Wanderers FC

Wanderers Football Club, one of the most iconic names in the early history of football.

The History of Wanderers Football Club

Wanderers Football Club, one of the most iconic names in the early history of football, holds a special place as a pioneering institution in the sport. Established in 1859, the club played a critical role in the development of association football in England and was instrumental in shaping the rules and culture of the game. Although it no longer competes at the highest level, Wanderers FC is celebrated for its legacy as a founding club of modern football and as a dominant force in its formative years. Furthermore, football kit aficionados will appreciate their shirts that can only be described as a work of art.

Foundation and Early Years

Wanderers FC was originally founded under the name “Forest Football Club” in Leytonstone by a group of Old Harrovians (former pupils from Harrow School) who wanted to play sport. The founding members included Charles W. Alcock, a pivotal figure in the development of international football and the visionary behind the FA Cup, who had recently graduated from Harrow School. Several Old Foresters (former pupils from Forest School) also played for the Forest club.

Initially, Forest's home ground was located at Forest Place on Leyton Flats (1859 to 1865), part of Epping Forest near Whipps Cross Road, between Snaresbrook and Leytonstone. During the club's first two years, the players arranged matches amongst themselves at this venue. 

Wanderers FC was originally founded under the name Forest FC

On the 15th March 1862 they played their first match against another club. Their opponents were Crystal Palace (not related to the modern Crystal Palace) and Forest were victorious. They played each other again in a reverse fixture in the same month. Each match was played with fifteen players on each team, which may seem a bit odd by modern standards. However, during this period, association football rules had not yet been standardised, and various versions of the game existed, including differing team sizes, the use of hands (or not) and different methods of scoring goals.

Forest’s 1861 rulebook was primarily based on the 1856 Cambridge rules, with a few modifications. In a newspaper advertisement from September 1862, the club invited opponents for matches played "according to the rules of the University of Cambridge." The club initially adhered to a hybrid form of football, influenced by the public school traditions of the time. However, as the rules of the game were formalised under the Football Association (FA) in 1863, Wanderers became one of the first clubs to embrace the FA’s standardised regulations. The club was a founder member of The Football Association (as Forest F.C.) in 1863 and played friendly matches only until the advent of the FA Cup in 1871. However, they continued to play occasional matches under alternative rules against clubs that were not affiliated with the FA.

Forest FC adopted the name “Wanderers” in 1864 to reflect the club’s nomadic nature, as it lacked a permanent home ground and played its matches at various venues in London, including Battersea Park and Kennington Oval. This itinerant identity resonated with the club’s independent and pioneering ethos and it is possible that the decision to become a “wandering” team with no fixed home ground was a result of the expenses the club was incurring by maintaining its own venue. This caused ructions amongst some of the club’s members who opposed the idea. In the same year the club played its first match under the name Wanderers Football Club, against N.N. Club of Kilburn. Forest FC and Wanderers FC existed in tandem for the following season, and several players appeared for both, they even played each other. However, after 1865 there is no record of any further matches under the name Forest FC.

Early tribulations

Wanderers made a good start to the 1865-66 season, losing only one out of sixteen matches. This early success was not destined to continue and over the subsequent four seasons the team's fortunes declined significantly. They regularly found it difficult to field a team of eleven players and were often forced to play with less or had to borrow players from their opponents. Anyone who has been involved with Sunday League Football will be able to empathise. During this period the club played a number of "home" matches at Battersea Park and Middlesex County Cricket Club's, Lillie Bridge Grounds. Wanderers made Kennington Oval their semi-permanent home in 1869 where they played 151 matches during their existence.

Wanderers adopted the name to reflect the fact that they played at various locations and didn't have a permanent home.

A Force in Early Football

Wanderers’ fortunes changed at the start of the 1870-71 season, made up primarily of former students from England's top public schools, they only lost five of thirty-seven matches that they played. Wanderers’ golden era coincided with the establishment of the FA Cup in 1871. They won the inaugural FA Cup in 1872, defeating the Royal Engineers 1-0 in the final at Kennington Oval. The only goal of the match was scored by Morton Betts, who played under the pseudonym “A.H. Chequer.” This victory cemented Wanderers’ place in football history. However, there are some curious Victorian oddities that need to be addressed. Wanderers only actually only won one game in the four rounds leading to the final. This was due to a combination of their opponents withdrawing and an unusual rule in place at the time which allowed both clubs to progress to the next round in the event of a draw. 

Wanderers went on to win the FA Cup five times in the competition’s first seven years, dominating the early landscape of organised football. Their triumphs came in 1872, 1873, 1876, 1877, and 1878, with notable players such as Charles Alcock, a pivotal figure in the club and the first secretary of the Football Association. Alcock’s leadership and vision were instrumental in both the club’s success and the broader growth of football as a sport.

After their victory in the inaugural FA Cup final in 1872 they followed their success by retaining the cup in 1873. In another peculiar rule, because Wanderers were cup holders, they received a bye all the way to the final. In the final Wanderers beat Oxford University 2–0 thanks in large part to the performance of Arthur Kinnaird, believed to have been one of the finest footballers of the time. Wanderers had a lean spell for the following two years, although they did manage to achieve their highest ever score and club record in an FA Cup match. They beat Farningham 16-0 in the 1874-75 FA Cup first round. 

The 1875-76 season saw Wanderers back to their best, reaching the semi final of the FA Cup without conceding a goal, in which they defeated Swifts 2-1 at the Kennington Oval. The stage was set for a grudge match against Old Etonians. The Old Etonians' team consisted of five former Wanderers players, including the indomitable Arthur Fitzgerald Kinnaird. The first match was a tense 1-1 draw played out in front of 3,000 spectators at the Kennington Oval. An extra 500 spectators turned out for the replay in which Wanderers won 3–0 to win the FA Cup for the third time.

Arthur Kinnaird made a return to Wanderers FC in the following season (1876-77), in which they retained the FA Cup by defeating Oxford University 2-1 after extra time. Wanderers continued their dominance in the 1877–78 FA Cup, achieving emphatic victories by scoring nine goals in both the first and second round matches. The final was a repeat of the 1872 showdown, where Wanderers once again triumphed over the Royal Engineers in a 3-1 victory, securing an unprecedented third consecutive FA Cup victory. 

Wanderers won the FA Cup five times between1872 and 1878.

In 1875, Wanderers made a journey to Scotland to face the formidable Queen's Park FC in a friendly match. Wanderers fielded their strongest lineup possible, perhaps in response to Queen’s Park’s fearsome reputation. It didn’t do them any good and they were soundly beaten 5-0 in front of 16,000 spectators. It didn't help that Queen’s Park had some magical assistance from the “dribble wizards”, Harry McNeill and James Weir. Four months later, Queen's Park traveled to London for a rematch, this time the tables were turned and Wanderers claimed a 2–0 victory. This was the first time that the Glasgow club had been beaten in their nine year existence.

This is a remastered copy of the official match programme.

Wanderers iconic shirt

Football kits did not become the norm until the late 1870s and up until then kits were fairly random in nature. In the Queen's Park versus Wanderers match, Queen’s Park wore black and white striped shirts and Wanderers wore white shirts. However, it seems that footballers at the time liked to customise their kits to be recognised on the pitch as much as modern footballers do with their tattoos, hair styles and boots. Victorian footballers had a multitude of ways to identify themselves, such as variations of coloured stockings (socks) or caps (not the baseball type). Shirt numbers wouldn’t be introduced for many years. Some great examples from that match include, Charles W. Alcock and Arthur F. Kinnaird distinguishing themselves with blue and white caps, while Jarvis Kenrick wore a striking cerise and French grey cap. The match programme above includes all of the variations of stockings and caps that the players wore.

Victorians footballers had various ways of identifying themselves such as variations of coloured stockings or caps.

Unfortunately, there isn’t an abundance of historical evidence of Wanderers iconic kit, and not many photos exist of the team. Therefore, it is uncertain as to the exact design of the shirts.  However, it is known that at some point they had shirts featuring the distinctive combination of black, orange and purple and horizontal stripes were very common at the time. During the centenary celebrations of the FA Cup in 1972, flags and banners were paraded at Wembley Stadium representing the Wanderers’ kit featuring black, orange and purple horizontal stripes. Finally, the modern incarnation of Wanderers FC have adopted this style, so why should we let conjecture interfere with the shirts’ iconic status.

Decline and Disbandment

By the late 1870s many of the leading players chose to play for their respective “old boys” teams set up by former pupils of all the principal public schools. To add to this, the rise of professionalism and the establishment of more structured clubs with dedicated home grounds began to overshadow Wanderers’ amateur, nomadic approach. These clubs emerged as the new powers of football, emphasising professionalism and attracting larger followings.

In 1880, Wanderers FC officially disbanded, having fulfilled its mission of promoting the sport in its early years. The club’s legacy, however, lived on through its contributions to football’s development, particularly its role in the establishment of the FA Cup and its advocacy for the sport’s codification.

In 2009, Wanderers Football Club was revived as a charitable organisation dedicated to supporting grassroots football and youth development. They retained their amateur ethos, playing friendly matches and participating in charitable events to honor their historic legacy.

Legacy

Wanderers FC were true trailblazers in the early days of football, leaving an indelible mark on the sport's rich history. Their dominance in the FA Cup, winning the tournament five times during its formative years, showcased their prowess and set a high standard for competition. Beyond their on-field success, they played a pivotal role in the development of football, helping to popularise and formalise the rules of association football during a crucial period in its growth. The cultural impact of Wanderers FC was equally significant, as they embodied the amateur ideals of early football, inspiring generations of players and fans alike.

FA Cup record

1871-72 Winners

1872-73 Winners

1973-74 Quarter finals

1874-75 Quarter finals

1875-76 Winners

1876-77 Winners

1877-78 Winners

1878-79 First round

1879-80 Third round

1880-81 Withdrew

1881-82 Withdrew