Born on the 24th of November, 1874 in São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil, Charles William Miller was the second of four children born to parents John Miller and his wife Carlota Alexandrina Fox.
Charles would go on to be credited with introducing football to Brazil, founding Sao Paulo Athletic Club (SPAC) and with founding the Liga Paulista de Foot-Ball (now the Campeonato Paulista).
Charles’ father, John, was born in Fairlie on the 13th of June, 1844. He was the third of ten children born to parents Andrew Miller and Elizabeth Brown. John Miller emigrated to São Paulo Brazil to work on the São Paulo railway sometime between 1861 and 1870. His occupation was listed as Funcionário da Ferrovia São Paulo railway.
John married Carlota Alexandrina Fox in 1870.
Young Charles spent the first decade of his life living in Brazil, before being sent home to the UK at the age of 10. He was sent to Southampton to attend Banister Court School. At this point, football had become well established as the dominant sport in the UK and Charles fell in love with the game. The young Charles had left Brazil, from a small port in Sao Paulo and had arrived in one of the biggest port cities in the world.
Not only did he love football, but he had a natural talent for it. He became a skilful centre forward and was recruited by St. Mary’s F.C. (now Southampton F.C.) a whole 2 years before he left school!
At the age of 20, having spent his teenage years in England, he travelled back to the country of his birth, Brazil. He was bringing with him two deflated footballs and a copy of the Hampshire Football Association rulebook.
Charles set about introducing the sport of football to Brazil, starting with the Sao Paulo Athletic Club. The first official football match in Brazil was between SPAC and the Gas Company, on the 14th of April, 1895. SPAC won 4-2, with Charles scoring twice.
The popularity of football quickly spread and by 1901 Miller was instrumental in setting up the state’s first football competition: the Liga Paulista de Foot-ball. The league was comprised of 5 teams: Sao Paulo Athletic Club (SPAC), Internacional, Mackenzie, Germania and Paulistano.
Charles played as a striker for SPAC and they won the first three consecutive championships in 1902, 1903 & 1904. He would later be a referee and an administrator for the league.
In his private life, he met and married renowned pianist Antonetta Rudge, with whom he had 2 children: Carlos (1907) and Helena (1909). The couple divorced in the 1920’s.
Charles died on the 30th of June, 1953 at the age of 78 just 5 years before Brazil would win their first World Cup.
