Uxbridge F.C.
Uxbridge Football Club is a football club representing Uxbridge, based in Yiewsley, in the London Borough of Hillingdon, England. They were established in 1871 and are one of the oldest clubs in the South of England. They were founding members of the Southern League Division Two in 1894 and have reached the 2nd round of the FA Cup once; in the 1873–74 season. The club is affiliated to the Middlesex County Football Association and is a FA chartered standard club. They are currently members of the.
History
Early years
Uxbridge Football Club was founded on 3 February 1871 in an inaugural meeting attended by the Rev. T. S. Shepherd and local men, H. Heron, F. Heron, P. Aldworth, F. J. Smith, R. T. Smith, W. M. Gardiner, W. Fassnidge, E. White, and P. White. At the meeting Mr. William Mansfield Gardiner was appointed president and a committee of four elected to manage the club. It was agreed that the established rules of the club be those of the 'Football Association of London', the subscriptions would be fixed at 2s. 6d. per annum and 'that the uniform of the club consist of a white jersey with light blue Maltese cross and a light blue velvet scull cap with silver tassel'.The team started by playing friendly return games. Their first game was not recorded but was likely to have been played against Marlow on Uxbridge Common as the return game at Marlow took place on 8 April 1871. Other recorded return games in 1871 and early 1872 were played against Windsor Home Park, Maidenhead and Southall.
Uxbridge Football Club's first games:
February or March 1871 Marlow Home
8 April 1871 Marlow Away
18 October 1871 Windsor Home Park Home
21 October 1871 Southall Away
25 November 1871 Maidenhead Away
2 December 1871 Windsor Home Park Away
20 January 1872 Southall Home
10 February 1872 Maidenhead Home
Uxbridge made their debut in the FA Cup with a 3–0 first round win over Gitanos at Uxbridge Common on 28 October 1873. In the second round tie on 26 November 1873, they faced eventual finalists the Royal Engineers on Uxbridge Common which ended in a 2–1 defeat.
Uxbridge's first captain was R.T. Smith who served until 2 September 1873, when Hubert Heron was appointed captain at the club's annual general meeting. By this time, Hubert Heron had gained a full international cap as a forward for England in the 2nd annual game against Scotland on 8 March 1873. As Uxbridge captain, he would gain a further cap at the 3rd annual game on 7 March 1874.
At this time, good players would often compete for more than one club. As well as Uxbridge, Hubert Heron had played games for Windsor Home Park and Swifts. However, F.A. Cup rules stated that 'no individual shall be allowed to play for more than one competing Club'. At a committee meeting on 19 October 1874, Hubert Heron advised he would be playing for Wanderers in the forthcoming 1874–75 FA Cup competition. The issue was compounded when Uxbridge players G. Turner and Hubert Heron's brothers Frank and Henry elected to play for Swifts in their FA Cup 1st-round game against Old Etonians on 5 November 1874. The consequence of the loss of players was Uxbridge having to scratch their FA Cup 1st-round game against Windsor Home Park which was to have taken place on 7 November 1874.
The withdrawal from the 1874-75 F.A. Cup with Uxbridge's best players wishing to play for other teams led to the club's temporary disbandment. At a general meeting of members on 18 November 1874, it was decided that the club should be dissolved, '...brought about, not from any want of funds, but owing to disagreements amongst members, occasioned chiefly by the club being unable to engage in the contest for the Association Challenge Cup, in consequence of a few of the members preferring to play for neighbouring clubs, rather than cast their lot with Uxbridge.' Writing of the club's dissolution a week later the Maidenhead Advertiser stated; 'This is much to be regretted, as the Club was one of the strongest out of London, and was looked upon as likely to stand a good outside chance for the Association cup ; but we understand that the Captain deserted his club to play for one of the London teams, and thereby obliged the rest of the members to come to the unpleasant conclusion they did.' Hubert Heron would go on to receive an F.A. Cup winners medal three times with Wanderers in 1876, 1877, and 1878.
By 18 November 1874, the Uxbridge Crescents Football Club had been formed. A match against Misbourne House of Chalfont took place that afternoon on Uxbridge Common. A game against Swallows F.C. on Uxbridge Common was played on 7 January 1875 ending in a 1–0 defeat. In 1876 and 1877, return games are recorded against Windsor Grosvenor, Maidenhead and Windsor Home Park. After this period, only two Crescents games are recorded before 1883, a local derby on 12 November 1881 against Uxbridge Caxtonians on Uxbridge Common, and also on Uxbridge Common a game against Padcroft College on 11 November 1882.
An attempt to revive Uxbridge F.C. was made by club president William Mansfield Gardiner in October 1876, but the undertaking failed to proceed at that time. The club was reformed for the 1879–80 season with three recorded matches being played in November 1879. The first game was played at Amersham F.C. on 12 November 1879 resulting in a 4–1 win for Uxbridge. This was followed by a game at Slough Rangers on 22 November 1879 ending in a 3–1 defeat. Another away game took place on 29 November 1879 against Watford United resulting in a 1–1 draw. The return game against Amersham took place at Uxbridge on 7 February 1880 ending in a 1–0 win for Uxbridge. On 18 February 1880, Uxbridge played Padcroft at the college grounds in Yiewsley culminating in a 2–1 win.
Uxbridge's opening game of the 1880–81 season took place on 27 October 1880 on Uxbridge Common against Slough Rangers resulting in a 2–1 defeat. Other return games that season were played against Acton, Amersham, Chesham, Colnbrook, Eton Albion, Etonians, Marlow, Watford United, Windsor Grosvenor and Windsor Home Park. At their AGM on 29 April 1881 chaired by president William Mansfield Gardiner, it was stated that in the 1880–81 season, the club had won 12 out of 22 matches with 5 drawn and 5 lost. It was decided that the club should rejoin the Football Association.
At the club's AGM on 23 August 1883, it was announce by Captain and Hon. Secretary Mr. W. A. Hancock, that Uxbridge had played 18 games in the 1882–83 season, 14 of which they had won with one of the others resulting in a tie. It was stated that the club had over 50 members, the majority of whom played and that the club would be entering the Association Challenge Cup for the forthcoming season. In the 1883–84 FA Cup first round, Uxbridge played Rochester at home on 3 November 1883 but lost 2–1. At the club's AGM on 21 August 1884, Mr. Hancock reported that in the 1883–84 season the club had played 26 games of which they had won 14, six were drawn and six lost.
Uxbridge played their first home game of the 1884–85 season on 25 October 1884 against Colnbrook at their new ground, Mr S. W. Light's Field, winning the game 2–0.
In the 1884–85 FA Cup first round on 8 November 1884 the club were drawn at home against Hotspur F.C. They were watched by 500-600 spectators, but were defeated 3–1. In the 1885–86 FA Cup they again lost in the first round, this time 5–0 to Old Wykehamists F.C. at Home Park in Windsor on 31 October 1885.
On 22 August 1885, the West Middlesex Football Association was established with both Uxbridge F.C. and Uxbridge Crescents becoming members. Uxbridge F.C. committee's decision to join the association was approved at the club's AGM on 8 September 1885. A West Middlesex Association challenge cup competition was inaugurated for the 1885–86 season.
One of the West Middlesex Cup semi-final ties was played between Uxbridge F.C. and Uxbridge Crescents on 13 February 1886. The game took place at Mr. S. W. Light's field in the presence of between four and five hundred spectators. The Crescents went ahead just before half-time with Uxbridge's goalkeeper, S. W. Light, being beaten by a shot into the top corner of the goal by Crescent's H. Blunden. After changing ends, Uxbridge equalized with a goal by C. Heron. A determined second half followed with each team striving to gain the upper hand. Nearing the end of the game Crescent's centre, W. Drinkwater hit a long shot which looked like it was going over but struck the underside of the bar, winning the contest for Crescents 2–1. In the final tie on 20 March 1886, Uxbridge Crescents won the Challenge cup by defeating Acton 4–1 at Southall's ground.
Amalgamation
Since the 1883–84 season, the Uxbridge Crescents club had been growing significantly with games being played against senior teams in the area such as Southall, Hanwell, Burnham, Hounslow as well as Uxbridge F.C. themselves. On 14 August 1886, a letter to the editor of the Buckinghamshire Advertiser written on behalf of members of Uxbridge F.C. set out the reasons for a possible amalgamation with Uxbridge Crescents and proposed a committee of three members from each club to discuss the matter. Negotiations were carried out by committees of the two clubs. After membership approval, a joint General Meeting was held at Uxbridge Town Hall on 26 August 1886 to give notice of the amalgamation and to elect officers for the forthcoming season. A formal resolution was passed deciding that the name of the Uxbridge Crescents should be retained as an alteration of name would necessitate them relinquishing their claim to the 1885-86 West Middlesex Cup.The amalgamation saw the club adopt red shirts which are still the colours worn today, and the nickname "The Reds" first used. The first game of the combined club took place on Mr. S. W. Light's Field against Maidenhead on 2 October 1886, ending in a 3–2 defeat. On 12 March 1887, the club reached the final of the 1886–87 season West Middlesex Cup competition facing Southall at their home ground, but were defeated 1–0. The 1886–87 season also saw a change of home ground for Uxbridge from Mr. S. W. Light's Field to the tenancy of Mr. Johnson's Field. At the club's AGM on 25 August 1887 it was unanimously decided for the club's name to be changed to the "Uxbridge Football Club".
Uxbridge reached the final of the West Middlesex Challenge Cup again in the 1887–88 season but lost 4–2 to Chiswick Park F.C., watched by 800 spectators at Yiewsley's ground in West Drayton on 11 February 1888. The first trophy won by the amalgamated team was the Henesey Challenge Cup on 16 March 1889 when they defeated Colnbrook 6–0 at Mr. Johnson's Field in front of 800-1000 spectators. The following Saturday, 23 March 1889, they defeated Colnbrook again; this time 1–0 in the final of the West Middlesex Cup at the Dolphin ground, Slough.
After returning to Mr. S.W. Light's Field for the 1889–90 season, the club moved to Colne Farm for the 1890–91 season, opening there with a 4–3 win against Slough on 27 September 1890. They would continue their success in the West Middlesex Cup with three consecutive titles in the 1890s. On 11 April 1891, they defeated Hounslow 3–2 at Southall. On 26 March 1892, they defeated Harrow Athletic 3–2 also at Southall and on 15 April 1893 they defeated Southall 3–0 at Yiewsley. On 19 April 1893, Uxbridge won the Henesey Challenge Cup for the second time, defeating the 2nd Scots Guards 2–1 at Colne Farm watched by over 1500 spectators.
Having been finalists in 1891 and 1893, Uxbridge won the Middlesex Senior Cup for the first time on 7 April 1894, defeating the 3rd Grenadier Guards 2–0 in the final in front of 4,000 spectators at Southall. In the 1894–95 season the club became founder members of Division Two of the Southern League and finished fourth in their first four seasons. They would win the Middlesex Senior Cup for the second time on 25 April 1896, when they defeated Southall 3–2 after a reply at Hanwell watched by close to 5,000 spectators. In the 1897–98 season, they reached the final of the FA Amateur Cup, losing to Middlesbrough 2–0 at Crystal Palace.
However, in the 1898–99 season, Uxbridge finish next to bottom of the league. At the end of the season, the club was in debt by £128. The club committee made the decision to withdraw from the Second Division of the Southern League and enter the new Middlesex Amateur League. A special general meeting of club members took place on 5 June 1899. The chairman stated that there had been a significant increase in the number of strong clubs in the South of England and professionalism had come in which had robbed small country clubs of good players. At a vote the actions of the committee in withdrawing the club from the Southern League was unanimously
endorsed. In the 1899–00 season, Uxbridge finished bottom of the Middlesex league and folded in August 1900 with a debt of £75 19s 10d.