The Old Felstedian Football Club has a rich, but brief history. The timeline of our history was made possible with collaboration with the school archives department.
6th December 1873 – Felsted School take on the Old Boys in an ongoing annual fixture. Robert Stuart King takes kick off for the school in a win for the Old Boys.
Felsted School Football Team, 1890
15th March 1880 – Clement Mitchell becomes the first Old Felstedian to represent England, making his debut against Wales at the Racecourse Ground, Wrexham. Mitchell becomes the 79th player to represent his country, scoring 5 goals in 5 games at Centre Forward.
18th February 1882 – Robert Stuart King becomes the 93rd player, and second OF to win an England cap in a 13-0 away win in Belfast.
13th December 1893 – After months of campaigning, Sir Bertram Kirwan holds a meeting of Old Felstedians at the ‘Sports Club’ in St James’ Square to form the Old Felstedian Football Club.
Clement Mitchell is elected the first president, R. G. Hogarth CBE named captain and Kirwan is elected Hon. Secretary and Treasurer.
15th January 1894 – OFFC convincingly beat Old Foresters 10-1 in Leyton in the club’s first official game.
14th January 1895 – The clubs colours are declared a combination of the school colours; Red and Gold, but mainly blue.
20th October 1897 – Kirwan is gifted an inscribed silver mounted cigar box as a wedding present, as a token of OFFC’s appreciation of his efforts to form the club.
24th January 1903 – The Old Felstedians help form and participate in the first ever round of the Arthur Dunn Cup.
OFFC are awarded their fixture against Old Rossallians, and take eventual winners Old Carthusians to a replay in the second round.
May 1908 – The Felstedian publishes the record appearance makers for the OId Felstedian Football Cub including the 1906-07 season.
*D.W Brewster 199 H.P Croly 99 H.G Dunkley 168 H. Colin Allen 69 Stanley Garrard 122 H. M Mowgrave-Graham 68 J Turvill 122 *Since brought his total to 200. 27th October 1908 – J.W.H.T Douglas wins a middleweight boxing gold at the Olympics.
Described by The Times as “one of the most brilliant exhibitions of skilful boxing, allied to tremendous hitting, ever seen.”
Johnny Douglas, 1908 Olympics
20th September 1912 -J.W.H.T Douglas is selected for England’s 4-1 Ashes 1911-12 tour of Australia.
Johnny Douglas represents England in 23 tests, captaining 18. Douglas was named 1915 Wisden Cricketer of the Year. he achieved the season double – 100 wickets and 1,000 runs – five times.
Johnny Douglas, 1910
19th October 1912 – OFFC pick up a 3-1 win against the Old Rosallions in the first round of the Arthur Dunn Cup.
27th August 1915 – A.G. Thurlow, another team mainstay died following his injuries sustained in the landing at Sulva Bay, Gallipoli.
29th September 1915 – E.F Gillett dies from injuries exacted from an exploding shell, whilst tending to the injuries of another man who had suffered the same.
E.F Gillet, second from left to right standing. Felsted School Football Team, 1911.
27th July 1916 – A.C Hayhoe dies in action at Longueval during the Battle of the Somme. Hayhoe represented OFFC on over 100 occasions and served as Team Secretary.
27th August 1916 – H. J Farquharson dies after serving at Ypres and Iraq. H. J Farquharson was a mainstay of the OFFC team and considered one of its best players.
9th December 1916 – Felsted School change from Association Football to Rugby Football. The Old Felstedians were unable to summon a protest to this change they, “were engaged in real matters of life and death.”
Craze, Michael. “A history of Felsted School, 1564-1947.” (1955).
Felsted School’s last Association Football team, 1916.
27th March 1917 – H.F Silverwood a keen supporter of the OF Football Club is killed in action at Green Hill in Gaza.
28th November 1919 – OFFC is dissolved by committee, overseen by Kirwan, to form the Old Felstedian Athletics Club. Many OFFC members who had taken up arms in the Great War sadly never returned home.
The club continued in the Arthur Dunn Cup until 1920, but ultimately struggled with so many key members of playing and organisational squad deceased.
The club was bought back into action in 2017, with games against the school, officially returning back to Arthurian League competition in 2023, over 100 years from its last game in the competition
The Old Felstedian Football Club 
