EARLY records of “Football” in the 19th Century are somewhat sketchy as even after William Webb Ellis was dubiously credited with creating “Rugby” Football in 1823 both forms of the game were still referred to as “Football” until late in the century.

This causes considerable difficulty in tracking the sport’s local records.

Eventually the word “Soccer” was “morphed” from the word “Association” and the difference clarified as Rugby Football and Association Football.

As far as local Soccer is concerned records are not easy to find but strangely it appears that the Queen Elizabeth Grammar School played a major part in its introduction in Crediton. That is ironic as kicking a round football in my days at the Q.E. Grammar School was frowned on by everyone.

Likewise at the other end of town, football at Hayward’s School was also restricted to Rugby until the move to Shelley School at Barnfield.

On hindsight it was probably not until the arrival of Ray Ellis and later Peter Amos that the emphasis changed to soccer at least in the lower school. However from my searches over the years the first 30 years of football developed something like this!

On October 17, 1888, the first soccer match in Crediton was played between Crediton Wanderers and the Crediton Grammar School. On November 21 the first soccer match ever played at Crediton against a visiting team was by a scratch side made up of players from Crediton Grammar School and Crediton Town Football Club against Park House School, Exeter. The Devon and Exeter Football League was founded in 1900 and in 1907 the first league soccer was played in the town by Crediton Grammar School.

By mid 1910 there was local interest in forming a proper town team and on September 8, 1910, Crediton United held its first general meeting.

The following Saturday, September 17, the United team members played their first home league match, in which they held Southernhay 4-4 at Spence’s Meadow. On October 8 they recorded their first win, at home to Dawlish 3-1.

Records of the time also show that at that time Queen Elizabeth School had agreed to allow the Club the use of the Exhibition Field to play football.

An original fixture list of the 1910-11 season’s matches presented to Crediton United in the 1970’s by John Roach shows that the Club’s home ground was also named as “Spence’s Meadow”. So it appears that “The Rec”, “Lord’s Meadow” or “Exhibition” Ground was originally Spence’s Meadow.

Following the end of the First World War, organised soccer returned to the town in the name of Crediton AFC and then on August 29, 1919 the club changed its name back to Crediton United AFC.

In the period between the two World Wars there were several different Crediton clubs, including Crediton Town, Crediton Rangers, Crediton Wanderers, Jackson’s United and St Boniface United.

In 1929 Jackson’s United were champions of Eastern Section of First Division of Victory League and in 1930 they changed their name to Crediton Town. In the first 20 years since the formation of the first Town team there had been many grounds used. Apart from the original Queen Elizabeth School “Rec”, football had been played at several locations including Palace Meadow (now Meadow Gardens) The Racecourse (now the Golf Club), Blagdon Meadow (now Blagdon Close), Sam Bricknell’s Field (now Q.E. Lower School) and a Jackson’s United Youth team even played in Peoples Park. Football was also played in the field opposite Downes House on the south side of the main road.

In the early 1930’s Newcombes Meadow was developed into a sports and recreation ground to include a bowling green, tennis courts, a new football pitch as well as the children’s play area.

The sloping ground had to be excavated and levelled for the pitch and in 1931 Crediton Town were able to use this as their home ground.

During the decade leading up to the Second World War the ground was used by Crediton Town, Crediton Rangers and from September 1938 Old Haywardians and Jackson’s Centurions.

The outbreak of war saw the cessation of League football. In 1946 football in Crediton was restarted in the name of Crediton United playing at Newcombes Meadow in the newly formed Exeter and District League. Crediton United played in various divisions until 1976 when they moved to their present ground at Lords Meadow.

Crediton United 1911-12

My first photo this week shows my earliest Crediton United team photo taken during the 1911-12 season. I am assuming that the team was still playing home fixtures at The Q. E. Recreation Ground but am struggling to recognise whereabouts on the ground the photo was taken.

The background appears to be the hill above the present trading estate but there appear to be buildings in the background as well. I’m afraid I have no record of names but if anyone recognises relatives please let me know.

As this photo was taken only two years before the commencement of the First World War, there is a strong probability that many of these players served in the war and more than likely sadly some never returned.

Crediton United 1994-95

The second photo is of joint managers Graham Weeks’s and Mike Barrett’s 1994-95 team. Graham Weeks was a former professional footballer with Exeter City, Bournemouth and a non-League player with Bideford and Exmouth.

Mike Barrett had a varied career having been an Exeter City Youth team player he played for Cheltenham Town and Liskeard Athletic amongst other Clubs.

He finally got an opportunity to play for City First Team when, as a non contract player, he deputised for Peter Fox following a goalkeeper injury crisis at St James Park.

This was a new era for Crediton United as the departure of Trevor Atkins the previous season had also meant a loss of some players as well.

Crediton were still playing in the Western League Premier Division but due to a movement of member Clubs eastwards they eventually withdrew from the League in 1998 and joined the newly formed Devon League.

Chris Gillard