From the weathered stands at St James' Park in Exeter, the song is sung with great pride: 'Have you ever, have you ever, have you ever played Brazil?' It's a chant which is typically greeted with bemusement by traveling supporters oblivious to its significance. That a success-starved club in the fourth tier of English football would pose such a question must seem ridiculous. It's not as if Exeter City have ever played Brazil, have they?﻿

Chapter One of our series tells the curious tale of a game staged in front of 3,000 spectators at Laranjeiras stadium in Rio de Janeiro on 21 July, 1914 ... a game in which two goals were scored and much blood was shed ... a game which would kick-start Brazilian international football and precipitate unparalleled success for the Seleção.