Birch F.C. was an Englishrugby andassociation football club fromRusholme, founded in around 1870 as a club playing originally just the association code.^[1]

By 1878, the club mostly played rugby only, but in April 1878 played a friendly againstQueen's Park because"it has lately been practising the dribbling as well as the Rugby game",^[2] due to a former Queen's Park player (James Strang) joining the club. The club entered theFA Cup the next season, but scratched when drawn at home toDarwen.^[3]

In October 1878, the association part of the club broke away to formManchester Wanderers^[4][5] while the Birch club joined theRugby Football Union.^[6] In 1881 Birch was a founder member of theLancashire County Rugby Football Union.^[7]

The club ceased to exist in the 1890s.^[8]

The club played at the Longsight Cricket Ground.^[9]

Thomas Slaney, the firstStoke City manager, guested for the team against Queen's Park.

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