Wrexham Football Club

[wxmafc]

Hi, I am currently researching the history of the founding players of Wrexham Football Club- the third oldest professional football club in the world.
Their first recorded game was a 10-a-side game against The Prince of Wales Fire Brigade, which took place on The Racecourse Ground, (the oldest international football stadium in the world) on 22nd October 1864.

I have traced 8 of the 10 original Wrexham players and many of the 10 Prince of Wales Fire Brigade players, but cannot establish the true identity of a G. R. Johnson and a Joseph Roberts, who played for Wrexham Football and Athletic Club (as they were first known) in their first ever game.

Both of these people had an association, probably as clerks, for The Provincial Welsh Insurance Company and were likely volunteers in The Prince of Wales Fire Brigade and /or volunteers in the Wrexham Cavalry , Wrexham Militia, or Wrexham rifle volunteers. Both were team members of The Provincial Cricket team and Joseph Roberts was also a member of Wrexham Cricket Club.


G. R. Johnson appears in newspaper articles from The Wrexham Advertiser, playing for The Provincial Cricket Team (associated with the Provincial Welsh Insurance Company) in 1863/64, and at an Insurance Company article in 1864, but there is no more mention of his name after these dates.
Likely candidates are George Rumsey Johnson born in Bangor, who was recorded in a registry for Bangor/Beaumaris pauper hospital in 1865, where his occupation is recorded as insurance clerk, or a G.R. Johnson who later becamne a vicar in Tranmere/Birkenhead, but I can find no addresses for any G.R. Johnsons in Wrexham around 1864. Likewise, Joseph Roberts also appeared in newspaper articles associated with the above organisations, but I cannot tie any Joseph Roberts as being this particular person.
Any help would be appreciated, as my intention is to start a fund on club websites to purchase and install a plaque at The Racecourse stadium dedicated to the founding members of Wrexham Football Club.
I have also gathered a significant amount of data about the early years of the club, which are posted on WST Wrexham Supporters Trust website http://wst.org.uk/www3/index.php/wrexham-afc/early-years and on Redpassion, a fans forum for Wrexham Football Club.
Much appreciated

[wxmafc]

For anyone who is interested in the history of Wrexham, specifically the football club, I have added a number of articles on our supporters trust website, here http://wst.org.uk/www3/index.php/wrexham-afc/early-years
This has some national and international relevance as Wrexham Football Club are the third oldest proffessional football club in the World, playing at the oldest international football stadium in the World, although the main article now needs updating due to additional research I have done.
The first ever game took place at The Racecourse Ground on 22nd October 1864, and was recorded in just one article in a local newspaper, but only initials and surnames were recorded.
This is the current list of the 10 founding players I have found, and I have posted their histories on our fans forum Redpassion, under the heading of 'The sad case of founding members and players of WFC'. http://www.redpassion.co.uk/forums/wrexham/105637-sad-case-founding-members-player-wrexham-football-club-29.html#post1974694

Charles Edward Kershaw (Captain)
Born 1839. Died Southport 1884.

William Tootell
Born Wrexham 1831. died Wrexham 1866

Thomas Henry Sykes
Born Huddersfield 1841. Died Nottingham 1910

Thomas Broster
Born Wrexham 1845. Died Bethlehem, South Africa 1921

Thomas Hanmer
Born Overton 1839. Died Wrexham 1887

Edward Ephraim Knibbs
Born Chester 1837. Died Wrexham 1875

Thomas Heath
Born Ramsbury (Wilts) 1824. Died Wycombe 1887.

John Taylor
Born Wrexham 1842. Died Newcastle 1895

George Rumsey Johnston
Born Bangor 1843. Died Denbighshire 28.01.1912

Joseph Roberts

I am particulary seeking help in find photographs of any of these founding players, as I have only found one, which I recieved from a reletive of Thomas Broster from South Africa.

Any help would be very much appreciated
 

[wxmafc]

I have recently found the last remaining member of the original Wrexham Football and Athletic Club team, and updated as below.

Joseph Roberts
Born Oswestry- 1837. Died Liverpool- 1894

Charles Edward Kershaw (Captain)
Born Saddleworth (Yorks) 1839. Died Southport 1874.

William Tootell
Born Nottingham 1831. Died Wrexham 1866

Thomas Henry Sykes
Born Huddersfield 1840. Died Nottingham 1910

Thomas Broster
Born Wrexham 1845. Died Bethlehem, South Africa 1921

Thomas Hanmer
Born Overton 1839. Died Wrexham 1887

Edward Ephraim Knibbs
Born Chester 1837. Died Wrexham 1875

Thomas Heath
Born Ramsbury (Wilts) 1824. Died Wycombe 1887.

John Taylor
Born Wrexham 1842. Died Newcastle 1895

George Rumsey Johnston
Born Bangor 1843. Died Denbighshire 1912

This concludes the list of the 10 men who played for Wrexham Football and Athletic Club in the clubs first ever game against 10 men of The Prince of Wales Fire Brigade, at The Racecourse, on 22nd October 1864.

[BumbleB]

Congratulations - it must be a wonderful feeling after ONLY 3 year's work    No disrespect 

[wxmafc]

History of The Racecourse and Wrexham Football Club now recorded on Footballhistory.org

https://www.footballhistory.org/club/wrexham.html

Proofs on RedPassion

http://www.redpassion.co.uk/forums/wrexham/105637-sad-case-founding-members-player-wrexham-football-club-massive-history-thread-75.html#post2365749

[wrjones]

A relative of mine Arthur Lea was later to go on to Captain Wrexham despite losing one arm in a milling accident.

Regards
William Russell Jones.

[Deb42]

Arthur Lea who played for Wrexham and Wales is my husbands great grandfather, Arthur’s son John Boliver Lea is my husbands grandfather.