The massive Wrexham AFC history thread (The sad case of a founding members and player of Wrexham...)

[WasanActonlad]

Re access to the station is precisely the point I was making..
And the rhosnessney end of the park is the furthest away..

You state source convenient for the corners quay railway..
That's the one that would have fed into central station (need to check date opened)... re special train running from oswestry...one assumes would gave linked onto main chester line at gobowen. With stops at chirk and ruabon..
As opposed to rail from oswestry whitchurch line turning for wxm at ellesmere to arrive at central station...

In my mind it must be at top of acton hill...though for a crowd of 1500 ..on park pitch would have been quite deep around the touchline..
Could it have been somewhere say at the bottom of the hill ie oak drive neville crescent area..where there would have been a natural bank with the rise in gradient of the acton tidge/plateau...

[eastsussex]

Originally Posted by Inside Left

Rethe location attributed to Jones and Davies - They believe it to be in a certain location but there is no firm evidence.
The nearest we get to evidence is from George Larry who recalls a relative of his explaining that the walked out of town and up Acton Hill to the match. George has used the more reliable secondary source - so it is likely that the match was played out, as has been suggested, somewhere by the now Acton Hotel or aside the entrance gates to the Hall. Another blue plaque maybe? on Box lane.

Like everyone else, I am not sure where the 1878 final was played, but felt that a map at least offers those from outside of the area a general idea of where the final was played.
I am not sure why Gareth and Pete believed that the pitch was located where they sited it in their book, but I do know that the owner of the park at the time- Sir Robert Alfred Cunliffe had donated that specific area of the park for sporting activites.
The area where the pitch was shown in the book had been used as the venue for The Hare and Hounds Club Annual Athletic Sports Day for some time prior to the Welsh Cup Final, and just a couple of months after the final had taken place, The Hare and Hounds held their third Annual Sports Day in that same approximate location, with admission to the venue only available via the Rhosnesni Lodge gate, at a cost of one shilling. And so I don’t think that it was unreasonable for Gareth and Pete to assume that the pitch was in that location, but you would have to ask Pete his thoughts on the matter.
Additionally, this side of the park had been used for similar events for some time, with entrance always gained through the nearby gate of Rhosnesni Lodge. This side of the park was specifically used for such events because it was much flatter and less forested than other areas of the park (see link from an athletics event from 1876) https://newspapers.library.wales/vie...95/3854002/24/
For some time, this location had been known locally as the place where sports activities took place within Acton Park, and the entrance was always gained through Rhosnesni Lodge Gates, which served as a kind of turnstile. The area was quite a large flat area that accommodated large crowds, who would also be entertained by military bands. And so, the first Welsh Cup Final may have been located in another area of the park, nearer to Chester Road, although this would have been a break with tradition at that time (1878).

[louisleftboot]

Diving into the Welsh Cup history there are some old teams from Wrexham who sound interesting:

Civil Service Wrexham
Wrexham Grosvenor FC who played at ‘Mr Snapes Field’.
Gwersyllt Foresters
Hare & Hound (who played at the Racecourse?)

[Cymru_Am_Byth_WXM]

Originally Posted by louisleftboot

Diving into the Welsh Cup history there are some old teams from Wrexham who sound interesting:

Civil Service Wrexham
Wrexham Grosvenor FC who played at ‘Mr Snapes Field’.
Gwersyllt Foresters
Hare & Hound (who played at the Racecourse?)

I’m currently writing a book on all the old teams in the area from the 1870’s until 1914. No idea when it’ll be finished as it’s massive and I keep discovering more teams. Currently on around 200 pages.

[louisleftboot]

Originally Posted by Cymru_Am_Byth_WXM

I’m currently writing a book on all the old teams in the area from the 1870’s until 1914. No idea when it’ll be finished as it’s massive and I keep discovering more teams. Currently on around 200 pages.

Cool - keep us updated!

[eastsussex]

Originally Posted by louisleftboot

Diving into the Welsh Cup history there are some old teams from Wrexham who sound interesting:

Civil Service Wrexham
Wrexham Grosvenor FC who played at ‘Mr Snapes Field’.
Gwersyllt Foresters
Hare & Hound (who played at the Racecourse?)

Yes, the Hare and Hounds Club played on The Racecourse after Wrexham moved to Rhosddu Recreation Ground in 1881, although a number of other teams also occassionally played their home games on The Racecourse.
The Hare and Hounds had very close links with WFC and their players were often interchangable.
The Hare and Hounds sports Day on Acton Park from my earlier post had the Wrexham club captain (Murless) running in a number of races on that day, as well as WXM club President Evan Morris. He had been heavily involved in the creation of the Hare and Hounds club. The Hare and Hounds Football Club was eventually absorbed into Wrexham Football Club to create Wrexham Olympic, after Wrexham had been kicked out of the English FA Cup; from which time, The Hare and Hounds continued as just a hunting and athletics club.
The massive Wrexham AFC history thread (The sad case of a founding members and player of Wrexham...)

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

[louisleftboot]

Thanks ESR, missed that on the earlier post. Great stuff as usual. How great would it be to step back in time and see some of these players kick it about.

[eastsussex]

Originally Posted by louisleftboot

Thanks ESR, missed that on the earlier post. Great stuff as usual. How great would it be to step back in time and see some of these players kick it about.

Wouldnt it just. I often try to visualise the ground in those days

[WasanActonlad]

Originally Posted by Cymru_Am_Byth_WXM

I’m currently writing a book on all the old teams in the area from the 1870’s until 1914. No idea when it’ll be finished as it’s massive and I keep discovering more teams. Currently on around 200 pages.

Are you responsible for details on wikipedia re extinct wrexham area clubs....?

The 3 town teams that interested me were
Grosvenor
Gymnasium
And hibernian...

One of the G's played on as it was bennions lane...
Another on chester rd
One played in sky blue ...which always thought the classic late 60s early 70s second strip may have been a nod to.
One of them at turn of century also played in the west cheshire league which they won
The wxm hibs must have been one of the first Irish linked clubs out side of scotland......after hibs celtic and various Dundee irish team prior to Dundee utd...