First ever edition, organised by the Football Association of Wales, founded in
March 1876. Druids of Ruabon (reportedly founded in 1869 as Plasmadoc) had in
1876 been the first Welsh club to enter the FA Cup.
The official name of the competition was the Welsh Football Association Challenge
Cup.
Initially sixteen clubs
registered, of which one (unnamed) was disqualified on the
ground of its members not residing either in the Principality or in the border counties.
However, after the original deadline (Sep 15, 1877) and the first round draw, four
more clubs entered, which were added to the draw. Of the nineteen participants, eleven
were from Wrexham and its surrounding area, while two (Northwich Victoria and Oswestry)
came from English border counties; there was one entrant from South Wales, Swansea RFC,
but they were a rugby football side and scratched after learning the tournament was
played according to the association code. The only other team dropping out before
playing was that of the 23rd Royal Welsh Fuzileers (as they were spelled until 1881),
who would repeat that "performance" in both of the following two seasons.
NB: 23rd Royal Welsh Fuzileers, Llangollen, Ruabon Rovers and White Stars (Newtown)
entered after the original deadline and their ties were added to round 1 after
the initial draw.
Round 1
[Oct 13, Racecourse, Newtown]
Newtown 1-1 Druids
[Oct 20, Carnarvon]
Carnarvon Amateur AC 0-1 Bangor
[Oct 20, Racecourse Ground, Wrexham]
Wrexham 3-1 Civil Service (Wrexham)
[Oct 27, Ruabon]
Ruabon Rovers 0-1 White Stars (Newtown)
[Nov 3, Aberystwyth]
Aberystwyth w/o Swansea RFC [Swansea scratched]
[Nov 3, Northwich]
Northwich Victoria 0-0 Foresters (Gwersyllt)
[Nov 3, Oswestry]
Oswestry 12-0 Chirk
[Nov 10, Corwen]
Corwen 0-0 Bala
[date?, Wrexham]
23rd R. Welsh Fuzileers o/w Llangollen [Royal Welsh Fuzileers scratched]
Llanerchrugog bye
Round 1 Replays
[Oct 27, Plasmadoc Park]
Druids 4-0 Newtown
[Nov 10, Gwersyllt Park]
Foresters (Gwersyllt) 4-1 Northwich Victoria
[Nov 14, Bala]
Bala 0-0 Corwen
Round 1 Second Replay [Nov 24, Corwen]
Corwen 1-0 Bala
Round 2
[Dec 15, Aberystwyth]
Aberystwyth drw White Stars (Newtown) [probably 0-0 but not specified in report]
[Dec 15, Corwen]
Corwen 0-7 Bangor
[Dec 22, Gwersyllt Park]
Foresters (Gwersyllt) 2-1 Llangollen
[Dec 22, Wrexham]
Wrexham 1-1 Oswestry
[Jan 5, Rhosllanerchrugog]
Llanerchrugog 0-3 Druids
Round 2 Replays
[Jan 5, Oswestry]
Oswestry 0-2 Wrexham
[date?, Newtown]
White Stars (Newtown) w/o Aberystwyth
Round 3
[Feb 2, Plasmadoc Park]
Druids 1-1 White Stars (Newtown)
[Feb 9, Gwersyllt Park]
Foresters (Gwersyllt) 0-8 Wrexham
Bangor bye
Round 3 Replay [Feb 9, Newtown]
White Stars (Newtown) 1-1 Druids
Round 3 Second Replay [Feb 23, Oswestry]
Druids 3-0 White Stars (Newtown)
Semi-final [Mar 2, Racecourse Ground, Wrexham]
Bangor 0-0 Druids [Bangor wanted to play extra time,
Wrexham bye but Druids refused to do so]
Semi-final Replay [Mar 9, Rhyl]
Druids 1-0 Bangor [aet]
Final [Mar 30, Acton Park, Wrexham]
Wrexham 1-0 Druids
[James Davies 90]
Sources: [Gar 93], contemporary Welsh newspapers (available through the National Library of Wales), Welsh Football Data Archive
Prepared and maintained by Karel Stokkermans for the Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation
Author: Karel Stokkermans
Last updated: 8 Jan 2026
(C) Copyright Karel Stokkermans and RSSSF 2014/26
You are free to copy this document in whole or part provided that proper
acknowledgement is given to the author. All rights reserved.