The Rogerstone Directory - History Articles

Soccer In Rogerstone

The Early Years

In the 1700s Rogerstone was a small, rural community with a population of a few hundred and with Welsh as a primary language. This changed in 1887 when Nettlefolds moved from Hadley in Shropshire to a new steelworks on the site of the old tin works next to the remains of the old Rogerstone castle. Many of the Shropshire workers travelled to Rogerstone to continue working in the steel industry - some of them walked!

What you may ask is the relevance of this to soccer in Rogerstone? The Shropshire workers were passionate about their sport, particularly their soccer. They thus brought their passion with them and this was to be the start of soccer in Rogerstone which, if anything, was in a traditional Rugby stronghold. Little did they know the impact they were to have on the sporting scene in South Wales.

Soon after they were settled into their new community, the immigrants formed a soccer team. The exact year is not known but is probably ca.1887/8. It is probable that they first played amongst themselves and then started playing some friendly matches. The first known record of Rogerstone AFC appears in the minutes of a South Wales Football Association meeting in 1889 which reads ‘Rogerstone to pay Cardiff Corinthians the sum of £1. 1s. 0d ’. The reason for this payment (or fine?) is not known.

In 1892/3 Rogerstone were founder members of the South Wales and Monmouthshire Football Association along with other clubs such as Brecon, Cardiff, Swansea, New Tredegar and Cefn Excelsiors.

The earliest photograph of the Rogerstone AFC side was in the 1892/3 season when they were winners of a cup competition. The photograph is almost certainly the oldest known soccer photograph in South Wales. It is of note that on the cross band of the shirt of one of the players there is a castle tower emblem. This castle emblem also appeared on the medals associated with this cup win. This was the Nettlefolds emblem and was nothing to do with the works being built next to the old Rogerstone castle site or the fact that the works was called Castle works. The original castle tower (actually a windmill) was in Hadley, Shropshire, where the works was also named Castle Works.

I will end this first article with a copy of a report from the Daily News dated 17th February 1894 which commented on the growing emergence of soccer in South Wales. ‘The game of Rugby should protect itself from this its coming and coming fast,’ reckoned the reporter. In whimsical mode on the same day the paper carried a report on Cardiff vs. Rogerstone. ‘ both teams turned up, several non swimmers, no life saving apparatus. Match abandoned due to heavy rain.’

This Rogerstone side was to go on to be the dominant soccer side in South Wales for some fourteen years. At this time the side that became Cardiff City could not get into the same league because of facilities and standard of football and Swansea Town (now Swansea City) and the old Newport County were not founded until 1911.

~Rogerstone Association Football Team Cup - Winners Season 1892-3

The Halcyon Years 1894 - 1906

Rogerstone first joined the South Wales League in the 1893-94 season and were champions at the first attempt. However, at the completion of the 1893-94 season, the Management Committee announced the winding-up of the League. The Championship Trophy, named as the Athlete Cup, was presented to the SWFA for a competition to be called the South Wales Junior Cup. It was explained that in the SWFA’s opinion, the League system worked against the emergence of new clubs, and that a knock-out competition was preferable for their encouragement. This is probably one of the reasons Rogerstone entered the Welsh Cup in 1895 for the first time, losing 4-0 to Hereford in the first round at Rogerstone. In 1896 they notched up their first Welsh Cup win, beating Swansea Association 5-0 and going on to lose 7-2 away to Knighton, mid Wales, in the 2nd round.

The South Wales League restarted for the 1896-97 season. Rogerstone for some reason did not play in the league that season but were in the league the following season, 1897-98, and continued as they had finished in 1894 and were champions. Indeed, their success in this league was phenomenal and from the 1893-94 season to the 1905-06 season they were undoubtedly the best side in South Wales. They won the South Wales League four times, were runners up four times, finished third once and fourth twice. A record not matched by any other side over this period.

The side’s success was not restricted to the league games. During the same period they won the South Wales and Monmouthshire Challenge Cup in the 1896-97 season beating a Swansea side 1-0 in the last minute, in front of a crowd of 3000 at the Arms Park. They retained the cup in the 1897-98 season and in 1900 were beaten 2-1 in the Welsh Cup played at Aberystwyth, in front of a crowd of 2,000 spectators. Aberystwyth went on to win the cup.

In the 1898-99 season a trial match was held to select players for the South Wales team to play North Wales. Several Rogerstone players were selected. They were: G. Jones at inside left; J.L. Bowness, left back; R.S. Archer, outside right; and Moses Picken at centre-half.

1901 was the year the Newport and District League was founded and, in view of the amount of travelling involved in playing in the South Wales League, it must have been tempting to join. However, the South Wales League was considered to be the league with a far higher standing and it was there Rogerstone continued to play and in the1902-03 season they finished in fourth position. Around 1902, Rogerstone made probably their biggest signing. He was Joshua Pettican who hailed from Berkshire and played in the first Division of the Southern League for Swindon. He played about two seasons at Rogerstone. The press carried a report saying that Rogerstone had signed the "Gwyn Nicholls" of soccer.

Another Rogerstone star was Joe Littlehales who played and captained the side for several seasons between ca. 1900 and 1904. He was successful and good enough to play for Aston Villa. When he was first called up he arrived with no football shorts and played in his trousers. From then on he was nicknamed "trousers".

Winning ways returned in the 1903-04 season when Rogerstone were the Llanbradach Cup winners. This was the season when Rogerstone reached an all time low in the Welsh Cup. Having beaten Ebbw Vale 5-0 in the first round, Rogerstone could only draw 0-0 at home to Aberdare in the second round. In the replay at Aberdare, Rogerstone were losing 4-0 after 35 minutes and walked off!

In 1904, The Rhymney Valley League was formed and Rogerstone played in this League and the South Wales League. In the second year Rogerstone were champions of the Rhymney Valley League. These Leagues together with the Glamorgan League were destined to be the origin of the Welsh League.

After the 1905-06 championship season, this incredible period, unlikely to be equalled in Rogerstone soccer history, came to an end when the Club disbanded. We will probably never know the reason for this.

It was only at this point that Cardiff City managed to gain entry into the South Wales League, which itself disbanded in 1911.

Thus ended what will probably be the most successful period of Rogerstone soccer --------- but who knows?

~Rogerstone Association Football Club - South Wales and Monmouthshire Challenge Cup Winners 1896-97

More to follow.

Derek Picken, Rogerstone Local History Society
Alex Mayne, Rogerstone AFC.

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