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

[WasanActonlad]

Just been for lunch in the Pant yr Ochain.......just noticed going into back snug there's a club photograph (team unknown) of what appears to be a Soames cup winning team, judging by the style of clothing would say Edwardian era.
There appears to be more committee members than players....!!

[jonesfach]

An interesting read about the soames charity cup final. Seemed like a mini riot..

SOAMES'S CHARITY CUP. I|1895-05-04|Wrexham and Denbighshire Advertiser and Cheshire Shropshire and North Wales Register - Welsh Newspapers Online

[eastsussexred]

Originally Posted by jonesfach

An interesting read about the soames charity cup final. Seemed like a mini riot..

SOAMES'S CHARITY CUP. I|1895-05-04|Wrexham and Denbighshire Advertiser and Cheshire Shropshire and North Wales Register - Welsh Newspapers Online

I remenber reading about one local, away game from our early days, in which, our players were 'stoned' off the pitch by the home fans.
We often talk about crowd violence in the the 1970's, but the early days of football seem to have been just as bad, if not worse.

[Sir Crispin Lane]

I believe one of the resons Wrexham races were done away with was because some of the locals, and in particular the church, were getting worried about the trouble from drinking which used to occur at the Racecourse and pressumably in town after. Having seen Chester races I can only concur!
Seemingly the trouble moved into football when the races ended.

[WasanActonlad]

Originally Posted by eastsussexred

I remenber reading about one local, away game from our early days, in which, our players were 'stoned' off the pitch by the home fans.
We often talk about crowd violence in the the 1970's, but the early days of football seem to have been just as bad, if not worse.

You want to read about riots at matches in Glasgow (no surprise) and Belfast from the turn of the century up until the 1920's....

One of the most famous incidents was the Linfield v Belfast Celtic derby in late 1940's were a player falling into the paddock was set upon by Linfield fans, end of the season Belfast Celtic withdrew from football and have never been seen since.
On more than one occasion guns have been fired at games in Ireland......they don't mess about over there....!!!!!

[Cymru_Am_Byth_WXM]

Originally Posted by eastsussexred

I remenber reading about one local, away game from our early days, in which, our players were 'stoned' off the pitch by the home fans.
We often talk about crowd violence in the the 1970's, but the early days of football seem to have been just as bad, if not worse.

If it's the same one, I remember reading about that too. It was a Welsh Cup game away at Coedpoeth. Apparently it wasn't an isolated incident either as the same thing happened to Druids the season before.

[eastsussexred]

Originally Posted by Sir Crispin Lane

I believe one of the resons Wrexham races were done away with was because some of the locals, and in particular the church, were getting worried about the trouble from drinking which used to occur at the Racecourse and pressumably in town after. Having seen Chester races I can only concur!
Seemingly the trouble moved into football when the races ended.

That is true SCL. The earlier races were said to be more gentrified, until the so-called working classes took over and the entire October race season became little more than a drunken brawl. In some ways, this helped to establish football, as politicians, local groups and members of the public later sought to find healthy activities, which were intended to keep the working classes from spending their income in public houses. At that time, many working men were spending their pay packets in the pub, with their wives and children suffering even more poverty and violence as a result of the demon drink. Poverty was rife anyway and income was very low for the majority. Child poverty was horrific.
There were groups of people, including The United Volunteer Services Club, in Wrexham, as well as many others nationwide who were trying to introduce athletic sports as an alternative activity for the masses, rather than spending their time in the pub.
When Edward Manners bought a football in October 1864, he done so after speaking to the mayor, and Wrexham AFC was founded as part of this drive to introduce athletics to the masses, as well as giving sport to cricketers, during the winter.
Charles Edward Kershaw (who played in our first ever game) and Sir Evan Morris (our first real Director), as well as other founding players, were also founding members of The United Volunteer Services Club (an organisation who were established 12 months earlier, specifically to keep the masses out of the pubs, by introducing athletics) hence our founding name;- Wrexham Football and Athletics Club.
The profit from our first ever football season was used to fund the prizes for an annual athletic sports day, which was held at The Racecourse, and which survived, in different forms, into the 20th Century.
Horse racing was later, gradually reintroduced to The Racecourse, initially as part of the athletics events, but without the trouble that had marred the earlier race meetings; whereas, football soon took over as the main spectator sport of the working classes and, as you say, the trouble moved to the football terraces.

[eastsussexred]

As attached. Wrexham Races on the 'new course' 27/28th March 1739 as advertised in The London Evening Post in January 1739, and the following year a three day meeting from 8/9/10th April 1740.

Y Cae Ras is 'at least' 279 years old.

[jonesfach]

Originally Posted by eastsussexred

As attached. Wrexham Races on the 'new course' 27/28th March 1739 as advertised in The London Evening Post in January 1739, and the following year a three day meeting from 8/9/10th April 1740.

Y Cae Ras is 'at least' 279 years old.

Wow.