The Wednesbury Charity Cup was an early football competition held from 1880 - eight years before the foundation of the Football League - for teams from the West Midlands region of England.[1] The competition was conceived and initiated by Isaak Griffiths, a businessman and magistrate from Wednesbury.[2] Money raised from the competition went to local causes.[2]
Founded | 1879 |
---|---|
Abolished | 1991 |
Region | West Midlands |
Last champions | Cradley Town |
Trophy
editWinners were awarded a solid silver trophy,[2] on which the name of each year's winning team was engraved.[1] The cup was made by Walker and Hall of Birmingham and hallmarked in 1879, and is topped by a figure of Charity[3] It cost £100, paid for by public subscription.[2]
The trophy weighs nearly 7 kilograms (15 lb) and is 2 feet 4 inches (71 cm) tall.[2]
In 2016, a member of the public offered the trophy, in poor condition, to Bowjangles, a jewellery shop in Wednesbury, for scrap.[1] Bowjanges owner Aaron Sheldon recognised its provenance and arranged for the trophy to be restored by Crescent Silver in Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter, a process which took five months.[1] The newly-restored trophy was sold at auction by Cuttlestones Auctioneers and Valuers of Wolverhampton, on 2 December 2016,[1] for £7,250.[3]
The first name engraved on the trophy is "Stafford Road, Wolverhampton 1880" and the last "Cradley Town 1991".[3]
Winners
editKey
editSeason | Date | Winners | Result | Runner-up | Venue | Att. & Notes | Ref. | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1879–80 | 31 May 1880 | Stafford Road | 3–0 | Elwells | Wednesbury Oval | 2,000 | [4] | |
1880–81 | 26 February 1881 | Wednesbury Old Athletic | 3–1 | Stafford Road | Wednesbury Oval | "An immense number" | [5] | |
1881–82 | 27 May 1882 | Wednesbury Old Athletic | 3–2 | Aston Unity | Wednesbury Oval | "Very meagre". Replay. | [6] | |
Aston Lower Grounds | Original tie 2–2. | |||||||
1882–83 | 19 May 1883 | Nottingham Forest | 5–3 | West Bromwich Albion | Wellington Road | 4,000 | [7] | |
1883–84 | 17 May 1884 | Wednesbury Town | 3–0 | Nottingham Forest | 1,400. Replay. | [8] | ||
Original tie 2–2. | ||||||||
1884–85 | 16 May 1885 | Birmingham Excelsior | 5–0 | Birmingham St George's | Wellington Road | "Several hundreds." | [9] | |
1885–86 | 1986 | Walsall | ||||||
1886–87 | 1987 | Wednesbury Old Athletic | ||||||
1887–88 | 12 May 1888 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 4–1 | Wednesbury Old Athletic | Molineux Stadium | [10] | ||
1888–89 | 1889 | Wednesbury Old Athletic | ||||||
1889–90 | 1890 | Wednesbury Old Athletic | West Bromwich Albion res. | [7] | ||||
1890–91 | 1891 | Wednesbury Old Athletic | ||||||
1891–92 | 1892 | Singers | [3] | |||||
1893–94 | 1894 | West Bromwich Albion res. | 4–0 | Newport | Wellington | [7] | ||
1912–13 | 1913 | Walsall | [3] | |||||
1914–18 | 1913 | No competition due to World War I. | ||||||
1920–21 | 1921 | Walsall | [3] | |||||
1921–22 | 1922 | Walsall | [3] | |||||
1922–23 | 1923 | Walsall | [3] | |||||
1968–69 | 1969 | Pelsall Villa | [11] | |||||
1969–70 | 1970 | Pelsall Villa | [11] | |||||
1973–74 | 1974 | Pelsall Villa | [11] | |||||
1979–80 | 1980 | Tipton Town | [11] | |||||
1980–81 | 1981 | Tipton Town | [11] | |||||
1981–82 | 1982 | Bilston Town | [11] | |||||
1982–83 | 1983 | Bilston Town | [11] | |||||
1984–85 | 1985 | Bilston Town | [11] | |||||
1988–89 | 1989 | Pelsall Villa | [11] | |||||
1990–91 | 1991 | Cradley Town | [3] | |||||
1990–91 | 1991 | Cradley Town | [3] |
References
edit- ^ a b c d e "Cup provides a silver lining for Wood Green". Express & Star. 21 November 2016. Retrieved 29 November 2016.
- ^ a b c d e "Slice of Black Country football history to come under the hammer on 2nd December". Cuttlestones Auctioneers & Valuers. 26 November 2016. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Fine Art & Antique at Penkridge Auction Rooms - lot 236". Cuttlestones Auctioneers & Valuers. November 2016. Retrieved 29 November 2016.
- ^ Carr, Steve (2022). A History of the Wednesbury Football Charity Association 1880-2009. West Bromwich: Grorty Dick.
- ^ "Athletic Notes". Walsall Observer: 8. 5 March 1881.
- ^ "Wednesbury". Lichfield Mercury: 8. 2 June 1882.
- ^ a b c Matthews, Tony; Mackenzie, Colin (1987). Albion! A Complete Record of West Bromwich Albion 1879-1987. Breedon Books. p. 209. ISBN 0-907969-23-2.
- ^ Smales, Ken (2006). Nottingham Forest The Official Statistical History. Pineapple Books.
- ^ "Wednesbury Charity Cup". Birmingham Daily Post: 8. 18 May 1885.
- ^ "Wednesbury Charity Cup Final". Manchester Courier: 3. 14 May 1888.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "29/11/2016 — Evening News". Midlands Today. 29 November 2016. BBC West Midlands. Retrieved 29 November 2016.