Chester St Oswalds F.C. were a

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

club based in

Chester Chester is a cathedral city and the county town of Cheshire, England. It is located on the River Dee, close to the English–Welsh border. With a population of 79,645 in 2011,"2011 Census results: People and Population Profile: Chester Loca ...

, England.

History

The club was formed by Mr L Bebbington as some point in 1883. A Special General Meeting in July 1887 lists the club captain as John Thompson, with vice captain Tom Pixton, and Mr Bennion as reserve captain. Prior to this John Boardman had been captain for two seasons. In 1889

Francis Jayne Francis John Jayne (1 January 1845 – 23 August 1921) was a British bishop and academic. Born in Pant-y-beiliau, Gilwern, Llanelli, Jayne was the eldest son of John Jayne, a colliery owner and his second wife, Elisabeth Haines. He was edu ...

the

Bishop of Chester The Bishop of Chester is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Chester in the Province of York. The diocese extends across most of the historic county boundaries of Cheshire, including the Wirral Peninsula and has its see in the C ...

became patron of the club and contributed towards it financially, but on the basis that the club would fight against the evils of professionalism. The club competed in the 1889-90 FA Cup, losing 3–0 against

Chester FC Chester Football Club is an association football club based in Chester. They are currently members of and play at the Deva Stadium. The club was founded in 2010 following the liquidation of Chester City. In its inaugural season it competed ...

. Its stance against professionalism proved disastrous as, without attractive opponents, the club ran out of money, and was dissolved on 26 January 1892 due to financial difficulties. The St Oswalds name was revived in June 1898 when Chester P.S.A. changed their name.

Colours

The club adopted white and blue vertical stripes in July 1887.

Ground

The club originally played on the

Roodee Chester Racecourse, also known as the Roodee, is a racecourse located in Chester, England. The horse racing venue is officially recognised by Guinness World Records as the "oldest racecourse still in operation". Horse racing in Chester dat ...

, but moved to Exton Park in Parkgate Road in July 1887. The club lost the use of the ground at the end of the 1887–88 season, but quickly found a new one on the same site before the start of the next.

League history

Cup history

Honours

*Chester Charity Cup **''Winners (1):'' 1891

Notable players

Charlie Parry Charles Frederick Parry (1870 – 4 February 1922) was a Welsh footballer who played as a defender for Everton in the 1890s, helping them to win the Football League championship in 1891. He also made thirteen appearances for the Wales national ...

- Wales International, later played for Everton.

References

Defunct football clubs in Cheshire Defunct football clubs in England Sport in Chester Association football clubs established in 1883 Association football clubs disestablished in 1892 West Cheshire Association Football League clubs {{England-footyclub-defunct-stub