C Barcelona had a successful start in regional and national cups, competing in the Campeonato de Cataluña and the Copa del Rey. In 1902, the club won its first trophy, the Copa Macaya, and also participated in the first Copa del Rey, losing 1–2 to Bizcaya in the final.[3] In 1908 Joan Gamper became club president, with the club in financial difficulty after not winning a competition since the Campeonato de Cataluña in 1905. Gamper was subsequently club president on five separate occasions between 1908 and 1925 and spent 25 years at the helm. One of his main achievements was to help Barça acquire its own stadium and thus achieve a means of generating stable income.[4]
On 14 March 1909, the team moved into the Camp de la Indústria, a larger stadium with a seating capacity of 8,000 people. From 1910 to 1914 Barcelona participated in the Pyrenees Cup, which consisted of the best teams of Languedoc, Midi, Aquitaine (Southern France), the Basque Country and Catalonia. At that time it was considered the finest competition open for participation.[5][6] During the same period, the club changed its official language from Castilian to Catalan and gradually evolved into an important symbol of Catalan identity. For many fans, participating in the club had less to do with the game itself and more with being a part of the club's collective identity.[7]
Gamper soon launched a campaign to recruit more club members and by 1922, the club had over 20,000 members financing a new stadium. This led to the club to move to the new Las Cortes, which they inaugurated the same year.[8] Las Cortes had an initial capacity of 22,000, which was later expanded to 60,000.[9]
Gamper recruited Jack Greenwell as the first full-time manager in Barcelona's history. This saw the club's fortunes begin to improve on the field. During the Gamper era FC Barcelona won eleven Campeonato de Cataluña, six Copa del Rey and four Pyrenees Cups, enjoying its first "golden age".