The Establishment at Chatham (Kent) was formed in 1812 (now known as the Royal School of Military Engineering) in response to an urgent request by the Duke of Wellington. It is from here we can look at the beginning of Royal Engineers football as the popularity of the game quickly grew following the foundation of the Football Association in 1863. Firstly from ten clubs in 1867, to 50 in 1871 and to 10,000 by 1905.
The history of RE AFC can be traced back to 1863 but the team (club) was officially recognised in 1867 and the book of RE Football matches, which is held in RE Library reveals a fine record in those early days. The home ground was then Chatham Lines (Great Lines) and today the RE AFC Veterans Club meet there annually on FA Cup Final Day for a reunion and still consider it to be the official home of RE football. The club over recent years has played seasonal fixtures at Gibraltar Barracks, Blackwater, near Camberley in Surrey. However, the change of club management in 2005 meant a return to the spiritual home of Chatham.
The Royal Engineers were one of 15 original clubs in 1871, which formed a committee at the FA and introduced the FA Challenge Cup. Major Francis Marindin RE, captain of the Engineers team, was part of the FA committee since its inception. Known as "The Major" and founder of the Royal Engineers Football Club- was later to become Sir Francis Arthur Marindin KCMG.
The inaugural FA Cup Final was played between the Royal Engineers and the Wanderers on 16th March 1872. The Royal Engineers, a team of Army Officers based at Chatham lost 1-0. The magnificent Royal Engineers between 1871 and 1875 lost only three out of 86 matches but two of those happened to be the 1872 and 1874 FA Cup Finals. The side moulded together at Chatham during the period 1866 to 1874 was a great figure in the early days of the Football Association's history. He was president of the FA from 1874 to 1890. He led the Royal Engineers team twice into the Final tie of the FA Challenge Cup, though he was absent from the wiining team, of 1875. He faced a division of loyalties when the Royal Engineers and the Old Etonians reached the 1875 final- a problem he solved by withdrawing. He later became an outstanding referee and holds an unchallenged FA Cup record of being the Referee in nine finals between 1880 and 1890.
On the 14th March 1874 the Royal Engineers lost 2-0 to Oxford University at the Kensington Oval in the FA Cup. However, the Royal Engineers returned again to Kensington Oval for the 1875 Cup Final and after a 1-1 draw on 13th March they beat the Old Etonians 2-0 in the replay on 16th March- the very first replay in FA Cup history. The Royal Engineers appeared in the 1878 FA Cup Final but were beaten 3-1 by The Wanderers FC.
The very first ever GUnners v Sappers match was on Wednesday 9th December 1868 and records reveal that the Royal Engineers were 1-0 victors but the Royal Artillery were not a proper club then and the Sappers loaned two players to make it a 12 a side game.
There are many recollections on the major influence the Royal Engineers had on the early days in football. The "Book Of Football" published in 1906 indicates how the military element introduced the Association game into New Brompton (now Gillingham FC) , and even today there is ex Army Royal Engineers players throughout the professional game with many success stories.
Early accounts show how many of the other clubs relied on the expertise of individuals, whereas the keynote of Royal Engineers' football was combination and not individuality. this being the great advantage they possessed over their opponents. The Royal Engineers were the first to appreciate that football was essentially a team game and the "esprit de corps" which was so marked in their professional capacity permeated their play and set a standard of gamesmanship to be emualted by all the other clubs.
In the good old days the events of the season were matches between Royal Engineers and Old Carthusians and Old Etonians. The players taking part included the cream of the country. Amont the "Sappers" was Lt Renny-Tailyour who played in the first ever FA Cup Final. He also played in the very first full international football match between England and Scotland- a "Scot" of course and a prolific goal scorer in his day.He scored in the FA Cup Final of 1875, twice in fact. There were many achievements and with Wimbledon FC and the Old Carthusians, the Royal Engineers are the only existing clubs to have won tboth the FA Cup and the FA Amateur Cup. The demise of the FA Amateur Cup prevents anyone from doing the same again.
Sadly with the advent of professional football, which was legalised in 1885 the Royal Engineers Football Club became a name in history and the FA Challenge Cup they won in 1875 was unfortunately lost in 1895- stolen from a shop window in Birmingham, where it had been on display by Aston Villa, the reigning holders. It is therefore sad to relate that the present cup is not the intrinsic symbol of football glory handed to the Royal Engineers in 1875, but nevertheless their achievement will never be lost whilst generations of Sappers present and future will proudly recall their forebearers who won a place in the folklore of footballers.
The last recorded FA Cup match of the Royal Engineers was on 5th November 1887, a local derby cup tie with Chatham in the second round with the Sappers losing 3-1. However a Royal Engineers club went on to win the FA Amatuer Cup in 1908 but it was clear the age of the amateur had passed forever and the Royal Engineers continued to exist in the Kent County Leagues from 1894 to 1949/50.
It was announced from the War Office on 13th February 1952 that Brigadier Gardiner recommended the Royal Engineers Association Football Club were wound up and all monies should be returned to the RE Games Fund. The Committee agreed. A minute of 2nd December 1952 recorded that RE AFC was closed and £130 17s 5d was held in suspense of the RE Games FUnd. So the early 1950's saw the demise of RE AFC, due to difficulties in raising fully representative teams. The increase in "professionalism" and the fact that the Gunners no longer produced a representative team meant some dormant years for Royal Engineers football.
The Royal Engineers Association Football Club was resurrected in the early 1960's. In 1987 the RE AFC Veterans Membership was formed.
The 2012/13 football season will present a landmark 150th Anniversary of RE AFC. which should be celebrated with a view that only Sheffield FC is older, but like RE AFC they have a plit in their long term existence towards being the oldest surviving football club in the world today. However, the Sappers have a rich and interesting history to celebrate, which will be released in a new publication to be delivered for the forthcoming anniversary in 2013.
NB- These notes are the intellectual property of the writer whose research into the Royal Engineers Association Football Club is to be published in due course. All rights reserved. No part of this potted history may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmiited in any form or by any means,. withouth the prior permission in writing of the author- Chris N Richardson (former RE Warrant Officer Class 1).