Real Club Recreativo de Huelva is the oldest football club in Spain founded on December 23,1889. They are the oldest surviving football club in the whole of Spain and like most of the Spanish clubs, owe their origin to overseas British workers in Spain at the time.

Dr. McKay and overseas British workers at the Rio Tinto mines formed Recreativo. The club was originally christened Huelva Recreation Club but altered their name to a Spanish version and were bestowed the title Real (or Royal) by the royal family with the passage of time.

Recreativo de Huelva are traditionally known as El Decano (“the oldest one”) for being the oldest surviving club in Spain. They are commonly known as Recre.

Recre play their home matches at the Neuvo Colombino stadium that can house a maximum of 19,860. They are currently playing in La Liga for only the fourth season in their history and are in serious danger of slipping into the Segunda Division at the end of the 2007-2008 season.