1876–77 Birmingham Senior Cup

April 2022 Birmingham Senior Cup 1876–77 England Bristol Road, Bournbrook 14 October 1876 – 24 March 1877 16 W.O.A.C. Stafford Road 18 1877–78 The 1876–77 Birmingham Senior Cup was the first edition of the Birmingham Senior Cup, the first football tournament other than the FA Cup played to Football Association laws, and therefore the first local senior tournament. Background The Birmingham Football Association was founded in 1875 and took a subscription of £3 from its member clubs in order to commission a trophy for a member tournament, the trophy costing £50Alcock Charles Football Annual 1877 84 and made by Mr R. Williams of Wednesbury.Birmingham & District Football Association Birmingham Daily Post 29 March 1877 2 Not all of the clubs could afford the £3 subscription – the Harold club contributed 15s, Wednesbury Old Park 10s 6d, and Saltley College £1 12s.Chronicles of the Midland governing body Sports Argus 8 December 1906 6 The bulk of the shortfall was met by the wealthy Calthorpe club, which contributed £7 7s, and Wednesbury Town and West BromwichNot the later West Bromwich Albion, but a side formed out of the Dartmouth cricket club. contributed £5 5s each. By 1876, the association had 16 members, with 500–600 members all told, and all clubs entered the competition.Birmingham & District Football Association Birmingham Daily Mail 19 September 1876 2 Until 1877, the Association laws did not specify the number of players per side, and it was agreed that the matches would be with 12 players per side.Carr Steve History of the Birmingham Senior Cup 2000 Grorty Dick West Bromwich There was also some local leeway with regard to the laws of the game; in particular, the Birmingham local rules stipulated that "corner" kicks should be taken 20 yards from the goalposts, rather than the corner flag.Nomad Chronicles of the governing body Sports Argus 15 December 1906 6 Participating teams Team Founded No. of members Secretary Home ground Colours Aston Harold 1876There are no recorded fixtures for the Harold club before its entry to the Senior Cup. N/AWorks side of the Reuben Heaton fishing equipment works Humphrey Wall Aston ParkFixture lists in Aris' Birmingham Gazette in 1876 N/A Aston Unity 1874 50 S. Durban Aston Park Royal Blue & WhiteAlcock Charles Football Annual 1876 142 Aston Villa 1874 45 D. J. Stephens Wellington Road Scarlet & Royal Blue jerseys Calthorpe 1873 N/A John Campbell Orr Bristol Road Dark Blue Cannock 1875 N/A John Pigott Wolverhampton Road Amber & Black jersey, Dark Blue stockings. Harborne 1876There are no recorded fixtures for the Harborne club before its entry to the Senior Cup. 40 F. W. Lambert Church Avenue Scarlet & Black Royal 1874 N/A J. F. Jones Calthorpe Park Navy Blue & White Saltley College 1873 80-100Alcock Charles Football Yearbook 1878 106 William ThompsonListed simply as "Captain of Football Team" College Grounds Blue St George's 1875 ? F. Bagnall Fentham Road, Aston Black with White DragonBradbury Mike Lost Teams of the Midlands Revisited 202 Black Country Research Walsall Stafford Road 1874 75 R. Gowland Stafford Road, Wolverhampton Narrow Black & White hoopsMcGregor William Early games in the Midlands Midland Daily Telegraph 8 February 1902 4 Tipton 1872 N/A J. Spicer Leach Horseley Road Navy Blue Victoria Swifts 1874 N/A T. Spriggs West Bromwich Road, Walsall Amber & Black Wednesbury Old Park 1875 N/A J. Lowe King's Hill Fields Red & Black halves Wednesbury Old Athletic 1874 N/A W. Willies Woodgreen Scarlet & Black jersey. White knickers. Wednesbury Town 1873 N/A F. R. Gamble Woodgreen Maroon & White West Bromwich 1875 56 James Roberts Four Acres Magenta & BlueAlcock Charles Football Annual 1875 158 Details taken from the Football Annuals for 1876 (secretary names) and 1877 unless stated. Format The competition was organised as a straight knockout tournament, with replays to a conclusion. Results All results as given in History of the Birmingham Senior Cup by Steve Carr unless otherwise stated. First round Date Home Score Away 14 October 1876 Wednesbury Town 2–1 Victoria Swifts 21 October 1876 Aston Unity 0–0 Saltley College 21 October 1876 Calthorpe 4–0 Royal 11 November 1876 Cannock 0–0 St George's 11 November 1876 Harborne 0–13 Wednesbury Old Athletic 11 November 1876 Stafford Road 1–0 West Bromwich 11 November 1876 Wednesbury Old Park beatno score available - given as a home win in the 1877 Alcock annual Harold 18 November 1876 Aston Villa 0–1 Tipton Replays Date Home Score Away 11 November 1876 Saltley College 2–1 Aston Unity 18 November 1876 St George's 0–0 Cannock 2 December 1876 Cannock 2–0At Bott Lane, Walsall St George's Second round Date Home Score Away 2 December 1876 Saltley College beat Tipton 23 December 1876 Wednesbury Old Athletic 2–0 Wednesbury Old Park 30 December 1876 Stafford Road 3–0 Cannock 13 January 1877 Wednesbury Town 2–0 Calthorpe Semi-finals Date Home Score Away Attendance 17 February 1877 Stafford Road 2–0 Wednesbury Town 24 February 1877 Wednesbury Old Athletic 2–0 Saltley College 1,500 Final The final was played at Calthorpe's ground on the Bristol Road. A special train left Wolverhampton at 2.05pm, calling at Wednesbury, West Bromwich, and Hockley, to allow the team members and their friends to travel to the final.Birmingham & District Football Association Challenge Cup Aris' Gazette 24 March 1877 5 The Roadsters took a two-goal lead in the first half-an-hour of the match, both scored by Crump, but Page shot just under the bar for a goal back shortly before half-time. Holmes scored two quick goals in the second half, which were enough to secure the trophy for the Old Uns.Football Birmingham Daily Gazette 27 March 1877 3 24 March 1877 16:15Final Cup Tie Birmingham Daily Post 26 March 1877 6 Wednesbury Old Athletic 3–2 Stafford Road Page Holmes Crump Bristol Road, Bournbrook 2,500 _thin_blackhoops _thin_blackhoops _thin_blackhoops _hoops_black FF0000 FF0000 FF0000 FFFFFF FF0000 W.O.A.C._thin_black_hoops _inch_blackhoops _thin_black_hoops 000000 Stafford Road Johnson kept goal for WOAC."Football", The Birmingham Post, 8 October 1878, p6 Aftermath Following the formal trophy presentation that evening, the Birmingham Football Association resolved to abolish the "hazardous custom" of charging in local matches, on the basis that it was too dangerous. References Category:Sports competitions in Birmingham, West Midlands Category:1876–77 in English football Category:County Cup competitions Category:Football in the West Midlands (county)