The original Argonauts club played home games on South Hackney Common in the 1870s with its first reported matches in 1875.
The club entered the FA Cup in 1879-80, losing to Hotspur in a first round replay, and by this time the club had moved to Forest Gate.
The second version was a unique amateur football club based in London. Despite never playing a match or having a published squad, they became notable in the late 1920s for attempting to join the Football League three times.
The team was formed in 1928 by Dick Sloley, Cambridge University and England amateur international, and president of the Ealing Association Football Club as an equivalent to the Scottish Queen's Park club to play in the Football League.
For the 1880–81 season its captain (J. Wylie) and some of its players had moved to Dreadnought F.C. and the club appears to have been wound up.
The second version was a unique amateur football club based in London. Despite never playing a match or having a published squad, they became notable in the late 1920s for attempting to join the Football League three times.
The team was formed in 1928 by Dick Sloley, Cambridge University and England amateur international, and president of the Ealing Association Football Club as an equivalent to the Scottish Queen's Park club to play in the Football League.
Stoley claimed to have secured the services of the top amateur players of the day for his new national amateur club and the 100,000 capacity White City Stadium to play in. After objections from local Third Division South clubs Queen's Park Rangers and Brentford, he then proceeded to hire Wembley Stadium as a venue.
The club applied for Football League status that year, falling in third place but earning a creditable 16 votes. The club went inactive for a year, but reapplied in 1929, this time with Lord Lonsdale as club chairman, coming again in third – one place off acceptance but this time with only 6 votes. Yet again, the club became inactive for a year. A third and final attempt was made in 1930; this time no votes were gained whilst even Llanelly gained 4 votes.
The club applied for Football League status that year, falling in third place but earning a creditable 16 votes. The club went inactive for a year, but reapplied in 1929, this time with Lord Lonsdale as club chairman, coming again in third – one place off acceptance but this time with only 6 votes. Yet again, the club became inactive for a year. A third and final attempt was made in 1930; this time no votes were gained whilst even Llanelly gained 4 votes.
Argonauts and League Play.
I am afraid the narrow mindedness of Queen’s Park Rangers and Brentford in objecting to the Argonauts playing at the White City will have a great effect on the support of their present followers.
Some of the lower clubs in the Third Division deserve to lose their place in the League, as season after season they invariably figure the last half-dozen.
Providing the Argonauts serve up better football than the existing London Third Division clubs they would command great support and justly deserve it. and it would not matter whether they played the White City or the Stadium.
What is the use of Brentford or any other club spending thousands of pounds on ground improvements and then running a team that is only capable of playing football of a low standard? Some of the leading amateur clubs in London would probably beat London’s Third Division clubs.
In America they have a good habit of welcoming any newcomers, whether in business or sport, and they take up the challenge in a sporting spirit. It is a pity the welcoming hand is not being extended to the amateurs.
H. Venn Cousins, Yazur, Marlborough Hill, Wealdstone.
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