Uxbridge

Early years

Uxbridge Football Club was founded on 3 February 1871 in an inaugural meeting attended by the Rev. T. S. Shepherd and local men, Hubert Heron, Frank Heron, P. Aldworth, F. J. Smith, R. T. Smith, W. M. Gardiner, W. Fassnidge, E. White, and P. White. At the meeting Mr. William Mansfield Gardiner was appointed president and a committee of four elected to manage the club. It was agreed that the established rules of the club be those of the 'Football Association of London', the subscriptions would be fixed at 2s. 6d. per annum and 'that the uniform of the club consist of a white jersey with light blue Maltese cross and a light blue velvet scull cap with silver tassel'.

The team started by playing friendly return games. Four nearby towns had formed clubs in the months before Uxbridge F.C. had been established. Windsor Home Park had been formed in September 1870, Maidenhead in October 1870, Marlow on the 22 November 1870 and the Swifts club of Slough in the new year of 1871. Uxbridge's first game was not recorded but was likely to have been played against Marlow on Uxbridge Common as the return game at Marlow took place on 8 April 1871. Other recorded return games in 1871 and early 1872 were played against Windsor Home Park, Maidenhead and Southall. The game against Southall on 21 October 1871 would be that club's first recorded game.

Uxbridge's first captain was Reginald T. Smith who served until 2 September 1873, when Hubert Heron was appointed captain and hon. secretary at the club's annual general meeting (AGM). By this time, Hubert Heron had gained a full international cap as a forward for England in the 2nd annual game against Scotland on 8 March 1873. As Uxbridge captain, he would gain a further cap at the 3rd annual game on 7 March 1874.

From the start of the club some Uxbridge players would also play for Windsor Home Park and Swifts. However, the F.A. Cup competition which was initiated in the 1871–72 season had a rule (rule 3) which stated that 'no individual shall be allowed to play for more than one competing Club'. In the 1872–73 FA Cup Uxbridge players Hubert Heron, his brother Frank Heron, G. Turner and club president William Mansfield Gardiner played for Windsor Home Park in their three competition ties against Reigate Priory, South Norwood and Maidenhead.They were joined by Uxbridge captain Reginald T. Smith for the South Norwood and Maidenhead ties.

All with the exception of Reginald T. Smith represented Uxbridge when the club made its FA Cup debut in the 1873–74 competition which resulted in a 3–0 first round win over Gitanos at Uxbridge Common on 28 October 1873. In the second round tie on 26 November 1873, they faced eventual finalists the Royal Engineers on Uxbridge Common which ended in a 2–1 defeat.

In the following season, at a club committee meeting on 19 October 1874, Hubert Heron advised he would be playing for Wanderers in the forthcoming 1874–75 FA Cup competition. The issue was compounded when G. Turner and Hubert Heron's brothers Frank and Henry elected to play for Swifts in their FA Cup 1st-round game against Old Etonians on 5 November 1874. The consequence of the loss of players was Uxbridge having to scratch their FA Cup 1st-round game against Windsor Home Park which was to have taken place on 7 November 1874.

The withdrawal from the 1874–75 F.A. Cup with Uxbridge's best players wishing to play for other teams would lead to the club being disbanded for five years. At a general meeting of members at the Railway Hotel in Uxbridge on 18 November 1874, it was decided that the club should be dissolved, '...brought about, not from any want of funds, but owing to disagreements amongst members, occasioned chiefly by the club being unable to engage in the contest for the Association Challenge Cup, in consequence of a few of the members preferring to play for neighbouring clubs, rather than cast their lot with Uxbridge.' Writing of the club's dissolution a week later the Maidenhead Advertiser stated; 'This is much to be regretted, as the club was one of the strongest out of London, and was looked upon as likely to stand a good outside chance for the Association cup ; but we understand that the Captain deserted his club to play for one of the London teams, and thereby obliged the rest of the members to come to the unpleasant conclusion they did.' Hubert Heron would go on to receive an F.A. Cup winners medal three times with Wanderers in 1876, 1877, and 1878.

By 18 November 1874, the Uxbridge Crescents Football Club had been formed. A match against Misbourne House of Chalfont took place that afternoon on Uxbridge Common. A game against junior club Swallows F.C. on Uxbridge Common was played on 7 January 1875 ending in a 1–0 defeat. On 5 January 1876 a 1–0 win was recorded against Windsor Grosvenor also on Uxbridge Common. In the 1876–77 season games are recorded against senior clubs Maidenhead and Windsor Home Park. After this period, only two Crescents games are recorded before 1883, a local derby on 12 November 1881 against Uxbridge Caxtonians on Uxbridge Common, and also on Uxbridge Common a game against Padcroft College on 11 November 1882.

An attempt to revive Uxbridge F.C. was made by William Mansfield Gardiner in October 1876, but the undertaking failed to proceed at that time. The club was reformed for the 1879–80 season with three recorded matches being played in November 1879. The first game was played at Amersham F.C. on 12 November 1879 resulting in a 4–1 win for Uxbridge. This was followed by a game at Slough Rangers on 22 November 1879 ending in a 3–1 defeat. Another away game took place on 29 November 1879 against Watford United resulting in a 1–1 draw. The return game against Amersham took place at Uxbridge on 7 February 1880 ending in a 1–0 win for Uxbridge. On 18 February 1880, Uxbridge played Padcroft at the college grounds in Yiewsley culminating in a 2–1 win.

Uxbridge's opening game of the 1880–81 season took place on 27 October 1880 on Uxbridge Common against Slough Rangers resulting in a 2–1 defeat. Other return games that season were played against Acton, Amersham, Chesham, Colnbrook, Eton Albion, Etonians, Marlow, Watford United, Windsor Grosvenor and Windsor Home Park. At their AGM on 29 April 1881 chaired by president William Mansfield Gardiner, it was stated that in the 1880–81 season, the club had won 12 out of 22 matches with 5 drawn and 5 lost. It was decided that the club should rejoin the Football Association.