Shropshire Wanderers F.C. was an amateur association football club based in Shrewsbury, England. The club was active during the 1870s and once reached the FA Cup semi-finals.
History
The club was founded out of the Shropshire Wanderers cricket club.[4] It entered the FA Cup competition in each of the years from 1873–74 to 1877–78.
Its greatest success came in 1874–75, when it reached the semi-finals. In the second round the club conceded a late equalizer to the Civil Service F.C. at the Kennington Oval,[5] but the Service scratched from the replay, being unable to travel to Shrewsbury.[6] The only match the club won in the tournament - and the only one the club would ever win in the Cup - was a replay win against Woodford Wells. The initial tie (at the Kennington Oval) ended 1–1, even after the sides played an optional 15 minutes of extra-time.[7] The replay, at the same venue, was an easier match for the Salopians, a goal from Randall (following up his own shot coming back off the post) and an own goal from Frazer (getting in the way of a clearance at a scrimmage) putting the club into the last four.[8]
The club played the Old Etonians at the Kennington Oval in the semi-final; unfortunately the Countrymen were without their star half-back John Denning, and lost 1–0.[9] This was the club's only defeat in its first five years of existence.[10]
The club also has a unique place in FA Cup history, as the only team to be eliminated from the competition by coin toss,[11] the fateful coin toss taking place at the Raven Hotel in Shrewsbury, where the club and opponents Sheffield F.C. had retired to dine together after their Cup tie.[12]
The Shropshire Wanderers were notable as a team that employed passing as early as 1875.[13] The club shared a number of players (including John Hawley Edwards) with the Shrewsbury football club, which focussed on more local competition.
The club had ceased activity after the 1877–78 season, but reformed for a handful of matches at the start of the 1880s. The last recorded match of the club was a 5–3 defeat to Druids F.C. in March 1882.[14] A match was scheduled against a club named Shrewsbury Town the following week but seems not to have taken place; this was not the current club.[15]
Colours
The club's colours were white jerseys, blue serge knickerbockers, and maroon stockings.[16]
Ground
The club played at the Racecourse, using the Raven or the Lion hotels for facilities.[17]
Notable players
John Hawley Edwards, who made his only international appearance for England in 1874 whilst a Shropshire Wanderers player,[18] scored for the more famous Wanderers club in the 1876 FA Cup Final and played for Wales against Scotland a week later.
David Thomson, who won a cap for Wales (alongside Kenrick and Edwards) while a Shropshire Wanderers player.[20]
John Wylie, chosen for the England v Scotland match in 1874 while a Salopian, but forced to withdraw through injury and replaced by Hawley Edwards.[21] However, as "one of the finest dribblers in the country", he did play for the Football Association in a representative match against the Sheffield Football Association the same year.[22]
