Birth of the Waders

[anthony.brown]

BIGGLESWADE FOOTBALL CLUB
A well attended meeting was held at the Swan Hotel on the 21st November 1874, for the purpose of forming a football club for the town and neighbourhood. The chair was taken by Mr T.J.Hooper who spoke strongly in favour of the object for which the meeting was called. It was unanimously resolved that a football club be established and that the subscription from honorary members be not less than 5s. and playing members 3s.6d. It was also resolved that the business of the club should be carried on by a president, committee of six members, and secretary and treasurer.
The following gentlemen were elected to serve on the committee:-
Messrs A.Mansell, R.P.Stephens, A.K.Lindsell, C.Dalton, G.Maythorn, and C.H.L.Stoughton.
Mr H.Van-der-Vord was appointed secretary and treasurer.
Mr Conder informed the meeting that a gentleman had authorised him to pay for all the necessary things for the first game, goal posts, one ball, and all the boundary flags. The Chairman thanked the donor on behalf the club for his generosity. Thirty-five of the gentlemen present became members of the club and paid their subscriptions.
The first game was played on the Cricket Ground on Saturday last [28th November 1874].
Bedfordshire Mercury Saturday 5th December 1874

The members of this newly formed club held a meeting at the Sun Hotel, on Wednesday 20th January 1875, for the purpose of appointing a captain. The chair was taken by the Rev.J.M.Lyte, and Mr Van-der-Vord was unanimously elected captain.
A match was played against the Hitchin Club on the Biggleswade ground on Saturday last, 23rd January 1875, which ended in the defeat of the home team. This was the first match played by the new club, but they fought well and the Hitchin players may take credit to themselves for the victory. At half-time no goal was obtained - the Biggleswade penned the Hitchin nearly throughout. The Hitchin got two goals and these were obtained in the last half-hour, the last just as time was called.
The following were the Biggleswade players:
Messrs Van-der-Vord (captain), Bassett, Mansell, Aylmer, Winters, Phelps, Spicer, Stevens, Hollings, Butler, and Stevens.
The Rev.J.M.Lyte was the umpire.
The attendance of spectators was good.The Biggleswade team, as this was their first match, entertained their opponents at the Swan Hotel, and they spent a pleasant evening together.
Bedfordshire Mercury Saturday 30th January 1875

BIGGLESWADE v BEDFORD
A well-contested game was played between the above clubs on Saturday last. Biggleswade won the toss and elected to play from the lower goal. The teams were very evenly matched, and for about twenty minutes it seemed anybody's game, when the first goal was scored for Bedford by a very good kick from Pearson. Ends were changed, and several attacks were made by each party on the opponents' goal, but without success, except in one instance, when by some pretty play between Aylmer and Spicer, a goal was obtained for Biggleswade, thus making a drawn game of it. For the Biggleswade club, Spicer, Aylmer, Scorror, P.R.Stevens, and Butler (forwards) and Stoughton (back) played very well indeed; Pearson, Read and Barnes did good service for the Bedford team. Mr Woodgate, captain of the Hitchin Football Club, was umpire for Biggleswade, and Mr G.Hewlett for Bedford.
Bedfordshire Mercury Saturday 13th March 1875

[RST]

I wonder how long a game would last these days if Biggleswade only had one ball!

[anthony.brown]

Biggleswade's first ever game was a 0-2 home defeat against a Hitchin eleven. Today's Hitchin win was most welcome.