on Sundays.
The Cornish influence extended beyond the pitch. Women from Cornwall played vital roles in matchday traditions. “They attended games wearing club colours,” notes Dr Schwartz. Historical records show pasties first appeared in Mexico during cricket matches, likely prepared by these Cornish women. The hearty pastry, with its thick crust serving as a handle for dirty hands, proved perfect for miners.
This cultural exchange flowed both ways. Antony Martin recalls how his great-uncle William Bray, an early Pachuca player, returned to England with Mexican habits. “His siblings ate bread with every meal and put cayenne pepper on absolutely everything. They still spoke Spanish, yet remained fiercely proud of Cornwall despite growing up in Mexico.”
Integration came gradually. In 1908, Alf Crowle, a miner’s son from St Blazey, invited David Islas to become the club’s first Mexican player. Crowle, who served as player-manager, earned praise for breaking down ethnic and social barriers. Dr Schwartz considers him “Cornish-Pachuca’s most famous footballing son.”
The original amateur era ended in 1922 when political upheaval following the Mexican Revolution caused many settlers, including Crowle, to leave. The club folded but later reformed in 1950 and again in 1960. Modern Pachuca has since won seven league titles and the 2006 Copa Sudamericana.
Today, the connection remains strong. Pachuca’s nickname, ‘Los Tuzos’, refers to burrowing gophers, honouring the mining heritage. The term appears throughout the city, from the ‘Tuzobus’ public transport to local businesses.
Real del Monte hosts an annual International Pasty Festival and maintains a dedicated museum. Local shops still sell pastes filled with beef, vegetables, and chilli. “It’s our most traditional dish,” says fan Eduardo Hernandez. “If you’re in a hurry, there’s always a pastes shop nearby.”
As Mexico prepares to co-host this summer’s World Cup, becoming the first nation to stage the tournament three times, the transatlantic bond continues. Former Pachuca striker Jared Borgetti, Mexico’s second-highest goalscorer, promises fans will bring “colour and energy” to the tournament.
Meanwhile, Kernow FA, representing Cornwall at international level, hopes to arrange a match against Pachuca. Whether watching in Hidalgo or Cornwall, supporters from both nations will likely celebrate with a pasty in hand.