Llewelyn Kenrick
Encyclopedia
Samuel Llewelyn Kenrick was a Welsh solicitor
who became the founder of the Football Association of Wales
and organised the first Welsh international
football match against Scotland
in 1876
. As such he became the "father of Welsh football".
, Ruabon
, Wales, the son of William Kenrick (1798–1865) who had founded the Wynn Hall Colliery, and a descendant of the Wynn family. After attending Ruabon Grammar School
, Kenrick trained as a solicitor (admitted 1871) and practiced at Ruabon.
Two of his cousins, Harriet and Florence Kenrick, were the first and second wives of the politician Joseph Chamberlain
.
Kenrick married a daughter of the Rev A L Taylor, headmaster of Ruabon Grammar School, although they had no children.
, Shropshire.
and George Thomson in amalgamating the Ruabon-based Plasmodic club with two other Ruabon clubs, "Ruabon Rovers" and "Ruabon Volunteers", to form the Ruabon Druids
. The newly created club played their home matches at Plasmodic Park in the village of Cefn Mawr
, before a new ground was created in the nearby Wynn family estate at Wynnstay
in 1879. At this time, there was no organised league system and Druids played friendly matches against other local clubs although they occasionally ventured further afield to play in England and Scotland, including a match against Queens Park at Hampden Park
in 1877.
in the 1874–75 season in which he helped them reach the semi-final of the FA Cup
, when they were defeated 1–0 by the Old Etonians
.
newspaper proposing that a Welsh team be formed to play Scotland or Ireland at rugby. Kenrick saw the advertisement but decided that the international match should be Association football.
He told The Field that the footballers of North Wales accepted the challenge and he advertised for players:
To be selected, the players had to be born in Wales or have sufficient residence in the Principality. Although Kenrick corresponded with several Welsh clubs and the Universities in order to raise a team he was criticised for allegedly overlooking players from the south.
The test matches took place in February 1876 under the auspices of the newly created Football Association of Wales
(see below). Kenrick selected six players from his own club, Druids, plus two from local rivals, Wrexham, and one from English club, Oswestry. William Evans
(of Oxford University
) was the only player from South Wales selected, with the others all from North Wales, other than John Hawley Edwards who was born in Shrewsbury in England and had previously represented the England national football team
. Edwards was a fellow solicitor and member of the Shropshire Wanderers.
The match
against Scotland was played at Hamilton Crescent
, Partick
, the home of the West of Scotland Cricket Club
on 25 March 1876. The Welsh were well defeated, conceding four goals without reply. Kenrick played at left back and acquitted himself well, with the match report commenting: "Evans and Kenrick, the backs, played splendidly for Wales".
Provisionally known as the "Cambrian Football Association", the Football Association of Wales was founded at a meeting held on 2 February 1876 at the Wynnstay Arms Hotel in Wrexham
, initially to formalise the arrangements for the forthcoming match against Scotland.
In May 1876, a further meeting was called, this time in the ballroom of the identically named Wynnstay Arms Hotel in Ruabon where the name was agreed as the "Football Association of Wales" and the constitution was drawn up. The arguments and discussions continued so long that the local policeman came in to call time.
Fortunately, Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn
was in attendance; as the local JP (and also the sitting Member of Parliament), he went next door, opened the Court, extended the hotel's licensing hours, thus enabling the meeting to continue. The meeting ended with Kenrick appointed as the first chairman and honorary secretary with John Hawley Edwards as first treasurer.
Kenrick continued to serve the FAW until 1884, when he left, probably because of the trend towards professionalism. In 1897, when the FAW secretary was charged with fraud, Kenrick returned to guide the association through the crisis. He made the final break a few months later over the minor issue of the allocation of gate money to Welsh Cup semi-finalists and finalists.
, which kicked off in the autumn. 19 clubs entered though only 17 actually fielded a team. The first match was played on Saturday 13 October at Newtown
against the Druids and ended in a 1–1 draw. The game started at 2.30 in front of a large crowd with the high wind causing problems. Evans scored for Newtown in the first half, although Druids equalised through Daniel Grey
to take the match to a replay. The match report says that "Ll. Kendrick (was) prominent for Druids."
Druids won the replay 4–0 and progressed to the final against Wrexham. The match was a cliffhanger, with no score until the Wrexham forwards charged the Druids' defenders to take the ball over the line to win the game in the final minute, with James Davies being credited with the goal.
Following the loss of their Plasmodic ground in the autumn of 1878, Druids were temporarily disbanded. During this period, Kenrick and several of his Druids team-mates joined the Oswestry club. In 1879, the Druids had gained the use of the ground at Wynnstay and Kenrick returned to the Druids for one further season as captain, leading them to the Welsh Cup Final when they defeated Ruthin
2–1 (with goals from Jack Vaughan and John Jones
). As captain of the Druids, Kenrick collected the cup from Sir Evan Morris, who acclaimed him as the founder of Welsh football.
, Wrexham
, with Kenrick retaining his place at left-back. The Scots were again victorious, winning 2–0. The match report in the Wrexham Advertiser stated:
Kenrick missed the 1878 match against Scotland (lost 9–0) but returned to the side the following year for matches against England and Scotland. Described as "a small, muscular player and a full-back with a reputation as a fearsome shoulder-charger", Kenrick had retired from playing and was attending the match against England at Alexandra Meadows
, Blackburn on 26 February 1881 as a spectator. Jack Powell
missed his train connection at Chester and Kenrick turned out in his everyday clothes to give "a splendid performance" at right-back. According to the Wrexham Advertiser:
for East Denbighshire in 1906, a post he held until his death in 1933.
Shortly after his appointment, he presided over an inquest into the death of a footballer at Chirk
and, after amusing himself with a remark that the jury probably knew more about the game than he did, made the following comment on the game:
One writer who knew Kenrick well described him as "thoroughly straightforward and conscientious. He has never been the man to court favour and popularity. His somewhat brusque manner perhaps offended many, but no one ever doubted his sincerity".
Solicitor
Solicitors are lawyers who traditionally deal with any legal matter including conducting proceedings in courts. In the United Kingdom, a few Australian states and the Republic of Ireland, the legal profession is split between solicitors and barristers , and a lawyer will usually only hold one title...
who became the founder of the Football Association of Wales
Football Association of Wales
The Football Association of Wales is the governing body of association football in Wales. It is a member of FIFA, UEFA and the IFAB.Established in 1876 , it is the third-oldest national association in the world, and is one of the four associations The Football Association of Wales (FAW) is the...
and organised the first Welsh international
Wales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
football match against Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
in 1876
Scotland v Wales (1876)
The first international match for the Wales national football team came on 25 March 1876 when they played Scotland at Hamilton Crescent, Partick, the home of the West of Scotland Cricket Club, with the Scots claiming an emphatic 4–0 victory...
. As such he became the "father of Welsh football".
Early life and family
Kenrick was born into the land-owning, industrialist Kenrick dynasty of Wynn HallWynn Hall
Wynn Hall is a 17th century house in the old hamlet of Bodylltyn in Ruabon, Wrexham, Wales standing at the junction of the Penycae Road and Plas Bennion Road. It was built in about 1649 by William Wynn. During the English Civil War he served on the Parliamentarian side and was imprisoned at Denbigh...
, Ruabon
Ruabon
Ruabon is a village and community in the county borough of Wrexham in Wales.More than 80% of the population of 2,400 were born in Wales with 13.6% speaking Welsh....
, Wales, the son of William Kenrick (1798–1865) who had founded the Wynn Hall Colliery, and a descendant of the Wynn family. After attending Ruabon Grammar School
Ruabon Grammar School
The Ruabon Grammar School was situated in Ruabon, Denbighshire in north-east Wales. It provided a grammar school education to boys in the parishes of Ruabon and Erbistock....
, Kenrick trained as a solicitor (admitted 1871) and practiced at Ruabon.
Two of his cousins, Harriet and Florence Kenrick, were the first and second wives of the politician Joseph Chamberlain
Joseph Chamberlain
Joseph Chamberlain was an influential British politician and statesman. Unlike most major politicians of the time, he was a self-made businessman and had not attended Oxford or Cambridge University....
.
Kenrick married a daughter of the Rev A L Taylor, headmaster of Ruabon Grammar School, although they had no children.
Football career
His earliest football appearances were in England when he played for Priorslee at ShifnalShifnal
Shifnal is a small market town in Shropshire, England. It forms part of The Wrekin constituency, and is about east of Telford. It has a railway station on the Shrewsbury-Wolverhampton Line and is near to the M54 motorway.-Early medieval time:...
, Shropshire.
Druids Football Club
In 1872, he assisted brothers DavidDavid Thomson (footballer born 1847)
David Thomson was a Welsh amateur footballer who helped found the Druids club and played for Wales in their first international match...
and George Thomson in amalgamating the Ruabon-based Plasmodic club with two other Ruabon clubs, "Ruabon Rovers" and "Ruabon Volunteers", to form the Ruabon Druids
Druids F.C.
Ruabon Druids F.C. were a football club based in village of Ruabon near Wrexham. The club was founded in 1869 as Plasmadoc F.C. by David Thomson and his brother, George, of Ruabon...
. The newly created club played their home matches at Plasmodic Park in the village of Cefn Mawr
Cefn Mawr
Cefn Mawr is a large village in the community of Cefn within the County Borough of Wrexham, Wales. Its name translates as "great ridge".The community of Cefn comprises the villages of Cefn Mawr, Cefn-bychan , Acrefair, Penybryn, Newbridge, Plasmadoc and Rhosymedre and is situated on the northern...
, before a new ground was created in the nearby Wynn family estate at Wynnstay
Wynnstay
Wynnstay was a famous estate in Wales, the family seat of the Wynns. It is located at Ruabon, near Wrexham.During the 17th century, Sir John Wynn, 5th Baronet inherited the Watstay Estate through his marriage to Jane Evans , and renamed it the Wynnstay Estate...
in 1879. At this time, there was no organised league system and Druids played friendly matches against other local clubs although they occasionally ventured further afield to play in England and Scotland, including a match against Queens Park at Hampden Park
Hampden Park
Hampden Park is a football stadium in the Mount Florida area of Glasgow, Scotland. The 52,063 capacity venue serves as the national stadium of football in Scotland...
in 1877.
Shropshire Wanderers
Kenrick also played for the Shropshire WanderersShropshire Wanderers F.C.
Shropshire Wanderers F.C. were an amateur association football club based in Shrewsbury, England. They were active during the 1870s.They entered the FA Cup competition in each of the years from 1873-74 to 1877-78. Their greatest success came in 1874-75, when they reached the Semi-finals where they...
in the 1874–75 season in which he helped them reach the semi-final of the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
, when they were defeated 1–0 by the Old Etonians
Old Etonians F.C.
The Old Etonians Football Club is an English football club whose players are taken from previous attendees of Eton College, in Eton, Berkshire.-History:...
.
First international match
In January 1876, a London-based Welshman, G Clay-Thomas, placed an advertisement in The FieldThe Field (magazine)
The Field is the world's oldest country and field sports magazine, having been published continuously since 1853.The famous sportsman Robert Smith Surtees, the creator of Jorrocks, was the driving force behind the initial publication...
newspaper proposing that a Welsh team be formed to play Scotland or Ireland at rugby. Kenrick saw the advertisement but decided that the international match should be Association football.
He told The Field that the footballers of North Wales accepted the challenge and he advertised for players:
To be selected, the players had to be born in Wales or have sufficient residence in the Principality. Although Kenrick corresponded with several Welsh clubs and the Universities in order to raise a team he was criticised for allegedly overlooking players from the south.
The test matches took place in February 1876 under the auspices of the newly created Football Association of Wales
Football Association of Wales
The Football Association of Wales is the governing body of association football in Wales. It is a member of FIFA, UEFA and the IFAB.Established in 1876 , it is the third-oldest national association in the world, and is one of the four associations The Football Association of Wales (FAW) is the...
(see below). Kenrick selected six players from his own club, Druids, plus two from local rivals, Wrexham, and one from English club, Oswestry. William Evans
William Evans (footballer)
William Addams Williams Evans was a Welsh churchman who played for the Wales national football team, in the first two international matches in 1876 and 1877 before a long career as a Church of England minister....
(of Oxford University
Oxford University A.F.C.
Oxford University Association Football Club is an English football club representing the University of Oxford.-History:Formed in 1872, the club was a giant of the 1870s, winning the FA Cup 2-0 against Royal Engineers in 1874 and finishing the competition as runners up in 1873, 1877 and 1880, the...
) was the only player from South Wales selected, with the others all from North Wales, other than John Hawley Edwards who was born in Shrewsbury in England and had previously represented the England national football team
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
. Edwards was a fellow solicitor and member of the Shropshire Wanderers.
The match
Scotland v Wales (1876)
The first international match for the Wales national football team came on 25 March 1876 when they played Scotland at Hamilton Crescent, Partick, the home of the West of Scotland Cricket Club, with the Scots claiming an emphatic 4–0 victory...
against Scotland was played at Hamilton Crescent
Hamilton Crescent
Hamilton Crescent is a cricket ground located in the Partick area of Glasgow, Scotland. It is the home of the West of Scotland Cricket Club.Hamilton Crescent is famous for holding the first ever international football match, played between Scotland and England...
, Partick
Partick
Partick is an area of Glasgow on the north bank of the River Clyde, just across from Govan. To the west lies Whiteinch. Partick was a Police burgh from 1852 until 1912 when it was incorporated into the city.-History:...
, the home of the West of Scotland Cricket Club
West of Scotland Cricket Club
The West of Scotland Cricket Club is a large cricket club based in Glasgow, Scotland. Their ground is Hamilton Crescent located in the Partick area of Glasgow's West End...
on 25 March 1876. The Welsh were well defeated, conceding four goals without reply. Kenrick played at left back and acquitted himself well, with the match report commenting: "Evans and Kenrick, the backs, played splendidly for Wales".
Football Association of Wales
Wrexham
Wrexham is a town in Wales. It is the administrative centre of the wider Wrexham County Borough, and the largest town in North Wales, located in the east of the region. It is situated between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley close to the border with Cheshire, England...
, initially to formalise the arrangements for the forthcoming match against Scotland.
In May 1876, a further meeting was called, this time in the ballroom of the identically named Wynnstay Arms Hotel in Ruabon where the name was agreed as the "Football Association of Wales" and the constitution was drawn up. The arguments and discussions continued so long that the local policeman came in to call time.
Fortunately, Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn
Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn, 6th Baronet
Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn, 6th Baronet was a Welsh Conservative politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1841 to 1885....
was in attendance; as the local JP (and also the sitting Member of Parliament), he went next door, opened the Court, extended the hotel's licensing hours, thus enabling the meeting to continue. The meeting ended with Kenrick appointed as the first chairman and honorary secretary with John Hawley Edwards as first treasurer.
Kenrick continued to serve the FAW until 1884, when he left, probably because of the trend towards professionalism. In 1897, when the FAW secretary was charged with fraud, Kenrick returned to guide the association through the crisis. He made the final break a few months later over the minor issue of the allocation of gate money to Welsh Cup semi-finalists and finalists.
The Welsh Cup
In 1877, the FAW inaugurated the first Welsh domestic football competition, the Welsh CupWelsh Cup
The Welsh Cup is a knock-out football competition contested annually by teams from Wales.The Football Association of Wales is the organising body of this competition, which has been run every year since its inception in 1877-78...
, which kicked off in the autumn. 19 clubs entered though only 17 actually fielded a team. The first match was played on Saturday 13 October at Newtown
Newtown F.C.
Newtown Association Football Club is a Welsh football club who currently play in the Welsh Premier League, with a reserve team currently playing in the Mid Wales Football League....
against the Druids and ended in a 1–1 draw. The game started at 2.30 in front of a large crowd with the high wind causing problems. Evans scored for Newtown in the first half, although Druids equalised through Daniel Grey
Daniel Grey
Daniel Grey was a Welsh medical practitioner who was prominent in the early days of Welsh football, making two appearances for the Wales national football team in the 1870s.-Early life:...
to take the match to a replay. The match report says that "Ll. Kendrick (was) prominent for Druids."
Druids won the replay 4–0 and progressed to the final against Wrexham. The match was a cliffhanger, with no score until the Wrexham forwards charged the Druids' defenders to take the ball over the line to win the game in the final minute, with James Davies being credited with the goal.
Following the loss of their Plasmodic ground in the autumn of 1878, Druids were temporarily disbanded. During this period, Kenrick and several of his Druids team-mates joined the Oswestry club. In 1879, the Druids had gained the use of the ground at Wynnstay and Kenrick returned to the Druids for one further season as captain, leading them to the Welsh Cup Final when they defeated Ruthin
Ruthin Town F.C.
Ruthin Town Football Club are a Welsh football club, based at the Memorial Playing Fields in Ruthin, Denbighshire, and are one of the most popular football clubs in North Wales with long history of providing sport to all ages to the local communuity...
2–1 (with goals from Jack Vaughan and John Jones
John Jones (footballer born 1856)
John Jones was a Welsh amateur footballer who spent most of his football career with Druids, and played for the Wales national football team in their first international match in 1876.-Football career:...
). As captain of the Druids, Kenrick collected the cup from Sir Evan Morris, who acclaimed him as the founder of Welsh football.
Later international career
The return match against Scotland came on 5 March 1877 at the Racecourse GroundRacecourse Ground
The Glyndŵr University Racecourse Stadium AKA The Racecourse Ground is a stadium located in Wrexham, North Wales. It is the home of Wrexham F.C. and, since 2010, the Crusaders Rugby League team who play in the engage Super League...
, Wrexham
Wrexham
Wrexham is a town in Wales. It is the administrative centre of the wider Wrexham County Borough, and the largest town in North Wales, located in the east of the region. It is situated between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley close to the border with Cheshire, England...
, with Kenrick retaining his place at left-back. The Scots were again victorious, winning 2–0. The match report in the Wrexham Advertiser stated:
Kenrick missed the 1878 match against Scotland (lost 9–0) but returned to the side the following year for matches against England and Scotland. Described as "a small, muscular player and a full-back with a reputation as a fearsome shoulder-charger", Kenrick had retired from playing and was attending the match against England at Alexandra Meadows
Alexandra Meadows
Alexandra Meadows is the home ground of the East Lancashire Cricket Club in Blackburn.Between 1878 and 1881 the ground was used as the home venue for the Blackburn Rovers football team, following their move from the Pleasington Cricket Ground. The first Rovers match at the Meadows came in 1878...
, Blackburn on 26 February 1881 as a spectator. Jack Powell
Jack Powell (footballer)
John "Jack" Powell was a Welsh association footballer who played as a full-back for Newton Heath in the late 1880s....
missed his train connection at Chester and Kenrick turned out in his everyday clothes to give "a splendid performance" at right-back. According to the Wrexham Advertiser:
(John) HawtreyThis was the first victory by the Welsh international side, five years after their first international match.John HawtreyJohn Purvis Hawtrey was an English amateur footballer who earned two caps for the national team in 1881.He was the brother of the actor, Sir Charles Hawtrey.-References:...
, the English goalkeeper, threw the ball out but was charged over at the same time and (Jack) Vaughan running up placed the leather safely through the goal for Wales. The Englishmen strove hard to get on terms with their opponents. Shot after shot was aimed at the Welsh goal but each attempt was rendered futile. When time was called Wales were declared winners by one goal to love.
Legal career
Kenrick was Clerk to the Ruabon Magistrates from 1896 and was appointed coronerCoroner
A coroner is a government official who* Investigates human deaths* Determines cause of death* Issues death certificates* Maintains death records* Responds to deaths in mass disasters* Identifies unknown dead* Other functions depending on local laws...
for East Denbighshire in 1906, a post he held until his death in 1933.
Shortly after his appointment, he presided over an inquest into the death of a footballer at Chirk
Chirk
Chirk is a small town and local government community, the lowest tier of local government, part of Wrexham County Borough in Wales. It has a population of over 4,000....
and, after amusing himself with a remark that the jury probably knew more about the game than he did, made the following comment on the game:
One writer who knew Kenrick well described him as "thoroughly straightforward and conscientious. He has never been the man to court favour and popularity. His somewhat brusque manner perhaps offended many, but no one ever doubted his sincerity".
International appearances
Kenrick made five appearances for Wales as follows:| Date | Venue | Opponent | Result | Goals | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 March 1876 | Hamilton Crescent Hamilton Crescent Hamilton Crescent is a cricket ground located in the Partick area of Glasgow, Scotland. It is the home of the West of Scotland Cricket Club.Hamilton Crescent is famous for holding the first ever international football match, played between Scotland and England... , Partick Partick Partick is an area of Glasgow on the north bank of the River Clyde, just across from Govan. To the west lies Whiteinch. Partick was a Police burgh from 1852 until 1912 when it was incorporated into the city.-History:... |
0–4 | 0 | Friendly | |
| 5 March 1877 | Racecourse Ground Racecourse Ground The Glyndŵr University Racecourse Stadium AKA The Racecourse Ground is a stadium located in Wrexham, North Wales. It is the home of Wrexham F.C. and, since 2010, the Crusaders Rugby League team who play in the engage Super League... , Wrexham Wrexham Wrexham is a town in Wales. It is the administrative centre of the wider Wrexham County Borough, and the largest town in North Wales, located in the east of the region. It is situated between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley close to the border with Cheshire, England... |
0–2 | 0 | Friendly | |
| 18 January 1879 | Kennington Oval, London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... |
1–2 | 0 | Friendly | |
| 7 April 1879 | Racecourse Ground, Wrexham | 0–3 | 0 | Friendly | |
| 26 February 1881 | Alexandra Meadows Alexandra Meadows Alexandra Meadows is the home ground of the East Lancashire Cricket Club in Blackburn.Between 1878 and 1881 the ground was used as the home venue for the Blackburn Rovers football team, following their move from the Pleasington Cricket Ground. The first Rovers match at the Meadows came in 1878... , Blackburn |
1–0 | 0 | Friendly | |
External links
- Football Association of Wales (FAW)Football Association of WalesThe Football Association of Wales is the governing body of association football in Wales. It is a member of FIFA, UEFA and the IFAB.Established in 1876 , it is the third-oldest national association in the world, and is one of the four associations The Football Association of Wales (FAW) is the...
- Welsh Football Data Archive (WFDA)
- The Story of Welsh Football wrexham.gov.uk
- Biography on BBC Wales