Oswestry White Star F.C.

Oswestry White Star

Full name	Oswestry White Star Football Club
Nickname(s)	the Stars, the Skinners [1]
Founded	1880
Dissolved	1883
Ground	Oakhurst Road

Oswestry White Star Football Club was a football club from Oswestry, in Shropshire

History

The cearliest recorded match for the club is from January 1880, ^[2] and it entered the Welsh Cup for the first time in 1881–82, going down 4–3 at eventual semi-finalist Chirk in the first round. ^[3] Later in the season, the White Star played against the town's senior club, Oswestry F.C., in the Shropshire Senior Cup, going down 3–1 in a second replay. ^[4]

In 1882–83, White Star was the town's only Welsh Cup entrant, as the senior club focussed on the FA Cup. Several White Star players guested for Oswestry in the English competition, ^[5] but the favour was not returned in the Welsh, and although White Star beat Trefonen in the first round, it was well beaten at Berwyn Rangers in the second. By the 1883–84 season, the guest moves had become permanent, and Oswestry F.C. absorbed the White Star. ^[6] The name survived briefly as that of the Oswestry second XI. ^[7]

Ground

The White Star ground was off the Oakhurst Road. ^[8]

Notable players

• R. T. Gough, goalkeeper, who was capped for the Wales national football team against Scotland in March 1883 while registered with the White Star. ^[9] He was also selected for the game against Ireland the following week but did not play. ^[10]

• George Farmer started with the White Star, ^[11] before moving to Oswestry, and later to Everton ^[12]

References

1. "Oswestry Town v. Oswestry White Star (or Skinners)". Wellington Journal: 7. 20 November 1880.
2. "St Martin's Blue Star v Oswestry White Star". Wellington Journal: 5. 24 January 1880.
3. "White Star (Oswestry) v Chirk". Wrexham Advertiser: 5. 5 November 1881.
4. "Oswestry v Oswestry White Star". Wrexham Advertiser: 6. 25 February 1882.
5. "Druids v Oswestry". Wrexham Advertiser: 8. 25 November 1882.
6. Pryce-Jones, John (5 August 2020). "Football history". Border Counties Advertizer: M22.
7. "Penycae Celts (2nd team) v Oswestry White Stars (2nd team)". Wrexham Advertiser: 3. 13 December 1884.
8. "Football". Oswestry Advertiser: 7. 8 February 1882.
9. "Scotland v Wales". Sheffield and Rotherham Independent: 7. 13 March 1883.
10. "Wales v Ireland". Guardian: 7. 15 March 1883.
11. "The recent international football match". Wrexham Advertiser: 7. 10 February 1883.
12. "George Farmer". England Football Online. Retrieved 4 September 2025.