Global InformationGymnastic and Sports Federation of French Patronages information
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| Sport | Gymnastics, football, basketball |
|---|---|
| Membership | 13 in 1898; 1,504 in 1914 |
| Abbreviation | FGSPF |
| Founded | 1898 |
| Headquarters | 5 place Saint-Thomas-d’Aquin, Paris |
| President | Paul Michaux (1898–1923), François Hébrard (1923–1947) |
| Closure date | 1947 |
The Gymnastic and Sports Federation of French Patronages (in French, Fédération gymnastique et sportive des patronages de France, FGSPF) is a French multi-sports federation established in 1898 in Paris by Dr. Paul Michaux. Initially known as the Union of Gymnastics and Military Instruction Societies of French Patronages and Youth Organizations, it changed its name to the Federation of Catholic Gymnastics Societies in 1901 before adopting its current name in 1903. During the Occupation, it integrated the women's organization of the Women's Sports Rayon. It formally merged with it in 1947, evolving into the Sports Federation of France and later the Sports and Cultural Federation of France in 1968.
The FGSPF, as indicated by its acronyms, is primarily a gymnastics federation, competing with the Union of Gymnastics Societies of France. The latter is closely associated with the League of Patriots and the Ligue de l'enseignement (League of Education), both of which promote secular or even anti-clerical values. The FGSPF also competes with the Union of French Athletic Sports Societies, especially when it expands its focus to include other sports, especially football. This sport quickly became the reference sport for the FGSPF, leading to the organization of the FGSPF Football Championship from 1904 to 1914. In 1908, the FGSPF successfully established the French Interfederal Committee, created a year earlier, as the sole federation recognized by the International Federation of Association Football.
The emergence of specialized sports federations after World War I did not seem to pose any problems for the FGSPF, unlike the USFSA, which disappeared from the national scene. The FGSPF even experienced exceptional growth during this period, especially in basketball.