History of Wanderers Football Club
A Brief Look at the First Winners of the FA Cup
Wanderers F.C. had a short life span in the mid-1850s, yet they hold a special place in the history of football. On the 16th March 1872 they etched their names firmly into history as they won the inaugural FA Cup.
The Club’s Beginning as Forest Football Club
In 1859 Forest Football Club were formed by Old Harrovians, the name given to alumni of the prestigious independent school, Harrow School.
It wasn’t long before the team based in Epping Forest in the northeast of Greater London adopted the name Forest-Leytonstone. This development took place thanks to the team’s close proximity to Leytonstone.
The Founding of The Football Association
Forest-Leytonstone, along with another ten teams, was founding members of The Football Association (The FA) back in 1863.
Prior to the association’s formation, football had no codified rules. For centuries the game had been played under various guises, simply because nobody had ever met to agree upon rules for the game.
Name Change From Forest to Wanderers
A year later the team changed their name from Forest Football Club to Wanderers Football Club. It is said that the switch came about when the team “wandered” across London to Battersea Park.
Battersea Park, which is located on the south bank of the Rover Thames, would become the new home of Wanderers F.C.
Wanderers Win the First FA Cup
The team’s captain, Charles William Alcock, played a major role in creating the FA Cup competition. So, it’s rather fitting that he became the first captain to get their hands on the illustrious trophy.
The final, between Wanderers and Royal Engineers, was played at Kenington Oval, London.
When time expired on the inaugural FA Cup final, Wanderers had won the game 1-0. The victory came courtesy of a goal by Morton Betts, who had adopted the pseudonym A.H. Chequer because he was cup-tied, having started the tournament registered with Harrow Chequers.
Wanderers Further FA Cup Triumphs
Wanderers 1872 win was by no means the club’s only success. In fact, the team quickly became accustomed to lifting silverware.
Throughout the 1870s they were the team to beat. As a result, they won the FA Cup on no less than five occasions. The other four triumphs came in 1873, 1876, 1877 and 1878.
To this day, the club lie in joint eighth place on the list of all-time winners of the FA Cup.
Wanderers Disband, Yet Their Legacy Lives On
In 1883 the club disbanded, but by that point their legacy had been firmly cemented.
Not only were they the first team to win the FA Cup, but also numerous clubs have adopted “Wanderers” as a suffix in their name.
The list includes Bolton Wanderers F.C., Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. and even teams on foreign shores. For instance, Montevideo Wanderers in Uruguay, as well as Santiago Wanderers in Chile.
Morton Betts, Scorer in the 1872 FA Cup Final
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