Night Shropshire tossed away an FA Cup victory

It was 0-0 in the first tie played at Bramall Lane. Ditto in the replay played at Shrewsbury Racecourse.

Who should go through?

After the second match the players dined together at the Raven Hotel in Shrewsbury.

The Shrewsbury Chronicle match report of November 21, 1873, brought the news to Shropshire supporters.

"We are informed that in the course of the evening the respective captains tossed as to who should contest in the next tie with the Pilgrims, and that the Shropshire Wanderers lost."

And that was that. If Wikipedia is right, Shropshire Wanderers FC have a unique place in FA Cup history, as the only team to be knocked out of the competition on the toss of a coin.

By modern standards, the attendances at the two ties were thin, and modern Shrewsbury Town will be entertaining many more than their Victorian footballing forebears as they embark on their own FA Cup campaign, hosting Salford City on Sunday, November 11.

The FA Cup was still a new competition when Shropshire Wanderers went to Bramall Lane at the end of October in 1873. The inaugural tournament had kicked off in November 1871.

It was in that year of 1871 too that Shropshire Wanderers were formed, under the guidance of J. H. Edwards and the Shrewsbury club, and the 1873 fixtures were their first venture into the FA Cup.

There were over 600 spectators for the first match at Bramall Lane, and for the return at Shrewsbury Racecourse "nearly 100 spectators assembled, among them being a very considerable number of ladies," the Shrewsbury Chronicle reported.

Kick off on the day, a Monday, was shortly after 3.30pm.

For the first quarter of an hour or so, nobody came close.

"Struggling vigorously inch by inch, however, the Shropshire men gradually drove the ball into the Sheffield half of the ground, and the goal keeper had several times to exercise his privilege of bringing his hands to the rescue, in order to avoid defeat.

"One kick of the 'Wanderers,' about this part of the game, drove the ball out of reach of the goal keeper, and between the posts, but, unfortunately for the credit of the Salopians, just over the tape."

After the half time break, the Sheffield men "came up with renewed vigour" before in the final part the goal keeping of Ellison, together with the fine back play of Chambers "and another gentleman" frustrated all attacks by the Wanderers.

For some reason the Chronicle reporter didn't mention that Sheffield were reduced to nine men – according to the book "Sheffield, the Birthplace of Football," Mr M Ellison was "disabled," and after the match had to go to a surgeon, and "Mr Wake had to retire."

After losing this tie by the toss of a coin, Shropshire Wanderers had more success in 1874-5, when they reached the semi-finals against Old Etonians at The Oval. They lost 1-0, but remain the only Shropshire club to reach the penultimate stage of the competition.

They faded away at the end of the decade.