| Full name | Nottingham Wanderers Football Club | |
|---|---|---|
| Nickname | the Wanderers | |
| Founded | 1872 | |
| Dissolved | 1886 | |
| Ground | the Meadows, Queen's Walk | |
Nottingham Wanderers F.C. was an Englishassociation football club fromNottinghamshire.
Although the club claimed a formation date of 1872, the first recorded match is from 1876, against Radcliffe.[1] It is possible that the foundation date refers to the cricket club out of which the football club was formed.[2]
The club was one of the first to play under artificial lighting, a match with Nottingham Trent at the Castle ground in November 1879 being described as "lighted by means ofBengal lights".[3] It was one of the first entrants to theNotts Cup in 1883-84, reaching the semi-finals, but losing tothe Trent club.[4] The Wanderers appealed the result on the basis that one of the Trent players (Harry Moore) was a professional withNotts County, and that both he and another player were cup-tied, but theNottinghamshire Football Association rejected the appeal, as it was both out of time and unsupported by a formal motion by the Wanderers club.[5]
The club struggled to attract crowds; although 1,000 attended a match againstthe Swifts at the Meadows in October 1884,[6] one week later, the club played in front of a meagre attendance because most people were watchingNotts County vDarwen instead.
The club only entered theFA Cup twice, both times losing in the first round. In1884-85, losing 1-0 atSheffield Heeley. Thefollowing year, the club lost in a replay toNotts Olympic. Even a local derby Cup tie could not attract crowds, only 400 turning up to the first match (the appalling weather being a factor).[7]
The last recorded result for the club is an 8-0 defeat atAccrington in December 1885[8] and in January 1886 the club is described as "quite defunct".[9]
The Wanderers name was revived in 1888 as the new name forMellors Limited F.C.[10]
The club colours were described as "scarlet" and "scarlet and white", probably referring to the shirts and knickerbockers rather than a pattern.[11]
