Wanderers Football Club was an English association football club. It was founded as "Forest Football Club" in 1859 in Leytonstone. In 1864, it changed its name to "Wanderers", a reference to it never having a home stadium, instead playing at various locations in London and the surrounding area. Comprising mainly former pupils of the leading English public schools, Wanderers was one of the dominant teams in the early years of organised football and won the inaugural Football Association Challenge Cup in 1872. The club won the competition five times in total, including three in succession from 1876 to 1878, a feat which has been repeated only once.
The ground at Leyton Flats, Epping Forest (pictured in 2019), where the Forest Club played its earliest football
The only known photo of the team, taken in 1863 when the club was still known as Forest F.C.
The second FA Cup trophy, pictured here, is identical in design to that won by Wanderers. The original trophy was stolen in 1895 and never recovered
The programme from Wanderers' match away to Queen's Park in October 1875
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competition in the world. It is organised by and named after The Football Association. Since 2015, it has been known as Emirates FA Cup after its headline sponsor Emirates. A concurrent Women's FA Cup has been held since 1970.
Harry Hampton scores one of his two goals in the 1905 FA Cup final, when Aston Villa defeated Newcastle United
Since 2007, the FA Cup final has been held at Wembley Stadium, on the site of the previous stadium which hosted it from 1923 to 2000.
King George V presents the FA Cup trophy to Tommy Boyle of Burnley, April 1914
George Armstrong celebrating with the FA Cup trophy following Arsenal's win over Liverpool in the 1971 final.
