THETFORD TOWN F. C.

A SHORT HISTORY

FOUNDED 1883-84

  The original Club was founded in the St. Nicholas Works in the early 1880’s. The game was introduced by Mr. Henry (arry) Hallas who brought a football with him from Sheffield with his four fellow workers, Chandler, W. Watson, Fred Gates and W. “Billy” Martin. These men used to kick a ball about on Melford Common and after much discussion decided to form a football team. After posting a notice in the St. Nicholas works a meeting was held in the “Horse Shoe” where W. Martin was lodging. A large attendance unanimously agreed on forming the club at the same time a committee was formed. The original proposal was to allow only employees of the firm to play but this was then changed to make it open to any local player.

The first subscriptions were spent of the purchase of goal posts and a ball. Feltwell were already in their second season so Thetford challenged them to a match, with Thetford coming out 6-0 winners. Only Martin and Gates possessed football kit the remainder playing in their Saturday afternoon clothes and the stoutest boots they could find. Chandler sometimes played in wooden clogs, Watson always the goalie played in a pair of discarded Cavalry Wellingtons. The ball was not in the style of today’s balls but was inflated by using a stem off an old clay pipe.

Players eventually purchased shirts these were magenta in colour.

The rules were very much different than those of today having no offside rules and referees and linesman non-existent. Throw ins were made with one hand or arm.

Travelling away from home was made in an open wagon drawn by two horses, with the players paying all their own expenses, as there was no gate money. When the club faced its first financial problem being £20.00 in the red, not having the luxury have fund raising committees every player put his hand in his pocket and laid a sovereign on the room table, this would have been a lot of money in those days.

The club played its games on the Abbey Heath until 1900 when they moved to the meadow land along side the river Thet. From there they moved to the recreation ground in 1905.

The clubs colours were as stated as being magenta later to be changed to yellow and black hoops with the team picking up the nickname of the “wasps”. These colours were succeeded by black and white halves, with the claret and blue colours being decided on when they  moved to the recreation ground.

THETFORD AND WATTON TIMES 20TH JAN 1883         

For some time past the young men in Thetford have wanted some kind of recreation to fill up their Saturday afternoons in the winter season. It was proposed by one or two on the St. Nicholas Iron Works that a football club should be started. This idea was rapidly taken up by several enthusiasts, and by a small subscription from each, the necessary apparatus for making a beginning was procured. There is no amusement so exciting and so economical. The football player need lay out little money, and devote little time, an hours play on the holiday afternoon of the week being all that is expected of him……

The Melford Bridge Common was the most convenient spot chosen for their practice ground, but owing to recent rains, it has become next to an impossibility to play on it. So J. Johnson, Esq. Has kindly given permission in future to practice and play on his heath.

The majority of the members were totally ignorant of the game; some had not seen it played before, but after being initiated into the rules, and forcibly impressed with the necessity of remaining in their place, they very soon saw the secret of success.

This was fully demonstrated on Saturday afternoon when the Thetford Wanderers obtained five goals to Feltwells nil.

Thetford: - J. Ollington (Captain pro tem) J. Hallis, G.Mower, H. Chandler, G. Westby, W. Watson, G. Street, E. Bullard, E. Gooch, J. Miller, W. Martin.

EXERT FROM BURY & NORWICH POST 4TH NOV.1884

Bury V Thetford Wanderers

These clubs met on the ground of the latter on Saturday afternoon last to play a match under Association rules. The game proved far from an enjoyable one. The visitors did not bring an umpire and at the suggestion of the home team captain it was agreed that the Thetford umpire should act for both sides. This gentleman proved to be a “yokel” with no knowledge of the game and his leanings towards the home side were most marked throughout the game. It was nearly half past three when the Bury captain called “are you ready?” which was answered by the whole team clapping their hands to admirable time, which showed the perfect training they had undergone. This novel proceeding somewhat disconcerted the visitors, but on the ball being started both sides set to with a will and the ball rapidly travelled from one end of the ground to the other. The home team, who played well together, pressed their opponents hard and after a shape struggle near the visitors goal, Martin scored a neat goal for the home team. On the ball being restarted, the home team still continued to have the best of the game, and sorely pressed their opponents; a corner or two quickly fell to their share, but nothing came of them. The play then for a time of a more even character until at length the home team captain, who answered to the name of “Arry” and whose familiar cry “Now give us a chance,” was now and again heard got a “chance” and carried the ball down to the visitors goal but Nunn was on the alert and stopped a very hot shot, and threw out. Mountain then got the ball and passed to Ferrall, and the latter player took it down the ground and scored a very pretty goal. The shot was a very difficult one and deserved the applause which followed. Half time was called with the score equal. The visitors played a more determined game and were several times near scoring and would have done so, but for the unfair tactics pursued by the home side, who indulged in “tripping” and “hacking” to their hearts content, all of which the visitors bore with intolerable patience. So the game went on, just before the call of time, when little “Arry” again got near the visitors goal, but a call of “hands”  by the visitors  was of course unanswered by the umpire in favour of the home team, which then enabled the latter to score a second time. This goal was widely disputed by the visitors, as it was a most glaring case on hands, but the umpire at that moment was busy replenishing his pipe instead of attending to the points of the game. This ended a game, which instead of being an enjoyable one was marred through out by the unfairness of the home team and their umpire. The home team played well together, and if they will but treat their opponents with more courtesy and fairness may yet become a great credit to themselves and to the town they belong.

For the visitors Floyd, Ferrall and Wilson played well as also did “Arry”, Martin and Mower for Thetford.

BURY AND NORWICH POST 14TH DEC 1886

On Saturday a match, Thetford versus Swaffham, was played at Thetford, the home team again coming off victorious with seven goals to one. This makes during the season 27 goals won to 2 lost. It is not an uncommon thing for one or two of the members to be engaged to play with other teams, thus illustrating the high esteem, which the Thetford team has won.       

THETFORD TOWN CENTENARY DANCE 20TH MAY 1983