Marlow's 21 OTHER Football Teams *Updated April 2023*

Updated JULY 2024

Marlow Football Club has a long history but this post is about Marlow's more minor teams that your ancestor stands a better chance of having played for. It includes youth and junior sides as after all even Sporting Life would sometimes mention a fixture or match report for these. It doesn't include schools teams, the old Borlasian or Marlow Choir teams or those organised by employers on a more or less occasional basis eg the Brewery. 

A few things to bear in mind: a lot of surnames are shared across teams. You may find a family member spent time on more than one. Brothers and cousins often played on the same side. Most match reports (especially early ones) fail to name players at all or just give the surname. Most of these teams did not have a set place to play home matches. Almost all can be found using the Crown Ground (Crown Meadow, now Riley Recreation Ground) on occasion, if Marlow F.C or the Reserves did not need it. The other main sites used were Star Meadow (one end of which would later be partially used to form Marlow F.C's new home, the Alfred Davis Memorial Ground), the "recreation ground" (Gossmore) and less often "the Station Ground" aka Porter's Meadow. The Porters owned or occupied more than one meadow in this period but the one usually referred to was roughly where Riverpark Drive is now.  The Victoria's also used Colonels Meadow, behind Borlase school. 

Regular football came to a halt during the First World War, so naturally there will be gaps for these years. The Crown Ground saw plenty of activity during that time thanks to locally stationed soldiers playing in the military leagues or just casually. I have not included them here as they are not often made up of local men. This blog deals with the pre First World War period primarily, with occasionally forays into the 1920's and beyond. Some of these team names were recycled later but unless mentioned otherwise, the more modern incarnations are not a continuation of what went before. Dates are for the first and last dates I have found of a team definitely being active. I have not researched all of the leagues or competitions entered, sorry!  This page will be updated as new info emerges - and as we work through through my notes.. There are many more names to be added!

Marlow Rangers

1885 - 1906 (also used for an unrelated team in 1960's/70's)

Sought matches with "good minor teams" and seem to have enjoyed some success. Did not play exclusively against very local teams as most of the other minor ones did. Maintained both an A and B team. Average age 18/19. In 1894 had won 12 of their 17 games, and drawn another. 

AGM held: Three Compasses, Dean Street. 

Colours: Light and dark blue halves

Practice days: Wednesdays, on recreation ground (Gossmore)

Usual home pitch - Recreation Ground (Gossmore), but also used Station Ground, and Crown Ground on occasion. In 1895 are described as having a new ground in the meadow next to the Saw Mill in Station Rd lent by Mr H Clark , but still use other sites. 

Some player/member names names:

1893 - Ayres, Langley. 

1894 - A J Carr (captain), J Shipton (deputy captain), J Frith (also treasurer) , A Ayres, J Spindlo (R J?), G Almond, H Clark, Maskell, W East, W J Fenner, J A Paine (goalkeeper), F Rockell. G Sawyer, C Harris, A Frith. W Toovey,  D Gibbons

  Secretary : 1894 - W E  Toovey, 10 Queens Rd. 

1895 - J Spindlo (captain) Shipton (vice captain), W Toovey (hon. Sec), East, J or G Sawyer (treasurer), C Harris, J Paine, J Carr, 

1896 - Secretary is W J Fenner, (moved from Chapel Str to "York Rd, Marefield" this year. Fenner is also secretary of The Swifts. ) Players: C Harris, J Simmons, A Carr, E Keep, G Sawyer, A & W Toovey, F Langley, J Shipton, W Halton, C Dye. 

1905: Harris, Toovey, Howard. 

Marlow Star 

1885-1921 Originally started as a football team for the Dean Street boys club ran by All Saints Church. The curate Rev C Potts was the man largely behind the start of the club. 

A youth team, average age 15 in 1898. Often came up against reserve sides of bigger teams including Marlow FC. Had A and B sides. All listings below are A team members. Secretary (1898) - W Scott, High Street. 

Usual home ground: Star Meadow

Players: 

1885- E Clark, G Ayres, A Bowles, Payne, Didcott , T or J White, Young, A Boot, C Ilsley (capt), F Grace. 

1886 - J Bowles (goal) F Bailey (Captain) A Paine, J White, F Bowles, A Brook(e)s, E Clark(e), G Stone, C Brooks, I Ayres, C Price 

1887 - E Clark(e) is goal keeper. 

1903 - Cox, Grace 

Players of unknown date: W Payne, G Langley. 

Marlow Blue Star

Not same as above. This is a boys team.  There was a Little Marlow Blue Star too by 1898 for under 11's or under 15s at different times. I don't think they were the same. 

1910. 

Players: T Moody, Stacey. 

Little Marlow Blue Star

Boys, 1890/91. Not researched yet. 

Marlow Red Star

Boys, 1893 - 1902. Usually play Gossmore. 

Played in Berks and Bucks minors cup 1901, 1902.

(Lane End also had a boys side called Red Star) 

A match report from 1893 says the game was characterized by rough play and "some fighting"! The Star team lost. 

Marlow Victoria

Marlow's main "other" club,  with a good following of their own. Aka "The Vics". Full name The Royal Victoria Working Mans FC. (Another Marlow Working Mans FC was active c1909 -1914) Also have reserve side. Mostly 17-23 years old (although from 15 year olds at start)

1873 - 1898 - but see below. 

The club was set up for the "junior tradesman and mechanics" of Marlow. "Mr Wethered" was one of those who drove the idea forward and he acted as their first president. [Thomas O Wethered] They were lucky enough to secure the support of a number of well off patrons such as Sir William Robert Clayton, Bart, F O Wethered, and Thomas Somers Cocks as well as the Rev Cree and Alfred Davis Junior. Seeking "strong minor teams" to play against, they did well. So well in fact that in 1897 it was decided to amalgamate them with the Marlow FC reserves, in order to strengthen the latter. In 1898, 9 players in the Reserve team had played for Victoria the previous season. The B team(s) of the Vics still played under the Victoria name until approx 1899 though. They host Athletic Sports competitions for their members 1870's (at Gossmore) as part of  their aim to encourage healthy exercise overall.  

HQ - First AGM held Duke of Cambridge, Queens Rd. The Duke was also where the initial meeting to set up the team was held.  Later used the White Lion, West Street. 

Practice: when first established held on Tues and Sats on Colonel's Meadow, Borlase. Later at Gossmore Recreation Ground. 

Home ground: For first year or so, Colonel's Meadow. Then usually the recreation ground Gossmore. Sometimes borrow Crown Ground too. 

Secretary:  1872- R Carter. 1873 / 1874 - A Gardener. 1894 - Joint secretaries S J Barlow of Eton Cottage and H Sawyer of Spittal Street.  1896 - W Fenner  (this man's name will pop up often in this role!). 1899 - C Howard of West End 1899. 

Chairman - 1895 L J Sellman

Players: 

1873/4 - Captain William J Stockbridge. Others: C & T Fletcher, Owen Sawyer, J Biggs, R Wye, G Frith, G&J Edwards, A Keep. 

1875 John Langley jun, A Keep, T Plumridge, F Plumridge, M Mason, C Fletcher, W Plumridge jun, Owen Sawyer, J Beckett, R Wellicome, J Biggs, J Harvey, T Wyatt, G Edwards. 

1895: S J Barlow, George & A E Edmunds (George is Captain), F Tucker, H Sawyer, ? Davis, L Sellman, G Barber, F Hawkes (vice Captain)

1897 - H Sawyer (goalkeeper),  ? Edmunds (Capt), A Edmunds, W Probert, Unknown Probert, L Sellman (also hon treasurer), S Shaw, G Davis, Smith, F Haw(k)es, K Bonny, W White (deputy captain), J Davis. 

Marlow Excelsior

Play Crown Ground, and Star Meadow. 

A youth team with a reserve side too. Played in the Berks &Bucks Minor League in 1901. 

1893 - 1911 (definite finish date) 

Usual place of play:  Recreation ground

Secretary 1896 - W Fenner again! 

Marlow Ramblers

1890 - 1895. Also had B team. Play in Berks & Bucks Junior Cup.  

HQ - Clubroom of Three Tuns, West Str. AGM and annual dinner held there, fundraising smoking concerts ditto. 

Play: On all the Marlow grounds (see top)

Secretary: 1890/91 - H Price, 7 Queens Rd.  1892 - W Carter. 

Players:  Emmett (undated)

1890: Judge, East, Rose, P (probably Phillip)  & F Looker, F Harvey (captain), E Cook, A Cooper, H Illsley (goal), Tucker. 

1891: H Illsley, J White, F Harvey, J Rose, F. & P Looker, J F Price, W East, G Judge, George Moody, G Ayres, E Clark, E Heatley, F Bayley, E Cook, A Cooper

1892 - W Rose (in goal), E Emmett (also goalkeeper) Backs J Howe?, J White, H Frith. Half backs - W Carter, J East?, W J East, T. P Rose. Right Wing - George Moody, F Looker. Left Wing: - A Boot, P Looker. Centre - R C Sawyer. Captain - William East. /W J East. 

President: Viscount Curzon, MP. Hon Treasurer: A Carter. 

Marlow Wednesday Ramblers - may be successor of Marlow Ramblers. 

1903. 

Players: Stacey, Sears, Dormer. 

Marlow Wednesday

May be referring to Wednesday Ramblers or Wednesday Athletic or may be another team again!! Still active at dawn of First World War. Another Marlow Wednesday was formed c1931 and played on the Marlow F C ground - on Wednesdays naturally. 

1909 - Secretary: A Smith, 7 Sunlight Cottages.

Marlow Antelopes

Youth team. (Under 16)

1874 - 1896. In 1894 mentioned as "badly in need of funds". 

Secretary: F Plumridge, Oxford Rd. 

Players - just a few known

1878 - Harding, Rockell, Lovegrove, Higgins. 

 Undated: - Nicholls, H White (Captain), R J Spindlo (this is Richard John, known as John, the baker b 1878, and later very successful player for Marlow F C )

1893 - H White (goal), J Spindle (Spindlo?), G Morton, C Drye, F Nicholls, G Hatton, C Harris, W Mangah ?, W Plumridge, F Nicholls, F Paine, 

1894 - Goalkeeper - W. East. Others: C F Waterman, R Wellicome, H Clark, F Walker, F Langley, F Harman, J Boot, C J Drye. 

Marefield Rovers

Boys team. Had reserve side too. Play in Maidenhead Boys League. C1910-1913. 

Players 1910: T Golding (Captain), G Stone, S Clark, H Hilsdon, A & A H Peddle, R Flint, C Lee, R Clark, F Burton, W Lloyd

Marlow Rovers

1891- 1912 then 1920-1930. 

Youth team, average age 17 in 1920.  

Plays: Recreation Ground, occasionally Crown Ground. 

Practice: Wednesdays, Recreation Ground. 

Secretary: 1920 - G  Sparks, West Str. 

Players: 1900  T Ward, Bennett, Coles, Robinson

Marlow Red Rovers

1893 - 1898. Under 15's side. 

Hon Sec 1893 : George Edmunds

White Rovers

Boys, 1893 - 1899

Marlow Albion

1887- 1907 Has an A  & B team. Youths. 

Hon. Secretary 1888 is A Carter. 

Wednesday Athletic

Boys. 1912. 

Marlow Athletic

 1911-1920

Marlow Abstainers

1886

Marlow Corinthians

Youths 1892. 

1893 - W Wellicome, J Beckett, H Collins, J Shipton, T Rance, G H Clark, S Green. 

Marlow Harriers

1886-1888

Marlow Nelson

"Rising minor team" in 1896 but records thin on ground! 

Marlow Wanderers

Youths under 14, 1897. 

Players: Rockwell (possibly meant to be Rockell/Rockall or Rosewell), Corby. 

Marlow United

Active at least 1909-14. Juniors. Not the same as the more modern team to bear this name. 

Players 1909 - Culhane, Cresswell, Dickson, Arber, Moody, Rolston, Morris. 

And a bonus: 

Players for Lane End FC (still going today!)

Aka "the blue and whites"

1893 (first year) : J Gray, Rixon, F Fletcher, J Britnell, A Bristow, Davis, Sears, Priest, J Carr. 

Researched by Kathryn Day with some additional research by Charlotte Day.

©Marlow Ancestors 

Bull Inn Landlords The Smiths

Bisham isn't part of our patch but going to the Bull Inn across the river in Bisham for a drink was a common activity for Marlow people and we have a weakness for old innkeepers so couldn't resist including Thomas and Elizabeth Smith.

The grave proudly states that Thomas was "many years landlord of the Bull Inn" Bisham. The stone is also in honour of his wife Elizabeth.

Thomas died February 1833, in the 69th year of his age and Elizabeth died January 1849 in the 68th year of her age the grave says.

The will of Thomas proved 1833 calls Elizabeth his "dear wife". She received all his household furniture and effects including his plate [silver], linen, china, and wearing apparel not to mention his stock of wines and liquors.

His daughter Sarah wife of Thomas Fenner, farmer of Bisham was left £100 invested in 3.5℅ stocks. 

Executors of the will were his friends John Badger and Richard Shelton, both of Bisham who received £10 each in compensation for their trouble.

All residual property to wife Elizabeth. 

The will was witnessed by Marlow solicitor John Wright and his clerk W Jackson who had probably been there drawing up the will.

Elizabeth became landlady of the Bull after her husband's death. She appears as such in Kelly's Directory for 1847 for instance.

For the grave of Richard Shelton and more about him (tragic) see here.

Look at the  option on the menu for any other Bisham Scraps we have gathered and for a link to an excellent podcast on Bisham History.

See Pub Related on the menu for Marlow, Little Marlow, Medmenham, Handy Cross and Lane End pub history posts.

Sources:

Will of Thomas Smith, PCC, held at the National Archives. Transcribed by me.

Kelly's Directory 1847 published by Kelly's Directories Limited. Digitized by Google.

Gravestone Bisham churchyard.

Hooks Farm Occupiers

Historic Occupiers list:

Note: historically part of Marlow Manor holdings.

1607- Katherine Rance. Occupier.Widow. Jorden family were the owners.

1658 - John Jorden, yeoman. Later in this year owned or leased by John Moore the brewer. Later purchased by the Guise and Etheredge families. 

1687- 1717 (at least) Richard Corby "Corbee" rented arable land at Hooks. Occupied the farm house too by 1689 at which time his holdings at Hooks and nearby amounted to 110 acres.

1783 - stock and implements sold after death of gentleman owner William Clayton of Harleyford. 

1833- John Fenner. Farm owned by the Claytons. 192 acres. John died that year age 87. He seems to have actually lived in Bisham, Berkshire. The Reading Mercury 25th November 1833 [British Library Archives] said John had been "a true specimen of the Old English Farmer, plain in his manners, and dress" not to mention always punctual and honest. John was farming in Marlow in 1821 but I can't say for certain he was at Hooks then. There was a younger John Fenner farmer of Marlow who moved to Stoke Poges and became a beer seller and ultimately went bankrupt in 1853. Presumably a relative.

1843- William and John Hewett or Hewitt. Their lease on Platts Farm Marlow expired late 1839 so they may have come straight to Hooks then.  They were later at Hambledon and at Blounts alias Blunts Farm, Marlow. In 1840 John was considered lucky not to have lost a leg after being run over by a load of hay. In the end he had a toe amputated only. 

1850-60 Thomas Frost. Wife Elizabeth. Thomas sold off his stock and left town 1860. In 1850 Henry Finch was jailed for stealing two bushels of barley from him. [Bucks Chronicle 5th January 1850, British Library Archives].

1861- 81 James Fountain. In 1861 turnips stolen from his field and in 1864 twelve fowls were taken. As was traditional on most farms these were in the care of his wife. Note that their daughter married in a Congregational church so the family as a whole may have been Congregationalists.

1900- Executors of Henry William Cripps who had died the previous year sold off farm stock. He was a lawyer by trade so someone else must have ran the farm for him. Survived by wife Julia.

1901-06 Abraham Newton Pratt. Moved into the farm Autumn 1901 having come from a farm at Swallowfield, Berkshire. Wife Emily. She bred turkeys on the farm, 6 of which were stolen in 1905.

1908 - Francis Warne.

1911- James Fountain mentioned as farming here which is puzzling as Francis Warne seems also to have been there then.

1913- F Warne and Sons

1915 Messrs "Warnes and Sons"

1916- Francis Warne who died suddenly that year. He was originally from Cornwall. See here for his grave and that of other family members and more on them.

* For Hooks farm use during World War 1 see here

To read posts about everyday life in old Marlow, see the post listing here

Farm occupants are found by me by studying property records, censuses, adverts, court cases, letters, trade journals, wills and more.

To seek someone on this blog use the Person Index on the menu. Hundreds of people are referenced on this blog.

To seek other farms use the "Specific Shops, Streets Etc" option on the menu.

©Marlow Ancestors. You are welcome to use this research for family or local history purposes if you credit this blog and link here. Thanks.