From The Vaults

19 March 2025
Our Oldest Club Cap

The cap is embroidered on the front with the club's initials, 'T.F.C.', and has been made in the club colours, navy blue with red trim. It is not known who was awarded this particular cap, though the embroidered dates indicate that the player represented the club in each season from 1882 to 1886. Around this time, the club instigated discussions regarding the formation of the Hampshire County Rugby Union Football Club and several Trojans represented the county during its first season. Some Trojans played at international level too - during the 1880s, Charles Wooldridge (England) and Arthur Gould (Wales) were members of the club.

Today, Trojans FC is based at Stoneham Lane, Eastleigh. In 2024, they celebrated their sesquicentenary and the cap is on display in our Collector's Ephemera showcase to mark the anniversary.

There are a few older caps in the museum collection, including a selection of schoolboy caps from Rugby School - where the cap-awarding tradition first began - and international caps awarded for the first international match in 1871.

Do you know of an older club cap? We'd love to hear about it!

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