Clarence, sometimes referred to as The Clarence, was an English

association football Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...

club from

Battersea Battersea is a large district in southwest London, part of the London Borough of Wandsworth, England. It is centred southwest of Charing Cross and also extends along the south bank of the Thames Tideway. It includes the Battersea Park. Hist ...

History

The club was founded in 1876 by Henry Morton-Carr, an Old Carthusian who later founded the

Belgrave Harriers Belgrave Harriers is an athletics club in London, England, with headquarters located in Wimbledon, close to Wimbledon Common. Belgrave Harriers compete in track and field, road running, racewalking and cross country events, and have traditional ...

Athletic Club. The club took its name from a hotel in Winstanley Road, near to

Battersea Park Battersea Park is a 200-acre (83-hectare) green space at Battersea in the London Borough of Wandsworth in London. It is situated on the south bank of the River Thames opposite Chelsea, London, Chelsea and was opened in 1858. The park occupies ...

. It was not an aristocratic club - goalkeeper Thomas Bockmaster was a stonemason, and Cup goalscorer Thomas Wilmshurst a schoolteacher. The club's first recorded match was a 1–0 win at home to

Trojans Trojan or Trojans may refer to: * Of or from the ancient city of Troy * Trojan language, the language of the historical Trojans Arts and entertainment Music * ''Les Troyens'' ('The Trojans'), an opera by Berlioz, premiered part 1863, part 1890 ...

in 1876. For its first three seasons, the club played mostly low-key matches, many of which were not reported. In 1879–80 the club entered the FA Cup for the first time, but lost 5–2 at

Pilgrims F.C. Pilgrims F.C. was an English association football club based in the north of London. History The club was founded in 1871 under the name Clapton Pilgrims, changing its name to Pilgrims in 1873. The club restricted playing membership to 60 ...

in the first round; Clarence had gone 2–0 behind and pulled it back to 2–2 within the first fifreen minutes, but the second half was dominated by Pilgrims. The following season, the club lost 6–0 at Marlow in the first round, having turned up to the match with only ten men, and seems to have ceased operations soon afterwards; four of its players joined Morton Rangers for 1881–82 and the club was not a member of the

London Football Association The London Football Association (LFA) is the regional Football Association for inner areas of London. The London FA was established in 1882 and is affiliated to The Football Association. The London FA administers all levels of men's, women's and ...

on the latter's foundation in 1882. Its last record is as being listed as a member of the

Football Association A football association, also known as a football federation, soccer federation, or soccer association, is a governing body for association football. Many of them are members of the sport's regional bodies such as UEFA and CONMEBOL and the world gov ...

in 1883. The club is not related to another Clarence football club, founded in 1875 as the works side for Maple & Co., which played in an all-black kit out of Willesden Green.

Colours

The club played in blue with red stripes in 1876–77, and changed the following season to blue and black.

Ground

The club played at Battersea Park, and used The Crown on York Road for facilities.

References

{{Reflist Association football clubs established in 1876 Defunct football clubs in England 1876 establishments in England Association football clubs disestablished in 1883