Club History

1905! What a momentous year that was. The year that Campbell-Bannerman replaced Balfour as Prime Minister. The year that Albert Einstein published his special theory of relativity.

In football it was probably even more momentous! This was the year that fees for the transfer of players were deemed to have spiralled out of all proportion when Middlesbrough paid the massive sum of £1000 to near neighbours Sunderland for the transfer of Alf Common. The most important aspect of 1905 however from our point of view is that it was the year Middlesex Wanderers was formed.

Middlesex Wanderers is a Club that is synonymous with touring, having already completed well over 100 tours to 44 Countries during its 100 year history.

The Club’s constitution sets out three objectives:

• To promote a good fellowship among football clubs and other sporting organisations throughout the world.
• To send teams of British footballers on tours abroad.
• To play occasional football games in the British Isles and such other games as the Executive Committee may approve.

The Club’s origins date back to 1905 when two brothers, Bob and Horace Alaway, founded Richmond Town Wanderers with the specific purpose of performing ‘missionary work’ in Europe where football was still in its relative infancy. Initially success was achieved through using local amateur players but with the continuing improvements of standards abroad it became necessary to strengthen touring parties by extending the scope of selection farther afield. In order to enhance the reputation of the Club its name was changed to Middlesex Wanderers in 1912 and tours were regularly made to different European countries.

The extent of the Club’s reputation in the inter-war years is reflected in the fact that invitations were received from every part of Europe. The fiftieth tour to Turkey in 1939 was the first occasion on which it ventured outside the continent. Until that matches were generally played against clubs, many of whom have subsequently achieved prominence on the post-war European football scene, such as Ajax and PSV Eindhoven in Holland and Barcelona in Spain.

It was in the post-war period that The Wanderers acquired a worldwide reputation, extending its touring activities to Africa and the Far East. Another development was that opposition was often provided by national teams. In order to compete with the standard, the scope of selection was widened to include players of amateur international standard from the four Home Countries and a close link was established with The Queens Park Football Club. The famous Scottish amateur Club that owns and plays at Hampden Park, Glasgow.

In 1960 there were two tours of special significance. First the Football Association asked The Wanderers to co-operate in selecting and preparing a squad to represent Great Britain in the Olympic Games to be held in Rome later that year and in consequence of the Wanderers party that visited five countries in the West Indies was substantially that which ‘flew the flag’ for Great Britain in the Games. Secondly there was a visit to Nigeria, having been nominated by the Football Association to play a series of matches to commemorate that country’s Independence.

Probably the most ambitious of the Wanderers tours was that which took place in 1967 to the Far East and involved visiting six countries. This began a sequence of visits to that part of the world, especially Japan and South Korea. More recently in 1990 there was a further visit to Japan – The Leslie Taylor Memorial Tour – which was organised by the Football Association of Japan to recognise the exceptional work of the Club’s former Honorary Secretary to promote football in that Country.

Whereas it was customary to play friendly matches whilst on tour, a new departure began in 1977 with participation in an International Tournament – The President’s Cup in South Korea. This was followed by successful involvement in similar tournaments in Bangladesh and Indonesia on four occasions. The Club re-visited Hungary in 1989, but generally Europe has ceased to be a sphere of touring activity, although very close links have been maintained with Holland and regular matches are played against the Royal Netherlands National Amateur team for the ‘Lo-Brunt Trophy’ which was presented to the Wanderers in 1967 in memory of the former Secretary of the Royal Netherlands Football Association who was also an Honorary Life-Member of the Wanderers. In 2003 the Club visited The Gambia for the first time and was very well received. This was followed last year by a weekend in Calais when we met CRUFC for the ‘Entente Cordiale Centenary’ Trophy. The match was won by The Wanderers by 3 goals to 0.

Whilst the Club is known and respected throughout the world it is none more so than in Japan. The Club has toured to Japan on eight occasions, the most recent being in May of this year at the invitation of the Japan Football Association to celebrate the centenary. The Wanderers presented a trophy to the JFA which is contested annually throughout the country by High Schools. Such is the esteem in which the Club is held that in 2003 we were honoured to receive the Japanese Ambassador’s Commendation, for services to football in Japan, at a memorable and moving evening at the Embassy in London.

The Wanderers hold Full Membership with the Football Association and also enjoy close links with the Scottish Football Association.

Keith Masters
Honorary Secretary – Middlesex Wanderers