Francis Heron
Encyclopedia
Charles Francis William Heron (1853 – 23 October 1914) was an English
footballer who made one appearance as a forward
for England
and was a member of the Wanderers
side that won the FA Cup
in 1876
.
, was born in Uxbridge
, west London
and attended Mill Hill School
. On leaving school he played as an amateur for Uxbridge
before joining the Wanderers
.
He made his solitary appearance for England
in the fifth international match
played at Hamilton Crescent
, Partick
on 4 March 1876. Heron played alongside his elder brother Hubert
who was appointed team captain. According to Philip Gibbons, "England struggled throughout the game, which saw the home team run out winners by three goals to nil."
A week after the England match, he was part of the Wanderers
team that met the Old Etonians
in the 1876 FA Cup Final
at the Kennington Oval
. En route to the final, he scored two "crucial" goals against Sheffield
in the third round. In the final, the first match ended in a 1-1 draw, with the Wanderers victorious 3-0 in the replay on 18 March, with two goals from Thomas Hughes
and one by Charles Wollaston
. Hubert
also played for Wanderers in this match; it would be another 120 years before a pair of brothers again played together in an FA Cup-final winning side and for England in the same season, when Gary
and Phil Neville did so in 1996.
During his career he also played for Swifts
and Windsor
.
merchant
in Bournemouth
.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
footballer who made one appearance as a forward
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
for England
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...
and was a member of the Wanderers
Wanderers F.C.
Wanderers Football Club is an English amateur football club, based in London, that plays in the Surrey South Eastern Combination. Founded as Forest Football Club in 1859, the club changed its name to Wanderers in 1864....
side that won 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...
in 1876
1876 FA Cup Final
Match rules:90 minutes normal time.30 minutes extra-time if scores are level, at captains' discretion.Replay if scores still level.No substitutes.-Summary:The replay took place one week later at the same venue...
.
Playing career
Heron, the younger brother of Hubert HeronHubert Heron
George Hubert Hugh Heron was an English footballer who made five appearances as a forward for England in the 1870s and won three FA Cup winners' medals.-Playing career:...
, was born in Uxbridge
Uxbridge
Uxbridge is a large town located in north west London, England and is the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Hillingdon. It forms part of the ceremonial county of Greater London. It is located west-northwest of Charing Cross and is one of the major metropolitan centres...
, west 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...
and attended Mill Hill School
Mill Hill School
Mill Hill School, in Mill Hill, London, is a coeducational independent school for boarding and day pupils aged 13–18. It is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference, an organisation of public schools in the United Kingdom....
. On leaving school he played as an amateur for Uxbridge
Uxbridge F.C.
Uxbridge Football Club are a football club representing Uxbridge but now based in West Drayton, in the County of Middlesex England. They were established in 1871 and are one of the oldest clubs in the South of England. They were founder members of the Southern League Division Two in 1894 and have...
before joining the Wanderers
Wanderers F.C.
Wanderers Football Club is an English amateur football club, based in London, that plays in the Surrey South Eastern Combination. Founded as Forest Football Club in 1859, the club changed its name to Wanderers in 1864....
.
He made his solitary appearance for England
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...
in the fifth international match
1875-76 in English football
The 1875–1876 season was the fifth season of competitive football in England. The only international match was the fifth match between England and Scotland.-National team:* England score given firstKey* A = Away match* F = Friendly...
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:...
on 4 March 1876. Heron played alongside his elder brother Hubert
Hubert Heron
George Hubert Hugh Heron was an English footballer who made five appearances as a forward for England in the 1870s and won three FA Cup winners' medals.-Playing career:...
who was appointed team captain. According to Philip Gibbons, "England struggled throughout the game, which saw the home team run out winners by three goals to nil."
A week after the England match, he was part of the Wanderers
Wanderers F.C.
Wanderers Football Club is an English amateur football club, based in London, that plays in the Surrey South Eastern Combination. Founded as Forest Football Club in 1859, the club changed its name to Wanderers in 1864....
team that met 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:...
in the 1876 FA Cup Final
1876 FA Cup Final
Match rules:90 minutes normal time.30 minutes extra-time if scores are level, at captains' discretion.Replay if scores still level.No substitutes.-Summary:The replay took place one week later at the same venue...
at the Kennington Oval
The Oval
The Kia Oval, still commonly referred to by its original name of The Oval, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, in the London Borough of Lambeth. In the past it was also sometimes called the Kennington Oval...
. En route to the final, he scored two "crucial" goals against Sheffield
Sheffield F.C.
Sheffield Football Club is an English football club from Sheffield, South Yorkshire. The club is most noted for the fact that they are the world's oldest club now playing Association football, founded in 1857...
in the third round. In the final, the first match ended in a 1-1 draw, with the Wanderers victorious 3-0 in the replay on 18 March, with two goals from Thomas Hughes
Thomas Hughes (footballer)
Thomas Bridges Hughes was an English amateur footballer who was the first player to score two goals in an FA Cup Final, with Wanderers in 1876...
and one by Charles Wollaston
Charles Wollaston
Charles Henry Reynolds Wollaston was an English footballer for Wanderers F.C. and England.Wollaston played for Wanderers in the first FA Cup Final in 1872 and scored in the second final of 1873. In all he won five winner's medals, the first player to achieve this feat.He earned four caps for...
. Hubert
Hubert Heron
George Hubert Hugh Heron was an English footballer who made five appearances as a forward for England in the 1870s and won three FA Cup winners' medals.-Playing career:...
also played for Wanderers in this match; it would be another 120 years before a pair of brothers again played together in an FA Cup-final winning side and for England in the same season, when Gary
Gary Neville
Gary Alexander Neville is a former English footballer. He is England's most capped right-back and was Manchester United's club captain for five years....
and Phil Neville did so in 1996.
During his career he also played for Swifts
Swifts F.C.
Swifts Football Club were a football team based in Slough, England.The club were founded c.1868 and played their home matches on a ground near The Dolphin public house, Slough...
and Windsor
Windsor & Eton F.C.
Windsor & Eton F.C. was an English association football club based in Windsor, Berkshire, last playing in the Southern League Premier Division in 2010–11, until it was wound up on 2 February 2011 due to large debts. A new club, Windsor F.C., has been formed to compete in the 2011–12...
.
Later career
Heron played as an amateur and earned his living as a wineWine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
merchant
Merchant
A merchant is a businessperson who trades in commodities that were produced by others, in order to earn a profit.Merchants can be one of two types:# A wholesale merchant operates in the chain between producer and retail merchant...
in Bournemouth
Bournemouth
Bournemouth is a large coastal resort town in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. According to the 2001 Census the town has a population of 163,444, making it the largest settlement in Dorset. It is also the largest settlement between Southampton and Plymouth...
.