1876–77 Birmingham Senior Cup

The 1876–77 Birmingham Senior Cup was the first edition of the first football tournament played to Football Association laws, other than the FA Cup, and therefore the first local senior tournament.

1876-77 Birmingham Senior Cup
CountryEngland
Dates14 October 1876 - 24 March 1877
Championship venueMidlands
Teams16
ChampionsW.O.A.C.
Runners-upStafford Road
Matches played18

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 £50[1] and made by Mr R Williams of Wednesbury.[2] Not all of the clubs could afford the £3 subscription - the Harold club for instance only contributing 15s and Wednesbury Old Park 10s 6d. The bulk of the shortfall was met by the wealthy Calthorpe club, which contributed £7 7s, and Wednesbury Town and West Bromwich[3] contributed £5 5s each.[4]

By 1876, the association had 16 members, with 500-600 members all told, and all clubs entered the competition.[5]

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.[6] 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.[7]

Participating teams
Participating clubs[8]
TeamFoundationNo. of membersHome groundColours
Aston Unity187450Aston ParkRoyal blue & white[9]
Aston Villa187445Wellington RoadScarlet & royal blue jerseys
Calthorpe1873n/aBristol RoadDark blue
Cannock1875n/aWolverhampton RoadAmber & black jersey, dark blue stockings
Harborne1876?[10]40Church AvenueScarlet & black
Harold1876?[11]n/aAston Park[12]n/a
Royal1874n/aCalthorpe ParkNavy blue & white
Saltley College187380-100[13]College GroundsBlue
St George's1875 ?Fentham RoadBlack with white dragon[14]
Stafford Road187475[15]Stafford Road, WolverhamptonNarrow black & white hoops[16]
Tipton1872n/aHorseley RoadNavy blue
Victoria Swifts1874n/aWest Bromwich RoadAmber & black
Wednesbury Old Park1875n/aKing's Hill FieldsRed & black halves[17]
Wednesbury Old Athletic1874n/aWoodgreenScarlet & black jersey, white knickers
Wednesbury Town1873n/aWoodgreenMaroon & white
West Bromwich187556Four AcresMagenta & blue[18]

Format

The competition was organized 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 beat[19] 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 2–0[20] St George's

Second round
Date Home Score Away
2 December 1876 Saltley College beat[21] 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.[22]

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.[23]

Wednesbury Old Athletic3–2Stafford Road
  • S. Page
  • E. Holmes
Bristol Road
Attendance: 2,500
W.O.A.C.
Stafford Road

Aftermath

Following the formal trophy presentation that evening, the local FA resolved to abolish the "hazardous custom" of charging in local matches, on the basis that it was too dangerous.[25]

References
  1. Alcock, Charles (1877). Football Annual. p. 84.
  2. "Birmingham & District Football Association". Birmingham Daily Post: 2. 29 March 1877.
  3. Not the later West Bromwich Albion, but a side formed out of the Dartmouth cricket club.
  4. "Chronicles of the Midland governing body". Sports Argus: 6. 8 December 1906.
  5. "Birmingham & District Football Association". Birmingham Daily Mail: 2. 19 September 1876.
  6. Carr, Steve (2000). History of the Birmingham Senior Cup. West Bromwich: Grorty Dick.
  7. "Nomad" (15 December 1906). "Chronicles of the governing body". Sports Argus: 6.
  8. Unless otherwise stated, all details taken from the Charles Alcock annual of 1877
  9. Alcock, Charles (1876). Football Annual. p. 142.
  10. There are no recorded fixtures for the Harborne club before its entry to the Senior Cup.
  11. There are no recorded fixtures for the Harold club before its entry to the Senior Cup.
  12. Fixture lists in Aris' Birmingham Gazette in 1876
  13. Alcock, Charles (1878). Football Yearbook. p. 106.
  14. Bradbury, Mike (202). Lost Teams of the Midlands Revisited. Walsall: Black Country Research.
  15. Alcock, Charles (1878). Football Yearbook. p. 106.
  16. McGregor, William (8 February 1902). "Early games in the Midlands". Midland Daily Telegraph: 4.
  17. Bradbury, Mike (202). Lost Teams of the Midlands Revisited. Walsall: Black Country Research.
  18. Alcock, Charles (1875). Football Annual. p. 158.
  19. no score available - given as a home win in the 1877 Alcock annual
  20. At Bott Lane, Walsall
  21. no score available - given as a home win in the 1877 Alcock annual
  22. "Birmingham & District Football Association Challenge Cup". Aris' Gazette: 5. 24 March 1877.
  23. "Football". Birmingham Daily Gazette: 3. 27 March 1877.
  24. "Final Cup Tie". Birmingham Daily Post: 6. 26 March 1877.
  25. "Birmingham & District Football Association". Birmingham Daily Post: 2. 29 March 1877.
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