1890s–1920 In the 1880s, numerous immigrants from all over Europe were coming into the port of
Veracruz and spreading around the state's cities. Many companies were founded in those years, mostly steel and fabric companies. Immigrants brought along a new sport from Europe which they started teaching the locals and would go on to sponsor clubs made up by its workers to represent the company in friendly matches that started off in the early 1890s. Some important factories were Santa Gertrudis Fábrica de Yute, which was founded and owned by
Scottish Duncan Mac Comish Mac Donald and Thomas Hanghey, who had a long football background and so they decided along with other local factory owners to establish a local football league in 1886, having the first game played in the old "Campo El Yute". The "Orizaba Athletic Club" was founded in 1898 as a sports club where
cricket (among other sports) could be practiced. The club was founded by Comish Mac Donald, who owned a local steel company. A few years later, Comish Mac Donald and Thomas Hanghey, along with
English Percy C. Clifford (a pioneer in the sport in
Mexico City) decided to form a semi-professional league that would include clubs from the capital and from the provinces.
First Championship In 1902, the "Liga Mexicana de Football Amateur Association", also known as
Primera Fuerza, was founded with 5 clubs
Pachuca,
Mexico Cricket Club,
Reforma and
British Club. The league finished its first year successful with Orizaba crowning the first champion in Mexico's history. Right after the tournament ended there were internal problems with the club, and as a result, Orizaba decided to leave the league.
1902 League standings 1902 Championship year After this year the club folded and would not return till 1916
Club's second stay The club returned to action in 1916, this time in a local league
Liga Amateur de Veracruz, and changed its name to "U-29", which represented a German submarine that fought in the
World War I. The club decided to change its name again because local native fell to identified themselves with the club. So on June 17, 1916, the club switched to "Asociación Deportiva Orizabeña" or simply known as "A.D.O.". A local
Spanish immigrant, Isidro Palou, came up with the name which was chosen over other names "Orizaba Sporting Club" and "Club Deportivo de Fútbol". And so in that same year, the club took part in the local league with new board of directors Ernesto Arzamendi, Mario Ojeda, Rafael Portas, Eduardo Ruiz, José Powel, Rafael Romero, José Sosa, Jurado y Carlos Namur.
1920–1930 In 1921, the club was once again invited to take part of a special tournament played in
Mexico City to commemorate the nation's 100-year Independence anniversary. The club along with local clubs
Veracruz Sporting Club and
Iberia de Córdoba head down to Mexico City to face the clubs from
Mexico City. The 3 local clubs fail to advance to the knockout round the eventual champion was
Real Club España over
Asturias. After this tournament the
Primera Fuerza league took a year off and when activity resume in 1922 the league decided to allow only clubs from
Mexico City to participate and so clubs A.D.O.,
Veracruz Sporting Club and
Iberia de Córdoba from
Veracruz return to their league as did
Pachuca who return to play in an amateur league in the state of
Hidalgo.
1929 Torneo Veracruzano In 1929, the state of Veracruz decided to hold its own national Tournament inviting clubs
Toluca,
Pachuca,
Irapuato and clubs from
Jalisco and
Guanajuato among local clubs
Veracruz Sporting Club and
Iberia de Córdoba. A.D.O. would reach the final and face off against a club from
Mexico City made up of players from various clubs from the
Primera Fuerza League. The club managed to win the first and only such tournament held in Veracruz. The club was composed of players like Mr. Neto, "Pepón" Martínez, Roberto Guzmán, Abel Papicha Solar, Otto Neumayer, Marín El Mefisto and brothers Mario and José Campos, with goalkeeper Ernesto Herrera.
1940–50 In 1943, along with newly founded club
Tiburones Rojos de Veracruz which was formed from the merger of
Veracruz Sporting Club and
Iberia de Córdoba and with town rival
Moctezuma de Orizaba, were invited to play in the newly form Professionalized league in Mexico. The club lost its first Match against
América in October 1943 with a score of 6–1. The club went on to lose its second game against
Jalisco powerhouse
Guadalajara 5–1. The club managed to win its first league match against
Atlas on November 4 of that same year with a score of 9–2. The club finished in 9th place, overall. The following year under the club finished in 7th place to last under the management of John Hogg, a legend in the institution who was part of the 1902–03 championship. In the 1946–47 tournament, the club finished second to last tied with
San Sebastián, manager John Hogg left the club that year due to health problems. In the 1947–48 tournament, another legend in the institution, Byron Kennell (who had also been part of that 1902–03 championship squad) took over as manager. That year the team finished in 5th place. The following year, still with Kennell as manager, the club remains among the 10 best placed. After the 1948–49 tournament, Albinegros suffered internal problems which caused the club to fold for the second time in its history having played 6 years in the
Primera División de México.
Primera División stats From 1943 to 1949 Subsecquently, the club would be relegated to the
Tercera División de México and won the tournament in the 1971–72 season under the management of Miguel Ángel Lujan Mata. But the club was once again folding due to lack of fan support and economical problems.
Present day The club made another comeback in 2002 after the owner of
Club Bachilleres de Guadalajara moved the club to Orizaba, this time under the name of
Albinegros de Orizaba. The club also had an affiliate club in the Segunda División. In 2002, the club became affiliated with the Primera División club
Pumas U.N.A.M. After having a very bad year in the
Primera División 'A' de México, the owner sold the club and relocated to
Tabasco where it played under the name
Lagartos de Tabasco, remaining the only affiliate Segunda División team which remains as the city's club. The club played in the
Segunda División de México until 2008, when the owner bought local club
Tiburones Rojos de Coatzacoalcos who at the time played in the
Primera División 'A' de México.The club has been playing in the reformed
Liga de Ascenso de México between 2009 and 2011.
Defunction After the serious financial problems of its rival from the same state,
Tiburones Rojos de Veracruz, the teams were unified with Albinegros disappearing and Veracruz continuing in the Liga de Ascenso. As a tribute, Veracruz away kit is black and white, the characteristic colors of Albinegros de Orizaba. However, later, Veracruz converted the second team into Albinegros de Orizaba to recover his identity. Until 2017, Albinegros competed in the
Liga Premier de Ascenso. In the same year, the team was relegated to the
Serie B due to lack of adequate sports facilities, in the
Clausura 2018, Orizaba won the championship. For the 2018–19 season, the team returned to the Serie A. On December 18, 2019, Orizaba was dissolved due to the disaffiliation of
Tiburones Rojos de Veracruz. Orizaba was the Veracruz reserve team and was registered with the same legal name as Veracruz. Liga de ascenso stats ==Kit evolution ==