Although Wealdstone Football Club as we know it today was, it is generally agreed, founded at the beginning of the 1899/1900 season, records reveal that two clubs bearing the title were in being many years before that time. "It was mainly from the players from these two clubs, Wealdstone Mission F.C. and The Oaks and the factory team from Cogswell and Harrison (gunsmiths) that the first Wealdstone Football Club was formed in 1890." (see extract from Cogswell & Harrison bi-centenary book)

From existing records we are able to gain quite a clear picture of events leading to the formation of the present club. The employees of a firm of gunsmiths, Messrs. Cogswell & Harrison, appear to have been the pioneers of organised football in Wealdstone. The firm came to the district from Birmingham in 1887.it's managing director, Edgar Harrison, who resided in Hindes Road, took a great interest in his employees' football activities.

Two local opponents of the factory were the Wealdstone Mission F.C. and a club called "The Oaks", the latter being comprised of members of the clerical staff of Messrs. Cogswell & Harrison. 'The Oaks" played on fields opposite the factory, near Rowe's farm. The Bridge Schools in Station Road were later built on the site of this farm, now the site of the Civic Centre.

It was mainly from the players of these two clubs - Wealdstone Mission F.C. end "The Oaks" - and the factory team that the first Wealdstone Football Club was formed in 1890.

This club played in the Middlesex Junior Cup final in 1893, losing 3-1 to Robin Hood F.C. (a nursery club of Tottenham Hotspurs) at Northumberland Park, Tottenham. It is recorded that in this match the Wealdstone players wore distinguishing red sashes, as both teams were playing in white shirts.

*** In the "Observer" of 3rd, June 1938, there is picture of the Wealdstone team of 1893 taken at the above match. The Players were:- M. Isbel, A. Darville, F. Pearce, E. Stevens, A. Norris, H. Darville (Captain), P. Smith, J. Poole, G. Poole, T. Dickensen, W. Bentley, and S. Simons .***

This first Wealdstone F.C. amalgamated with Harrow Athletic and a second Wealdstone club was formed in 1896. But its career was indeed a short one, for it had been in abeyance for some time before the present club first saw the light of day.

There are records of a number of matches played in the Wealdstone district long before 1900. One of the earliest games of which details are available was one between 'The Oaks" and the works team of Messrs. Cogswell & Harrison played at Marlborough Hill on Saturday, November 19th, 1887. "The Oaks" held a two goal lead at halt-time and added a further goal after the change of ends. The teams in that fixture were: "The Oaks" : T. Hole; S. Gill, W. Stephenson, G. Browns, W. Parker, H. Darville; H. Jones, A. Norris, S. Matthews, H. Waghorn, J. Pools. Cogswell & Harrison : F. Hughes; C. White, G. Norton; J. Walker, T. Blake, G. Gibson; S. Simons, J. Collins, T. Smallwood, G. Dickenson, A. Nonnan, A return match was played between these two teams on Cogswell & Harrison's ground on December 3rd, 1887, "The Oaks" again being the victors, but this time by the reduced margin of 1-0.

The Wealdstone Mission team had its meeting place in a corrugated iron building on a site at the comer of Rosslyn Crescent, near the gun factory in Ferndale Terrace. Edgar Harrison took a keen interest in the work of the Mission. The Mission building was demolished in 1904 when the Wesleyan Methodist Church was built in Locket Road. It is believed that at about this time the members of the Wealdstone Mission F.C. joined the Wealdstone F.C. ·

The playing pitch of the first Wealdstone Football Club was transferred in 1889-90 from Marlborough Hill to a field ~ which today forms part of Nibthwaite Road. A fixture card for the 1890-91 season gives the names of the following officials:- PATRONS: Messrs. J. Lilley, E. Harrison, J. Smithers, R. Blackwell, and F.S. Blackwell; COMMITTEE: Messrs., G. Horton, J. Poole A. Darville, H. Hills, and W. Crook TREASURER: MI· R· Meadows · SECRETARY: Mr. T. A. Dickenson · CAPTAIN: Mr. S. Gill; VICE-CAPTAIN · Mr. S. Simons.

The headquarters of the Club were then at the Railway Hotel, Station Road, and the colours were white shirts and blue knickers. Among that season's opponents were Harrow Town, Southall, Wembley, Greenhill Hall Rovers, St. Albans and Watford Rovers. In the following season the matches were played on a field at what was to become the comer of Welldon Crescent and Angel Road, the site being taken later for the building of a Primitive Methodist Chapel. Details of the 1893-94 season show that the Club's ground was at Greenhill, the dressing rooms being at the "Havelock Arms" - now the site of Burger King! Admission to the ground was 2d for ordinary matches and 3d for cup-ties, no charge being made for ladies.

On November 11th, 1893, Wealdstone beat Hayes on their opponents' ground in the second round of the Middlesex Junior Cup before 200 spectators. The score was 5-0; all the goals being obtained in the second half. The third round of this competition was played at Wealdstone on January 13th, 1894, when Uxbridge Reserves won 2-1. It is recorded that C. Ferry, a Wealdstone player, broke a leg in this match.

At 2 o'clock in the morning of Tuesday, July 16th, 1894, a serious fire at the works of Messrs. Cogswell & Harrison did considerable damage, it was suggested at the time that sparks from a railway engine fell through a hole in the roof of the factory and ignited some shavings. Shortly after the fire the firm removed to London. At a meeting held on September 81h, 1894, Wealdstone F.C. decided to amalgamate with Harrow Athletic F.C. The local paper recording this decision stated: "This will greatly strengthen the Athletic Club, which will now be able to run three teams and, with a good list of fixtures, hopes to make the coming season even more successful than the last."

 "Wealdstone Athletic was formed at a meeting held at The Railway Hotel on Thursday April 25th 1895. Councillor E.J. Powell presiding in the absence of MR J.E. Lilley. A report of a meeting the following month states 'Mr. Durrant's offer of a field at £12-00 per annum was accepted." Mr. J.E. Lilley was elected president when it was agreed to ask several other local gentlemen well known in he neighbourhood to as act as vice-presidents. Mr. J.W. Clench was elected Ho. Secretary with Mr. C. Rowley as his assistant.

"A note by 'Referee' in the local paper dated 30th August 1895 is not without interest 'I hope Wealdstone will be able to raise a decent team -are all the Wealdstone players who were in last year's harrow team going to play in their 'own country'? They certainly strengthened the Harrow Athletic club's ranks last season, but one missed those stirring matches that used to be played two years ago at Greenhill - I for one shall be heartily glad to hear the old cry again 'Play up Stones'."

At a meeting of Wealdstone Athletic held at the Coffee Tavern, Wealdstone on April 15th, 1896, it was reported that a number of players had left the club "owing to water between the goalposts and other ground difficulties."

In the report in the Harrow Observer of 1899 announcing the formation of the Wealdstone Football Club, it appears obvious that at some time previously, there must have been another club of the same name since there reference of new players being signed and to the same colours, black and white stripes, being used.
No light is thrown on this until on the 5th of February 1937, the "Observer" published and article based on a letter from Mr. Percy Smith headed " Wealdstone 45 years ago" which puts the date at 1891 or 1892. He wrote that 15 people started the club. Meetings where held at the Railway Hotel and they played on a field at the end of Hindes Road. There were no goal nets and matches where against local villages and business houses such as Clarence, (Maples) Vulcan, (Shoolbreds) and others.

Nearly all the players played in caps and the captain Harry Darville had a rugby cap with a tassel. "And was very proud of it!"

Apparently Wealdstone had an away following. It is recorded that there was a considerable enthusiasm amongst the villagers. There were of course no motors on the roads but and the supporters made their journeys in horse-drawn brakes and other vehicles.

Mr. Smith had some interesting comments to make on the standard of play those days. "Football nowadays to me seems far more skillful and faster." He writes, "whereas in the early days it was more a question of stamina and brawn. What are now called fouls were laughed at then; in fact, a club's greatest asset was a centre-forward renowned not for skill but strength, who could bundle the opponents' goalkeeper through he goal whenever the ball was in its vicinity - it was then quite legitimate.
***The club's greatest event was getting into the final of the Middlesex Junior Cup played at Northumberland Park. The opponents were Robin Hood who won 3-1 and their players were more or less Spurs reserve team. In the "Observer" of 3rd June 1938, there is picture of the Wealdstone team of 1893 taken at the above match. The Players were:- M. Isbel, A. Darville, F. Pearce, E. Stevens, A. Norris, H. Darville (Captain), P. Smith, J. Poole, G. Poole, T. Dickensen, W. Bentley, and S. Simons (who submitted the photograph). Mr. Simons who joined the Cogswell & Harrison factory team in 1877 at the age of 19 wrote that the old Wealdstone Football Club was the pioneer local club in Harrow and for some years, the only club. The playing pitch was where Welldon Crescent now stands. In the early days, they only had fourteen members in the club and it was often very difficult to get a team together.***

After some years the club was amalgamated with Harrow Athletic who played on Pinner Recreation Ground. This continued until 1899 when the current Wealdstone F.C. was formed. Mr. Simons tells a good story - "We had a fixture at Hayes and started off in our horse brake without one of our best players. We expected to have to play a man short but to our surprise the missing player arrived about five minutes after we did. He had run and walked all the way across country from Harrow to Hayes and then played as good a game as usual." That spirit amongst those who run and support the club still persists today.
When the current club was formed, in 1899, there was another Harrow Athletic, playing in the same league.