Crewe Britannia Football Club was an English football club from Crewe in Cheshire.
| Full name | Crewe Britannia Football Club | |
|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | the Britons[1] | |
| Founded | 1873 | |
| Dissolved | 1894 | |
| Ground | Edleston Road | |
| Secretary | R. J. Collier | |
|
| ||
History
editThe club was founded in 1873[2] as a rugby club, with regular matches against clubs such as Widnes[3] and Runcorn.[4]
Before the start of the 1883–84 season, perhaps inspired by the example of Crewe Alexandra, the club switched to association football,[5] and indeed had the assistance of some Alexandra players in some of its early matches, such as a 4–0 win at Whitchurch Alexandria in September 1883.[6]
The only national competition the club entered was the 1885–86 Welsh Cup. In the first round, the club beat Chester 3–0 in the first round (Chester handicapped by playing for 70 minutes with 10 men, due to an injury to Sissons),[7] but lost 5–1 at Crewe Alexandra in the second, despite holding a half-time lead.[8]
The club at this time could attract 600 spectators,[9] and played a friendly at Newton Heath,[10] but Britannia was never so ambitious again, and descended into more local football. This may have been due to the "depressed state of trade"[11] or that Alexandra could attract several thousand to its FA Cup ties.[12]
By its final seasons, the club had been reduced to playing in the Crewe Junior Cup, and in 1893–94 it lost at Audlem in the first round.[13] The final match recorded for the club was a 6–2 defeat against the Crewe Athletic reserve side in February 1894.[14]
Colours
editThe club wore green and white.[15]
Ground
editThe club's first ground was in Rockwood Lane.[16] By 1878[17] it had moved to a ground on Edleston Road, and it used the Imperial Hotel for its facilities.[18]
Notable players
edit- Stephen Finney and Hay Frederick Donaldson played rugby for the club in 1874.[19]
References
edit- ^ "Welsh Challenge Cup". Chester Chronicle: 6. 14 November 1885.
- ^ "Crewe Britannia Football Club". Crewe Chronicle: 5. 6 October 1877.
- ^ "Crewe Britannia v Widnes". Chronicle: 4. 12 October 1878.
- ^ "Runcorn v Crewe Britannia". Chester Chronicle: 7. 27 November 1880.
- ^ "Crewe Britannia v Cauldon Rangers". Northwich Guardian: 8. 19 September 1883.
- ^ "Football". Chester Chronicle: 3. 6 October 1883.
- ^ "Football notes". Chester Chronicle: 6. 9 January 1886.
- ^ "Welsh Challenge Cup". Chester Chronicle: 2. 26 December 1885.
- ^ "Crewe Britannia v Newtown". Chester Chronicle: 7. 28 November 1885.
- ^ "Newton Heath (L. & Y. R.) v Crewe Britannia". Guardian: 5. 2 November 1885.
- ^ "The Britannia Football Association Ball, Crewe". Chester Chronicle: 4. 15 August 1885.
- ^ "Football notes". Chester Chronicle: 6. 14 November 1885.
- ^ "Audlem v Crewe Britannia". Chester Chronicle: 3. 2 December 1893.
- ^ "Crewe Athletic Reserve v Crewe Britannia". Runcorn Guardian: 5. 10 February 1894.
- ^ Alcock, Charles (1885). Football Annual. Wright & Co. p. 245.
- ^ "Crewe Britannia Football Club". Crewe Chronicle: 5. 6 October 1877.
- ^ "Crewe Britannia v Widnes". Chronicle: 4. 12 October 1878.
- ^ Alcock, Charles (1885). Football Annual. Wright & Co. p. 245.
- ^ Henderson, Andrew (1976). The History of the Cheshire Rugby Football Union. Cheshire RFU. p. 5.