| Full name | Birch Football Club |
|---|---|
| Founded | c. 1870 |
| Dissolved | 1890s |
| Ground | Longsight Cricket Club |
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.