In 1895 an almost new steamer sailed into Marseille. It belonged to the Peninsular & Orient line;  today's P & O. And as was often the case when a ship had a few days in port the crew invited  SCM, the Sporting Club of Marseille, to a game of football. SCM accepted. It took place on 3rd February.  Marseille won. Three days later the first ever edition of Midi Sport was published selling eight hundred copies. The Marseille sporting press was born.   

However, the ship's crew were not content with defeat. They asked for a second game to be played a week later, 10th February at the Champ de Mars, but this time with a twist. The first game had been rugby football. It was proposed the second game should be the association variety, an on the face of it somewhat unfair suggestion. SCM were already adept with the oval ball as it had shown but the alternative was something else.  The sailors won easily. With little knowledge of the rules by the locals the visitors were four goals up in minutes, recovered to score twice. Yet a final score of 2-5 is in reality of little importance. What is is that this is the first recorded round-ball encounter in the Mediterranean city. It would by 1899 lead to the formation of the French city's great team, Olympique.

But question remains, why did the ship's crew ask to change football code. It may have been simply to have a chance of winning but I have another suggestion and it is cultural. You see the vessel, firstly, was called the SS Caledonia and, secondly, registered in Greenock. It suggests a Scottish crew. N'est ce pas?