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 £50 and made by Mr R. Williams of Wednesbury. 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. 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.
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. 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.
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 & White 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 80-100 William ThompsonListed simply as "Captain of Football Team" College Grounds Blue St George's 1875 ? F. Bagnall Fentham Road, Aston Black with White Dragon Stafford Road 1874 75 R. Gowland Stafford Road, Wolverhampton Narrow Black & White hoops 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 & Blue
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 beatno score available - given as a home win in the 1877 Alcock annual 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.
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.
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