Shropshire Wanderers F.C.

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Shropshire Wanderers
Full nameShropshire Wanderers Football Club
Nickname(s)the Salopians,[1] the Countrymen[2]
Founded1870
Dissolvedc. 1882
GroundRacecourse Ground, Monkmoor, Shrewsbury
SecretaryJohn 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.

History

The club was founded out of the Shropshire Wanderers cricket club.

1877–78
.

Its greatest success came in

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]

Colours

The club's colours were white jerseys, blue serge knickerbockers, and maroon stockings.[16]

Ground

The club played at the Racecourse, using the Raven or the Lion hotels for facilities.[17]

Notable players

  • David Thomson, who won a cap for Wales (alongside Kenrick and Edwards) while a Shropshire Wanderers player.[20]
  • Sheffield Football Association the same year.[22]

FA Cup history

References

  1. ^ "Football". Morning Post: 3. 8 February 1875.
  2. ^ "Civil Service 1-1 Shropshire Wanderers". Bell's Life: 5. 19 December 1874.
  3. ^ Alcock, Charles (1875). Football Annual. London: Lillywhite. p. 157.
  4. ^ "Notes and notions". The Sportsman: 3. 10 May 1873.
  5. ^ "Civil Service 1-1 Shropshire Wanderers". Bell's Life: 6. 26 December 1874.
  6. ^ "note". Bell's Life: 5. 19 December 1874.
  7. ^ "report". Sportsman: 3. 26 January 1875.
  8. ^ "report". Sportsman: 4. 9 February 1875.
  9. ^ "report". The Field: 240. 6 March 1875.
  10. ^ 1875 Charles Alcock Football Annual
  11. ISBN 1-899807-19-5
    .
  12. ^ "Football". Sheffield & Rotherham Independent: 4. 19 November 1873.
  13. ISBN 0-415-35019-0
    .
  14. ^ "Shropshire Wanderers v Druids, Ruabon". Liverpool Mercury: 7. 13 March 1882.
  15. ^ "Fixtures". Wellington Journal: 3. 18 March 1882.
  16. ^ Alcock, Charles (1875). Football Annual. London: Lillywhite. p. 157.
  17. ^ Alcock, Charles (1875). Football Annual. London: Lillywhite. p. 157.
  18. ^ Club Affiliations – Shropshire Wanderers
  19. ISBN 1-872424-11-2
    .
  20. ^ "Wales v Scotland". Observer: 3. 26 March 1876.
  21. ^ "England v Scotland". Sheffield Independent: 4. 2 March 1874.
  22. ^ "Football yesterday". Observer: 3. 8 November 1874.

External links

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