| Full name | Shropshire Wanderers Football Club | |
|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | the Salopians, [1] the Countrymen [2] | |
| Founded | 1870 | |
| Dissolved | c. 1882 | |
| Ground | Racecourse Ground, Monkmoor, Shrewsbury | |
| Secretary | John Hawley Edwards [3] | |
Shropshire Wanderers F.C. was an amateur association football club based in Shrewsbury, England. The club was active during the 1870s and once reached the FA Cup semi-finals.
The club was founded out of the Shropshire Wanderers cricket club. [4] It entered the FA Cup competition in each of the years from 1873–74 to 1877–78.
Its greatest success came in 1874–75, when it reached the semi-finals. In the second round the club conceded a late equalizer to the Civil Service F.C. at the Kennington Oval, [5] but the Service scratched from the replay, being unable to travel to Shrewsbury. [6] The only match the club won in the tournament - and the only one the club would ever win in the Cup - was a replay win against Woodford Wells. The initial tie (at the Kennington Oval) ended 1–1, even after the sides played an optional 15 minutes of extra-time. [7] The replay, at the same venue, was an easier match for the Salopians, a goal from Randall (following up his own shot coming back off the post) and an own goal from Frazer (getting in the way of a clearance at a scrimmage) putting the club into the last four. [8]
The club played the Old Etonians at the Kennington Oval in the semi-final; unfortunately the Countrymen were without their star half-back John Denning, and lost 1–0. [9] This was the club's only defeat in its first five years of existence. [10]
The club also has a unique place in FA Cup history, as the only team to be eliminated from the competition by coin toss, [11] the fateful coin toss taking place at the Raven Hotel in Shrewsbury, where the club and opponents Sheffield F.C. had retired to dine together after their Cup tie. [12]
The Shropshire Wanderers were notable as a team that employed passing as early as 1875. [13] The club shared a number of players (including John Hawley Edwards) with the Shrewsbury football club, which focussed on more local competition.
The club had ceased activity after the 1877–78 season, but reformed for a handful of matches at the start of the 1880s. The last recorded match of the club was a 5–3 defeat to Druids F.C. in March 1882. [14] A match was scheduled against a club named Shrewsbury Town the following week but seems not to have taken place; this was not the current club. [15]
The club's colours were white jerseys, blue serge knickerbockers, and maroon stockings. [16]
The club played at the Racecourse, using the Raven or the Lion hotels for facilities. [17]
Wanderers Football Club was an English association football club. It was founded as "Forest Football Club" in 1859 in Leytonstone. In 1864, it changed its name to "Wanderers", a reference to it never having a home stadium, instead playing at various locations in London and the surrounding area. Comprising mainly former pupils of the leading English public schools, Wanderers was one of the dominant teams in the early years of organised football and won the inaugural Football Association Challenge Cup in 1872. The club won the competition five times in total, including three in succession from 1876 to 1878, a feat which has been repeated only once.
The Old Etonians Association Football Club is an English association football club whose players are alumni of Eton College, in Eton, Berkshire.
Charles William Alcock was an English sportsman, administrator, author and editor. He was a major instigator in the development of both international football and cricket, as well as being the creator of the FA Cup.
The 1875 FA Cup final was a football match between Royal Engineers and Old Etonians on 13 March 1875 at Kennington Oval in London. It was the fourth final of the world's oldest football competition, the Football Association Challenge Cup. Heading into the final, the Royal Engineers were playing in their third final after losing the 1872 and 1874 finals while the Old Etonians were playing in their first FA Cup final.
The 1877 FA Cup final was a football match between Wanderers and Oxford University on 24 March 1877 at Kennington Oval in London. It was the sixth final of the world's oldest football competition, the Football Association Challenge Cup. Wanderers were the reigning cup-holders and had won the competition three times in total. Oxford had also previously won the tournament, making this the first FA Cup final played between two former winners. Wanderers had reached the final without conceding a goal, defeating Cambridge University in the semi-finals. Oxford had only played three matches in the five rounds prior to the final due to a combination of byes and opponents withdrawing.
The 1876 FA Cup final was a football match between Wanderers and Old Etonians on 11 March 1876 at Kennington Oval in London. It was the fifth final of the world's oldest football competition, the Football Association Challenge Cup. Wanderers had won the Cup on two previous occasions. The Etonians were playing in their second consecutive final, having lost in the 1875 final. Both teams had conceded only one goal in the four rounds prior to the final. In the semi-finals Wanderers defeated Swifts and the Etonians beat the 1874 FA Cup winners Oxford University.
The 1878 FA Cup final was a football match between Wanderers and Royal Engineers on 23 March 1878 at Kennington Oval in London. It was the seventh final of the world's oldest football competition, the Football Association Challenge Cup. Wanderers had won the Cup in the previous two seasons and on four previous occasions in total, including the first FA Cup final, in 1872, in which they defeated the Engineers. The Engineers had also won the Cup, having defeated Old Etonians in the 1875 final.
Hertfordshire Rangers F.C. was a 19th-century English amateur football team based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It competed in the FA Cup and had two players represent England in international matches.
George Hubert Hugh Heron was an English footballer who made five appearances as a forward for England in the 1870s and won three FA Cup winners' medals.
Swifts Football Club were a football team based in Slough, England.
The 1874–75 FA Cup was the fourth season of England's oldest football tournament, the Football Association Challenge Cup or "FA Cup". 29 teams entered, one more than the previous season, although four of the 29 never played a match. The final was contested by Royal Engineers – playing in their third final in the four seasons of the FA Cup – and Old Etonians – playing in their first final. On their way to the final, Royal Engineers knocked out Cambridge University in the Second Round and holders Oxford University in the Semi-finals, while Old Etonians only managed to score more than one goal in one match: their second replay against Swifts, which they won 3–0. The biggest win of the competition was recorded by two-time FA Cup winners Wanderers, who beat Farningham 16–0 in the First Round.
John Hawley Edwards was an English footballer who played as an inside forward. He made one appearance for England in 1874, before going on to play for Wales in 1876. He was a member of the Wanderers team that won the 1876 FA Cup Final.
John George Wylie was an English amateur footballer who played as a forward. He won the FA Cup with Wanderers in 1878 and played once for England in 1878. He also took part as an athlete, winning the Pentathlon at the National Olympian Games in 1879.
Clopton Allen Lloyd-Jones was an English businessman and amateur sportsman, best known for football and cricket. He played for the Clapham Rovers when they won the FA Cup in 1880 and was selected, but did not play, for Wales as an international.
Harrow Chequers Football Club was a football club from London, England in the 1860s to early 1890s. It played as the Harrow Chequers from 1865 to 1876, when it was then renamed the Old Harrovians, and continued play until at least 1891. Derived from former pupils of Harrow School, the club was involved in the formation of the FA Cup in 1871. It was slated to play in three of the first six FA Cup competitions in the 1870s, but they forfeited each time, and never contested an FA Cup match as the Chequers. One of their players, however, Morton Betts, is remembered for scoring the first goal in the first ever FA Cup Final in 1872, which is essentially all that is remembered today of the club. However, as the Old Harrovians, the team had some more success, including reaching the semifinals of the 1877–78 FA Cup.
Gitanos Football Club was an English association football club and one of the first members of the Football Association.
Woodford Wells Football Club was an English association football club from Woodford Wells in Essex.
Rochester F.C. was an English association football club from Rochester in Kent.
Southill Park F.C. was an English association football club, originally from Hampstead in London.
Shrewsbury F.C. was a football club based in Shrewsbury, England. The club is recorded as playing its home games at Monkmoor Lane, Shrewsbury.
