Highbury Union F.C., more usually simply known as Union, 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

Islington Islington ( ) is an inner-city area of north London, England, within the wider London Borough of Islington. It is a mainly residential district of Inner London, extending from Islington's #Islington High Street, High Street to Highbury Fields ...

History

The club was founded on 14 July 1873 as a club playing both

rugby football Rugby football is the collective name for the team sports of rugby union or rugby league. Rugby football started at Rugby School in Rugby, Warwickshire, England, where the rules were first codified in 1845. Forms of football in which the ball ...

and association codes. The club continued playing both codes until at least 1877, but by 1881 was solely an association club. Although claiming a foundation date of 1873, the club's first external association rules match seems to have taken place in October 1875, against Hornsey Rovers. The club competed in the

FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout association football, football competition in domestic Football in England, English football. First played during ...

in 1876–77, losing 5–0 at Rochester, and scratched its entry in 1877 when drawn to face the Royal Engineers. The club also took part in 1881–82 and 1882–83, but lost in the first round both times; the first time 1–0 to Hotspur after having a goal disallowed for offside, the second time 4–1 at the powerful

Swifts Swift or SWIFT most commonly refers to: * SWIFT, an international organization facilitating transactions between banks ** SWIFT code * Swift (programming language) * Swift (bird), a family of birds It may also refer to: Organizations * SWIFT, a ...

side, the Union's goal being a consolation near the end from Poulton. The club seems to have ceased to exist before the 1884–85 season, with many of its players (including captain Frank Webster) joining

Romford Romford is a large List of places in London, town in east London, east London, England, located northeast of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Havering, the town is one of the major Metropolitan centres of London, metropolitan centr ...

Colours

The club's colours were originally dark blue jerseys with a red Maltese cross on a white ground, red cap, and blue stockings. In 1877, these changed to chocolate and light blue, with white knickers and brown socks. In 1882 the club changed again to scarlet and black.

Ground

The club's first ground was Christ Church Field, near Highbury Station, and the club used the Alwyn Castle as a changing room. By 1877 it was playing out of Victoria Park, using the Cassland Hotel for facilities.

References

Defunct football clubs in England {{England-footyclub-defunct-stub