Having secured the use of the Surrey County Cricket ground at Kennington Oval The Wanderers put it to good use for the 1869-70 season.
Contemporary reports reveal that the Association game was still very much in its infancy. More than one of these fixtures was played between unevenly matched teams who failed to field eleven players.
Of the 19 known matches to have taken place at The Oval that season Wanderers featured in 15. They won 9 of these games and scored 29 goals.
The Wanderers had not yet reached their zenith. During the following 2 years football would undergo significant advances with the introduction of the FA Cup and international matches. The Oval would then assume the mantle of England's premier football venue.
Let's take a look at the first season:
09.10.69
|
Wanderers
|
0
|
2
|
West Kent
|
23.10.69
|
Wanderers
|
0
|
2
|
Old Etonians
|
27.10.69
|
Wanderers
|
3
|
0
|
Rochester
|
06.11.69
|
Wanderers
|
2
|
1
|
Upton Park
|
10.11.69
|
Wanderers
|
2
|
1
|
Royal Engineers
|
13.11.69
|
Civil Service
|
0
|
1
|
West Kent
|
20.11.69
|
Wanderers
|
0
|
0
|
Gitanos
|
01.12.69
|
Wanderers
|
4
|
2
|
Civil Service
|
04.12.69
|
Wanderers
|
2
|
0
|
Hampstead Heathens
|
11.12.69
|
Wanderers
|
1
|
2
|
Crusaders
|
14.12.69
|
Wanderers
|
1
|
2
|
Desperadoes
|
18.12.69
|
Civil Service
|
1
|
2
|
Old Harrovians
|
15.01.70
|
Wanderers
|
1
|
1
|
Gitanos
|
19.01.70
|
Wanderers
|
1
|
0
|
Harrow Pilgrims
|
22.01.70
|
Wanderers
|
3
|
0
|
Civil Service
|
29.01.70
|
Civil Service
|
0
|
2
|
West Kent
|
26.02.70
|
Wanderers
|
7
|
0
|
Forest
|
05.03.70
|
English
|
1
|
1
|
Scotch
|
19.03.70
|
Wanderers
|
2
|
1
|
Hampstead Heathens
|
Postponements/ cancellations:
24.11.69
|
Wanderers
|
P
|
P
|
Crystal Palace
|
05.02.70
|
Civil Service played a scratch team instead of the advertised match
with Old Etonians
|
|||
12.02.70
|
Civil Service
|
P
|
P
|
Old Harrovians
|
English v Scotch was arranged
for this date…
|
||||
12.02.70
|
English
|
P
|
P
|
Scotch
|
Postponed due to frost.
|
||||
19.02.70
|
Wanderers
|
P
|
P
|
West Kent
|
Result or whether played unknown:
18.12.69
|
Gitanos
|
?
|
?
|
Harrow Pilgrims
|
05.03.70
|
Civil Service
|
?
|
?
|
Crusaders
|
14.03.70
|
Civil Service
|
?
|
?
|
Royal Engineers
|
Advertised but not played:
21.12.69
|
Gitanos
|
v
|
Bedouins
|
Played at Blackheath.
|
|||
08.01.70
|
Wanderers
|
v
|
Brixton
|
12.01.70
|
Wanderers
|
v
|
Bedouins
|
