Old Castle Swifts F.C.

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Old Castle Swifts
Full name Old Castle Swifts Football Club
Nickname(s) The Castles, The Swifts
Founded 1892 as Castle Swifts F.C.
Dissolved 1895
Ground Dunottar Park 1892
Temple Meadows 1892-1894
Hermit Road 1894-1895
Capacity 1,000
Chairman Flag of Scotland Donald Currie
Team colours Team colours Team colours
Team colours
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Home colours
Team colours Team colours Team colours
Team colours
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Away colours

Old Castle Swifts Football Club, the oldest professional football club in Essex, was formed by Scottish shipowner Donald Currie in September 1892 as Castle Swifts Football Club. Castle Swifts would have great relevance in the early history of Thames Ironworks, the team who would later become West Ham United. The Castles' first home ground, located in West Ham was named Dunottar Park, after the Castle Line company's ship Dunottar Castle.

Contents

[edit] History

[edit] Formation

Old Castle Swifts Football Club, was formed by Scottish shipowner Donald Currie in September 1892 as Castle Swifts Football Club. They were the works team of the ship repair yard of The Castle Shipping Line and initially the majority of the team were drawn from the mainly Scottish workforce. Players were paid extra wages when they played for the team, on a game to game basis.

The Castles' first home ground, a field located opposite the West Ham Police Station in West Ham Lane was named Dunottar Park, after the Castle Line company's ship Dunottar Castle. The ground had perimeter fencing and admission was charged at 3d.

[edit] 1892-1893

The Castles did not remain long at Dunottar Park, having to find a new ground after a dispute with the landlord. One was soon located in fields beside Wakefield Street in East Ham, known as Temple Meadows, which lay in the grounds of Temple House, not far from East Ham railway station. The team would change into their kit in the nearby Denmark Inn (now the Denmark Arms, located on the Barking Road. The Denmark Arms is used today by many West Ham United fans.

In March 1893 they faced Barking Woodville in the final of the West Ham Charity Cup held at Clapton's Spotted Dog ground. The Castles were two goals down before coming back to win the tie 4-2, with the goals coming from outside-right Grundy, inside forwards Mitchell and Taylor and an own goal. A local newspaper made the following account of the final:

"After the match the crowd made a rush to the Grand Stand where the Mayor presented the large silver cup to the captain of the Castle Swifts and Mr. Comerford of the Cup Committee announced that ‘the medals had not yet come to hand, but they would be forwarded to the winners as soon as possible’. With that the captain was lifted on to the shoulders of several of his followers and carried from the ground."

[edit] 1893-1894

At the end of the 1893-4 season, the team merged with Old St Luke's F.C., and the newly formed team was renamed as Old Castle Swifts, and used Old St Luke's ground in Hermit Road, Canning Town. Hermit Road had been described as a 'cinder heap' and 'barren waste'. It was surrounded by a moat and had canvas sheeting for fencing.

[edit] 1894-1895

Their demise came in March 1895 when the club became bankrupt, with chairman Donald Currie no longer willing to bankroll the club.

[edit] Thames Ironworks

Arnold Hills, the Chairman of Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Co. Ltd, saw the opportunity to fund a works side, so provided the money, in order that he may take over the tenancy of the Hermit Road ground, and Thames Ironworks F.C. was born. The club would later become West Ham United F.C.

Many of Old Castle Swifts' players were absorbed into the newly-formed Ironworks team. Among them were goalkeeper George Furnell, left-half Walter Parks, right winger John Wood, forwards Jamie Lindsay and George Sage, and full-back Robert Stevenson, who became the Ironworks first ever captain.

It has been suggested that the castle on West Ham's badge is a result of the influence of Old Castle Swifts on the early history of the club.

[edit] Honours

[edit] Players

No. Player Position Apps Gls Date Signed Previous Club
Castle Swifts F.C. 1892-1893 West Ham Charity Cup Winning Team
1 Lewis GK 1+ 1892
2 A. McFarlane RB 1+ 1892 Upton Park F.C.
3 Benbow LB 1+ 1892
4 Leith RH 1+ 1892
5 W. McFarlane CH 1+ 1892 Upton Park F.C.
6 Baird LH 1+ 1892
7 Murray RW 1+ 1892
8 Mitchell IR 1+ 1 1892
9 Fraser CF 1+ 1892
10 Taylor IL 1+ 1 1892
11 Grundy LW 1+ 1 1892
Other known players
Butterworth 0+ 1894 Old St. Luke's F.C.
Cooper 0+ 1894
Cunningham 0+ 1894 Millwall Athletic
1 George Furnell GK 0+ 1894 Old St. Luke's F.C.
William Hickman 0+ 1893 Old St. Luke's F.C.
9 Jamie Lindsay CF 0+ 1894 Millwall Athletic
Frank McCulloch 0+ 1894 Millwall Athletic
11 Morrison LW 0+ 1894 Old St. Luke's F.C.
Morton 0+ 1894
6 Walter Parks LH 0+ 1893 Old St. Luke's F.C.
8 George Sage IR 0+ 1894 Old St. Luke's F.C.
2 Robert Stevenson RB 0+ 1895 Woolwich Arsenal
4 Stewart RH 0+ 1894 Old St. Luke's F.C.
Willing 0+ 1894 Millwall Athletic
7 John Thomas Archer Wood RW 0+ 1893 Old St. Luke's F.C. & Cricket for Essex

[edit] See also

[edit] References

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