This section includes a brief history of the club. The early years since it was founded in the late 1880's. It contains information about the early activities as well as modern activities. There are some photographs of the headquarters, stadium, sport complex, training facilities and the fans. There is a list of the founders of the club and a list of the presidents since it was founded. There is a picture of the old and the modern club's coat of arms and the colors of the club. A brief description of the nicknames given to the club. A list of the major events in the club since the beginning until the present times is also included. Feel free to visit the other pages with text Spanish to see more pictures and also statistics about football since 1915 to the present time. This section includes year-by-year all the matches results and tables as well as photographs. There is a section with text is Spanish dedicated to the best years in the club football's history and another page dedicated to remember former players. There is also a section dedicated to basketball and volleyball and other activities. Please sign the guestbook ("libro de visitas"). To see a brief history of and photographs of LA PLATA (just click on the name). You can also visit the offical website of La Plata : www.laplata.gov.ar.
To see a summary of all the tournaments played since 1916 press the bottom
The city of La Plata was founded in September of 1880 to be the capital of the Province of Buenos Aires. A few years later a group of distinguished gentlemen got together in the "Sala Comercial", located on 7th Street between 46 and 47, with the intention of creating a social and sports club where gymnastics and fencing could be practiced. Both sports were known to be practiced by the high society of the city. The first meeting was on June 3rd, 1887 and the first document was signed by all attendees, more than fifty, and Saturnino Perdriel was elected first president. The position was temporary but later became permanent for a period of two years. The club was named "Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima".
The Pioneers
Founders: Saturnino Pedriel, first president(picture), José Muñoz, José M. Ahumada, Pedro Olazábal, Arturo Silveira, Adriano Díaz, Teodoro Granel, Samuel J. Coqué, Alejandro Dillón, Santiago J. Mena, E. Landois, Carlos M. Marenco, Guillermo Pintos, Pedro Bernaté, Enrique Sicardi, M. Piñeiro, Alberto J. Huergo, Juan M. Martínez, Julio Llanos, Ignacio D. Irigoyen, Gensérico Ramírez, Martín Bárcena, Enrique M. Curh, Francisco Alconada, Alberto Albarellos, Arturo Mayol, J. G. González, Juan Bautista Ferreira, Domingo Echeverri, Francisco y Alfredo Madero, Domingo del Carril, Nicolás E. Videla, Luis Monteverde, Pantaleón Molina, Diego J. Villafañe, M. Aráoz, Martín Bermejo, Marcos Bonghero, Dante Pelanda, Estanislao López, Pedro G. Falcón, F. de Basaldúa, José M. Pene, José M. Monsalve, Sergio García Uriburu, Diego Arana, José M. Viñas, Antonio A. Delfino, Francisco Uzal, Mariano Villarino, Andrés Mosquera, José M. Niño y Ramón L. Falcón.
The first years During the first few years the club was renamed to "Club de Esgrima" because fencing was the only sport praticed in the club but later was renamed to the original name. Until 1900 sports were practiced indoor but a field for the outdoor activities was built. It was there where the practice of football (or soccer as it is known in some parts of the globe) started. In 1903 the club already have two teams that played in La Plata and nearby towns. Football was an amateur sport and most matches were played against teams formed by sailors from British ships that stopped in the port of Ensenada. In 1905 the sport takes a more serious turn and the club enrolled the team in the Argentine Football Association. The first game that Gimnasia played in Buenos Aires was against Villa Ballester. Gimnasia also played against Facultad de Medicina, Catedral Norte, River Plate, Belgrano and Porteño among others. The home games were played in the field located in 13th Street and 71st Street. The same year the club is asked to abandon the field because a school had to be built on that place and an argument between two groups in the club (one in favor of getting a new field and another group in favor of ceasing the practice of football to become a social club) led to division which end up in some leaving the club and forming Club Estudiantes. Club which later became the archrival. Years later, in 1912, a group of players that played for Estudiantes were in a conflict with the club and joined Club Independencia and this merged of players end up playing football for Gimnasia y Esgrima. The practice of football was back in the club. That team played in the Intermedia Division of the Argentine Football Association and 1916 won the championship. The following year the club participated for the first time in the first division.
The 20s In the 1920s basketball is incorporated to the club. Since then Gimnasia practice the sport in different categories and male and female teams. Women's basketball became another club's activities in 1934. In 1924 the stadium located in 60th St and 118th St. was built. Besides the football field and outdoor basketball court was built. That year Gimnasia was undefeated at home and the team only lost one away game and finished in the second place. Later in 1929 Gimnasia won the championship.
The Club's Presidents from 1887 to present 1887. Saturnino Perdriel 1889. Osvaldo Botet 1889. Adolfo Montier 1891. Alejandro Korn 1894. Mariano Paunero 1896. Teodoro Granel 1897. Miguel Gutiérrez 1898. Juan M. González 1899. Edelmiro Palacios 1904. César Ameghino 1905. Benjamín Sal 1907. Horacio Araúz 1909. Diego Arana 1910. Edelmiro Palacios 1913. Julio Paz 1914. Telésforo Ubios 1917. Guillermo O'Reilly 1920. Horacio Casco 1925. Augusto Lidiedal 1928. Adolfo Rivarola 1929. Juan Zerrillo 1931. Juan Erbiti 1932. Plácido Seara 1934. Juan Erbiti 1936. Osvaldo Cortelezzi 1937. José Julián Saiñas 1938. José Montalvo 1942. Carlos Tejo 1945. Plácido Seara 1945. Horacio Barandiarán 1947. Gabriel Rodríguez 1948. Carlos Insúa 1955. Genaro Rucci 1957. Laureano Durán 1967. Alejandro Soria 1968/71. Oscar Emir Venturino ... 1979/80 Jorge Tittarelli 1980 Tomas Sessa 1980/83 Norberto Coco Sanchez 1983 Alejandro Breccia 1983 Mario Milazzo 1983/84 Dr. Hugo Barros Schelotto 1984/89. Héctor Atilio Delmar 1989/92. Roberto Vicente 1992/98. Héctor Atilio Delmar 1998/?. Héctor Domínguez
Coat of Arms
"Los Triperos", the first nickname.
The first nickname, "Triperos", could be translated as "Butchers" but in reality was a despective way of addressing to those who work in the meat markets. Gimnasia had a lot of the players that work in those meat markets located mainly in the townships of Ensenada and Berisso. The other club only enrolled players from La Plata. Since then "Triperos" has been associated with Gimnasia.
El Lobo (The Wolf), another nickname
The traditional jerseys
Major events year by year
1880 - La Plata is founded 1887 - On June 3rd Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata is founded 1901 - The practiced of outdoor sports started 1903 - Football joined the club as a new activity 1905 - Gimnasia joined the Argentine Football Association. 1906 - The practiced of football was ceased. 1912 - Football activies are returned to the club. 1915 - GELP won the second division championship and moved up to the first division. 1916 - Gimnasia plays for the first time in the first division. 1920s- Basketball is introduced as a new activity. 1924 - GELP finished second and undefeated at home. 1929 - CHAMPIONS!!! for the first time in first division. Also the reserves team won the championship the same year. 1930 - European Tour. For more than four months the team tours Brazil and Europe. 1931 - Football becomes a professional sport. 1933 - The practice of rugby was cancelled because the rugby union did not allow clubs that were associated professional sports, in this case football. La Plata Rubgy Club was created with several of GELP Rugby players. 1933 - It was a great year. The team finished in 5th place (4 points from the champion). 1943 - Gimnasia finished in the last place and it is relegated to the second division. 1944 - Champion of the second division. The club returns to the first division. 1945 - Once again it finished last and returned to the second division. 1947 - Finished first (champions) and moved up to the first division. 1951 - Another bad year.Last place and relegation to the second division. 1952 - Champions and again in first division. 1962 - A great season and a third place. 1970 - After obtaining the second place in the group B there is a conflict with professionals and an amateur team played and lose the semifinals. 1976 - Second placed in basketball's first division. 1977 - Same results a year later. Second place. 1978 - Basketball champions in the country's major league. 1979 - Champions for the second time. 1979 - The football team is relegated to the second division after 27 years. 1980 - Lost the finals in football second division and must remain there. 1984 - Won the eight-team tournament in the second division and returned to the fist division. 1987 - Gimnasia celebrated its first 100 years. 1992 - GELP participates for the first time in a South American competition "Copa Conmebol". Lost the semifinal game to Olimpia(Paraguay) in penalty kicks. 1993 - Gimnasia won A.F.A. "Centenario" cup. The final game against River Plate was played in January 1994. 1995 - The football obtains the second place of the Clausura'95. It wasn't a great team but very effective. 1995 - Second participation in the "Copa Conmebol". The team is eliminated in the first round. 1996 - Once again, in the Clausura'96, the team gets the second place but this team playing excellent football. 1998 - Third participation in the "Conmebol" Cup. This time an amateur team represented the club but losing only to penalty kicks. 1998 - For the third time GELP gets the second place in the Apertura'98. 1999 - After 5 years Carlos Timoteo Griguol is replaced as coach by Gregorio Perez 2000 - On April16 the women's volleyball team wins the National League. After winning the championship the team participated in the South American championship obtaining the 4th place.
The present time.
GELP practice many sports being football the most important one. GELP plays in the first division of the A.F.A. (Argentine Football Association) and it's the oldest club affiliated to that organization. Besides football as a professional sport Gimnasia has amateurs teams in all the divisions that play in the same association and also teams that play in local leagues. Eventhough the club has never won a major tournament, a first division professional season, GELP has won an amateur championship in 1929 and an amateur second place in 1924. In 1930 the first team went on a tour to Brazil and Europe for four months. Since professionalism was introduced in the 30's Gimnasia obtain three second places in 1995, 1996 and 1998. Besides these three good season the first team had a couple of good season in 1933, 1962 and 1970. Gimnasia also won four second division championships in 1915, 1944, 1947 and 1952. In 1993 A.F.A.(click for pictures and stats) celebrated its 100 years with a tournament that Gimnasia won undefeated but it was considered official but not a regular season. The number 2 sport is basketball and the main team plays in the TNA (the second division nacional league) and another team plays in the local league. The club also have minor teams playing in local leagues as well as women's team. Women's volleyball is also played. The first team plays in the first division in the last years and it always ended among the top teams. There are other sports that are practiced in the club: tennis, tae-kwon do, judo, bocce, paddle and figure skating.
Note: more photographs available in each individual section in the Spanish version.
HEADQUARTERS (SEDE SOCIAL and POLIDEPORTIVO) more pictures (text in Spanish)
The headquarters or "sede social" is located in 979/83 4th Street in La Plata. Besides being the headquarters there is a sports complex, known as "Polideportivo", with an indoor stadium for the practice basketball and volleyball. There is also an skating ring, the club offices and a shop.
