Vincent Edward Weston
Born(1855-10-00)October 1855
Kingston-upon-Thames, England
Died12 December 1937(1937-12-12) (aged 82)
Shanklin, Isle of Wight
Occupation(s)Footballer, stock dealer

Vincent Weston (October 1855 – 12 December 1937) was an English footballer and rower from the late 19th century who won the FA Cup in 1880 as a half-back for Clapham Rovers.

Early life

Weston was born in Kingston-upon-Thames, London,[1] in October 1855, the fifth son of John Weston (1817–1887) and his wife Augusta Ellen née Wood (1817–1891).[2] His father was a merchant and financial agent. [2]

Rowing

Vincent and his four brothers, including fellow footballer Percy, were members of the London Rowing Club;[3] being small in stature, they made perfect coxes, and "Little" Vincent was competing internationally before he was a teenager.[4] His greatest honour as a cox was steering a London RC foursome to victory in the Stewards' Challenge Cup at Henley four times between 1868 and 1872.[5]

Football

Weston's first appearance on the football field was for Barnes - a football club associated with a rowing club - alongside two of his brothers in October 1871, against Westminster School.[6] The following month he played for Barnes against the Civil Service in the first round of the first FA Cup.[7]

He played 11 more times for Barnes in the FA Cup from 1872–73 to 1878–79, usually as a half-back,[8] including in Barnes' surprise draw with Wanderers in 1877–78, being "especially notable for his accurate kicking".[9]

For the 1879–80 FA Cup he switched allegiance to Clapham Rovers, and his first match in the competition for his new club was a 7–0 win over Romford, Weston being picked out for his conspicuous play.[10] He played in every round, and in the final (against Oxford University) Weston - who "played admirably" - made a key defensive clearance when the match was still scoreless.[11]

He continued to play for Rovers in the following year's competition, becoming something of a dead-ball specialist, tasked with corners and free-kicks.[12] His final game in the competition came in a defeat to the Old Etonians in a first-round replay in 1881–82.[13] His last recorded football appearance was captaining the Stock Exchange side against Lloyd's of London in their annual match in 1882; his former Clapham Rovers team-mate Robert Ogilvie captained the opposition.[14]

Although he never picked up an International cap, he did represent the Football Association several times in representative matches in 1879–80.[15][16]

Later life

Weston became a stock dealer, in partnership with his nephew Spencer Weston.[17] He married Edith Fanny Clara Colnaghi, who pre-deceased him, in early 1911.[18]

Weston died in Shanklin on the Isle of Wight in December 1937, leaving assets of £422 2/- to Alan Tremlett, another Stock Exchange member.[19]

Honours

Clapham Rovers

Bibliography

  • Collett, Mike (2003). The Complete Record of the FA Cup. Sports Books. ISBN 1-899807-19-5.
  • Mitchell, Andy (2012). First Elevens: The Birth of International Football. Andy Mitchell Media. ISBN 978-1475206845.

References

  1. ↑ England & Wales Civil Registration Birth Index. HMSO. October–December 1855. p. 127.
  2. 1 2 Mitchell 2012, p. 137.
  3. ↑ "London Rowing Club". Bell's Life: 6. 5 October 1867.
  4. ↑ "The Paris Regattas". Bell's Life: 6. 13 July 1867.
  5. ↑ "The international boat race". Morning Advertiser: 7. 11 June 1872.
  6. ↑ "Westminster School v Barnes". Bell's Life: 5. 4 November 1871.
  7. ↑ "Barnes v Civil Service". Sportsman: 3. 15 November 1871.
  8. ↑ "Barnes v Upton Park". Field: 733. 16 December 1876.
  9. ↑ "Wanderers v Barnes". Sporting Gazette. 19 January 1878.
  10. ↑ "Romford". London Daily Chronicle: 6. 10 November 1879.
  11. ↑ "Association Challenge Cup". Referee: 6. 11 April 1880.
  12. ↑ "Old Carthusians v Clapham Rovers". Sportsman: 4. 21 March 1881.
  13. ↑ "Old Etonians v Clapham Rovers". Field: 783. 26 November 1881.
  14. ↑ "Cricket, Athletics, Aquatics &c". Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News: 16. 4 March 1882.
  15. ↑ "London v Lancashire". Sporting Chronicle: 4. 10 December 1879.
  16. ↑ "London v Sheffield". Sporting Gazette: 11. 3 January 1880.
  17. ↑ Stock Exchange membership applications. London: London Stock Exchange. 1914. p. 199.
  18. ↑ England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index. HMSO. 1911. p. 1295.
  19. ↑ England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations). HMSO. 1938. p. 403.
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