Brentwood F.C. (1877)
| Full name | Brentwood Football Club, Crusaders Football Club | |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 1877 | |
| Dissolved | 1896 | |
| Ground |
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Brentwood Football Club was an English
. From 1886 the club was known as Crusaders F.C.History
The club was founded in September 1877 under the name Brentwood F.C. Within a fortnight of its founding the club had over 40 members.[1]
The club played its first match on 6 October 1877, at Hendon,[2] and opened its ground (provided by vice-president William Burgess), at the corner of Sawyer's Hall Lane and Shenfield Road, one week later, with a match between sides chosen by the club secretary and the club captain.[3] On 20 October 1877, the club had its first win, 6–0 at home to Romford.[4]
The club first entered the
In
In the quarter-finals, the club lost at home to holders, and eventual winners,
From the 1886–87 season, the club changed its name to Crusaders F.C., because of the club's move from Brentwood to
In 1889, Crusaders faced Royal Arsenal in the FA Cup third qualifying round, in the latter's first-ever FA Cup season, with future powerhouses Arsenal winning 5–2 in extra time; the Crusaders appealed the referee's decision to extend the match[10] on the basis of the "shocking" light,[11] but it was not successful. The club's last FA Cup tie came in 1892–93, losing in the second qualifying round to the Casuals.[12]
The club continued playing friendly matches into the 1895–96 season, the final recorded game being a 6–1 defeat at home to the Old Etonians,[13] and by September 1896 the club had disbanded.[14]
Colours
The club's colours were chocolate and magenta,[15] with white "trousers".[16]
Ground
The club originally played at the County Cricket Ground at Shenfield Road. In 1886 it moved to the Leyton Cricket Ground, as the Brentwood Cricket Club had increased rent to £15 per annum, while the Essex County Cricket Club was offering Leyton rent-free, but instead taking a cut of the gate money.[17]
Notable players
- Thelwell Pike, capped for England against Ireland, 1886
- Blackburn Rovers in 1885, who joined the Crusaders when he moved down to London in 1886[18]
References
- ^ "article". Chelmsford Chronicle: 5. 5 October 1877.
- ^ "Hendon 6-0 Brentwood". The Field: 432. 13 October 1877.
- ^ "article". Essex Standard: 5. 19 October 1877.
- ^ "report". Chelmsford Chronicle: 4. 26 October 1877.
- ^ "Burslem Port Vale 2-1 Brentwood". Bell's Life: 4. 1 February 1886.
- ^ "report". Chelmsford Chronicle: 6. 12 February 1886.
- ^ "report". Essex Herald: 5. 22 February 1886.
- ^ "Brentwood 1-3 Blackburn". Blackburn Standard: 2. 6 March 1886.
- ^ "Brentwood Football Club". Essex Newsman: 4. 2 October 1886.
- ^ "Sports & Pastimes". Nottingham Evening Post: 3. 23 November 1889.
- ^ "Ninth Division". Birmingham Post: 7. 18 November 1889.
- ^ "Football 22nd English Football Association (FA) Cup 1892-1893 Qualification". Retrieved 19 May 2022.
- ^ "Old Etonians v Crusaders". Field: 4. 1 February 1896.
- ^ "A glowing report". Barking, East Ham & Ilford Advertiser, Upton Park and Dagenham Gazette: 1. 2 September 1896.
- ^ Charles Alcock Football Annuals 1878–1890
- ^ Sportsman's Year-Book. London: Cassell. 1881. p. 175.
- ^ "Brentwood Football Club". Essex Herald: 8. 26 July 1886.
- ^ "Southern Association football notes". Athletic News: 4. 26 October 1886.