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UNITED VOLUNTEER SERVICE CLUB FOUNDED WREXHAM FOOTBALL CLUB.

While history has recorded that Wrexham Football Club was founded by the members of The Denbighshire Cricket Club, who were seeking sporting activity during the winter months; it was, in-fact, another body, which gave rise to the birth of the football club.

The United Volunteer Service Club was created in 1863 to provide the people of Wrexham an opportunity for sporting activity as an alternative to spending their time in Public Houses.
This club was formed at a time when Wrexham, like other towns of the day, had a very bad reputation for drunkenness, although the town itself was undergoing considerable changes due to commerce and trade, which had brought a significant increase in population to the area.
During this time, different organisations, such as The Council, volunteer groups and various trade bodies were conspiring to build a bigger and better infrastructure for town, while also seeking to alleviate poverty. Moreover, the mood of the time was increasingly being influenced by the church and the likes of The Temperance Movement, who were in direct opposition to the breweries and licensed victuallers, who also held considerable influence in the town.
And so, it was amidst this atmosphere that The United Volunteer Service Club was created in 1863, to provide the people of Wrexham an opportunity for sporting activity as an alternative to spending their time in Public Houses.

The club had originally intended to build a gymnasium, but a lack of funds in its inaugural year had meant that no action could be taken over the first 12 months.

This information came to light whilst I was researching the founding players of Wrexham Football club and can be seen in the following article taken from The Wrexham Advertiser 17 October 1863.

United Volunteer Service Club.
The inauguration dinner was held at the Feathers Inn, on Monday last (12/10/1863) under the presidency of Mr Alderman Evans, who, after the usual loyal toasts had been proposed, gave the toast of the evening, Success to the United Volunteer Service Club," and in the course of his remarks, was pleased to find the young men stirring to provide healthy and instructive amusements for the long winter evenings. He was surprised at the continual denunciation of the growing evil of drunkenness at teetotal meetings and from the pulpits of our Church and Dissenting ministers, when those did not come forward and offer some amusement, such as this club was formed for, and giving the young men of the town pure and healthy amusements. He then called upon Mr E. Morris to explain the objects for which the club had been formed. Mr Morris then said, the desirability has long been felt in Wrexham for some place of amusement during the winter months, where those young men (and there are a great many), who leave their business at six and eight o'clock, would rather go than the public houses, which they frequent at present. The club has been formed for the purpose of providing those games and athletic exercises that will elevate pleasantly the mind and improve physically the body. Being short of funds this year we shall have to be content on our evenings of meeting with open and fair discussion on instructive subjects and elementary games, but he hoped by next winter our funds would be so much increased that we could erect a gymnasium, and take a private room where every young man who wished may go every evening and enjoy himself pleasantly by practising healthy exercises, and keeping him from other immoral practices. Mr Kershaw proposed the Mayor and Corporation, and hoped among other things that waterworks would be provided for the town, either by a private company or by the Corporation, as the drainage would be almost useless without them. The President in responding said he was sorry the town was so heavily burdened with taxes, but he was sure every member of the Council had done that which they thought best for the interests of the town. Mr Manuel Jones in proposing the Town and trade of Wrexham remarked that every necessary improvement was owing to trade. Mr Beirne in responding hoped that the town would increase the next twenty years as much as it had done in the previous. Mr Garnett then proposed the officers of the club, to which Mr Thomas Roberts, High-street, the honorary treasurer and Mr John Williams responded. The Ladies were proposed by Mr John Williams and responded to by Mr J. W. Clark. Mr Allen gave a donation of £1.lshilling to the club, which he is going to repeat annually, we hope others will follow his example. Subscriptions will be received by the treasurer.

WREXHAM COUNTY COURT. I|1863-10-17|Wrexham and Denbighshire Advertiser and Cheshire Shropshire and North Wales Register - Welsh Newspapers Online

Many of the members of The United Volunteer Service Club were also volunteers in The Prince of Wales Fire Brigade and servicemen of The Denbighshire Militia and Cavalry as well as being members of The Denbighshire county Cricket Club.
And so it was that just over a year to the day after announcing their intentions, and having raised funds accordingly, the members of The United Volunteer Service Club would use the annual end of season dinner for The Denbighshire County Cricket Club to bring their ideas to fruition, and consequently give rise to the founding of Wrexham Football club


The end of season meeting of The Denbighshire County Cricket Club, as reported in an article from The Wrexham Advertiser 8th October 1864

THE DINNER. Soon after six o'clock the cricketers and their friends sat down to an excellent spread, prepared by the hostess of the Turf Tavern, who, it may be remarked, did all in her power to keep up her credit in that department, and to render the close of the cricketing season as pleasant as possible. Mr Manners, the worthy secretary of the club, occupied the chair, the vice-chair being filled by Mr Kershaw. On the table being cleared, The Chairman rose and proposed the usual loyal toasts, which were duly honoured. The Chairman then proposed the Army, Navy, Volunteers, and Yeomanry," coupling the name of Mr E. Morris as a volunteer, and Mr Whittaker as belonging to the yeomanry. These gentlemen both readily re- plied and sustained the honour of their respective corps. The Bishop and Clergy of the Diocese" was the next toast, the chairman remarking that he should have proposed them before the army," but it was an omission. The Chairman then gave, in suitable terms, The Members for the Borough and county of Denbighshire." He said-Gentlemen, we have the honour of having two of these gentlemen on our list of patrons-Sir- W. W. Wynn and Mr Mainwaring, but we are sorry we have not got the name of Col. Biddulph. I also call upon the vice-chairman to respond to this toast, as I believe he is an old foxhunter and has followed Sir Watkins’s hounds many a day. The Vice-chairman rose on behalf of the three members" and tendered their thanks, and it is also hoped that this winter a great many of the lovers of the sport would attend Sir Watkins’s hounds, as it was a noble pastime. (Cheers.) The Chairman Gentlemen, In rising to propose the next toast I think it should have fallen to the lot of somebody else. I propose the toast of the evening- Success to the Denbighshire County Cricket Club." j He then read a statement of the accounts of the club, which showed a balance in hand of £6 9s. He said he hoped they were all satisfied with the statement, and they ought to be very glad that the secretary was able to lay before them such a balance sheet (cheers.) There is one thing, gentlemen. I wish to name, the great want of amusement in this town in winter time. It is my intention to purchase a football in the course of this week, and I shall expect a good many down to the field next Saturday. There are other games I should like to introduce, especially a Yorkshire one called knur and spell," a very nice game. It was only yesterday I called upon the Mayor and he said he should like to see an athletic club established in Wrexham (cheers.) If we have athletic sports and cannot obtain a room suitable for holding them in we can have them on the green. (Cheers.) Mr Morris then rose to propose the health of the president and vice-president. They have brought many gentlemen to this club and I hope next year they may be instrumental in bringing a great many more, and I hope we may be as successful in our county matches as we have been with the other matches we have played. I hope our next county matches will be played with energy. I have great pleasure in proposing the health of the president and vice-president of this club (cheers.) Mr Kershaw then said,-Gentlemen, I have a double duty to perform. I have to call upon some one for a song, and to propose a toast. I will eulogise in art brief. a manner as I possibly can. The chairman has been at the helm for many seasons. Now is our opportunity to thank him for having worked so well. There is no doubt if we had nota very excellent secretary or a leader of this club, it would fall to the ground, and we owe him our earnest thanks. Whenever he was short of money he never troubled the treasurer, and the committee were never troubled for funds. Gentlemen, I give von the health of the secretary, and the hon. Secretary Capt. Godfrey. (Loud cheers.) The Chairman rose and said- Gentlemen, give you my thanks for the honour you have done me. I have laboured as much as I could for the club. I should like I to have seen a little more of the committee now and then, but I suppose that they had not the time at their disposal, and as long as they pass the accounts I am quite satisfied, and I hope the committee will give me some assistance in future. There is no one like’s cricket more than I do. Next season I hope we shall be able to have our county matches fixed before the commencement of the season. There may be a great many who will join the club next year, but who will not be proficient enough to play in the county matches, and I hope we may have a separate committee for the purpose of making other minor matches, so that we may have a match every week, and that will bring us up to the mark in proficiency, as we are very short in that respect. I return my sincere thanks for the honour von have done me (cheers.) I conclude with proposing "'1'he Press. It is a toast that cannot be too much honoured, and is one of the noblest institutions of the world, and as there is only one gentleman present who is connected with the press, I have great pleasure in coupling his name with the toast. Mr Robinson from the Advertiser" office returned turned thanks. The health of the host and hostess, and the professional of the club (Mr Sharp) were next proposed and suitably acknowledged, and the rest of the evening was filled up with toast and song.

DENBIGHSHIRE COUNTY CRICKET CLUB.|1864-10-08|Wrexham and Denbighshire Advertiser and Cheshire Shropshire and North Wales Register - Welsh Newspapers Online



As can be seen from the two newspaper articles, the speech made by Edward Manners at The Denbighshire County Cricket Club’s end of season Dinner, links back to the founding speech of The United Volunteer Service Club, and so it is this club which actually gave rise to the founding of Wrexham Football Club