Early Days Information

[Kenny]

Which is what Wolves have basically said. But who is to say that Goldthorn FC did not play a game? There is no record that they did, but who knows? So given the limited available information, it is understandable that the club stand by 1877 as the beginnings of Wolves.

I would say it is highly unlikely they played a game that was of a similar standing to playing Stafford Road. Meeting in November to get interest then the game v SR played 2 months later. Organising the game and getting a team together would have taken the best part of that gap.

 

[FrankMunro-371]

I would say it is highly unlikely they played a game that was of a similar standing to playing Stafford Road. Meeting in November to get interest then the game v SR played 2 months later. Organising the game and getting a team together would have taken the best part of that gap.

I cannot disagree with you, but one cannot help but wonder if in that two month period, whether Goldthorn FC played a game. I think the players had to pay a signing on fee of one shilling, and having paid out that money it is fair to presume that they wanted a game in return for their outlay.

 

[Law's Bus]

Just wanted to say this thread is utterly fascinating. Thanks for digging all of this stuff up, Frank - like others, I'd taken the 1877 date as being gospel, and never really thought about it beyond St. Lukes, then the merge with Wanderers Cricket Club instantly turning the club into Wolverhampton Wanderers. The whole Goldthorn FC bit is totally new to me.

Reading through it, it's amazing how we don't all support Stafford Road, and how we ended up being founder members of the Football League at all.

 

[Dinowolf]

Because they moved to Dudley Rd pitch in 1881, it would make sense that their name would change then, with the prefix of Wolverhampton to Wanderers.
According to reports Jack Brodie says that the team were known as 'Wolves' when they had their first 'big game' at Dudley Rd against Wednesbury Old Athletic.

 

[leedswolf]

Which is what Wolves have basically said. But who is to say that Goldthorn FC did not play a game? There is no record that they did, but who knows? So given the limited available information, it is understandable that the club stand by 1877 as the beginnings of Wolves.

Goldthorn FC was a separate entity. St Lukes headmaster Harry Barcroft played for them well into the 1890's.

 

[Kenny]

So, was Goldthorn FC something that led to St Lukes being formed rather than name change then? Basically Brodie & Co were splitters?

 

[Penk Wolf]

So, is the general meeting notice above nothing to do with Wolves?

 

[leedswolf]

Just wanted to say this thread is utterly fascinating. Thanks for digging all of this stuff up, Frank - like others, I'd taken the 1877 date as being gospel, and never really thought about it beyond St. Lukes, then the merge with Wanderers Cricket Club instantly turning the club into Wolverhampton Wanderers. The whole Goldthorn FC bit is totally new to me.

Reading through it, it's amazing how we don't all support Stafford Road, and how we ended up being founder members of the Football League at all.

The original amalgamation was Wanderers Football & Cricket Club. The Wolverhampton prefix was added later.

 

[leedswolf]

So, was Goldthorn FC something that led to St Lukes being formed rather than name change then? Basically Brodie & Co were splitters?

The meeting was called to discuss the Goldthorn Football Club. It looks as though this morphed into St Luke's and Goldthorn FC rose from the ashes as a separate entity.

 

[Kenny]

So leeds comes along and bats the 1876 formation date out of the park (and it lands in 1877)

 

[leedswolf]

I would say it is highly unlikely they played a game that was of a similar standing to playing Stafford Road. Meeting in November to get interest then the game v SR played 2 months later. Organising the game and getting a team together would have taken the best part of that gap.

There was a game held at Windmill Field, Goldthorn Hill before the Stafford Road game.

 

[Penk Wolf]

The meeting was called to discuss the Goldthorn Football Club. It looks as though this morphed into St Luke's and Goldthorn FC rose from the ashes as a separate entity.

And the date and time of the first games as Wolverhampton Wanderers? (-:

 

[Penk Wolf]

So leeds comes along and bats the 1876 formation date out of the park (and it lands in 1877)

Not really, he's confirmed it.

 

[Kenny]

Has he. He confirmed Goldthorn FC but they carried on playing after St Lukes were formed and played in 1877 (a massive 2 months after the 1st meeting for Goldthorn FC was held)

 

[Penk Wolf]

Has he. He confirmed Goldthorn FC but they carried on playing after St Lukes were formed and played in 1877 (a massive 2 months after the 1st meeting for Goldthorn FC was held)

Yeah, but he confirmed that in 1877 St Luke's decided to go their separate way, which would have been the start of St Luke's.

 

[FrankMunro-371]

When the club took the name St Luke's, all the players were the ones who had originally signed for Goldthorn. I accept that Goldthorn continued at some stage, but this did not happen until after St Luke's had started playing games.

 

[Kenny]

So St Lukes were a new club rather than a renaming of Goldthorn?

 

[FrankMunro-371]

No, St Luke's took over from Goldthorn for reasons stated earlier in this thread, and Goldthorn Hill FC were formed sometime later in 1877, but were a new club. It is believed that Goldthorn Hill and St Luke's played on grounds that almost backed onto each other, and it is also more than likely that they played each other.

 

[Kenny]

Either way, our Year of Formation is 1877 unless someone manages to dig up records of a game played between November 10th & 31st December 1876

 

[FrankMunro-371]

The meeting was called to discuss the Goldthorn Football Club. It looks as though this morphed into St Luke's and Goldthorn FC rose from the ashes as a separate entity.

Very interesting indeed, but I believe that when Goldthorn were formed, all players had to pay a signing on fee of one shilling. The first eleven players who signed were members of the St Luke's church choir, and so in January 1877 it was decided to change the name to St Luke's. Goldthorn Hill were formed later on with different players signing up.