From the publisher:
The Wanderers Football Club, The Celebrated Wanderers, was the first of that elite group of clubs including Blackburn Rovers, Aston Villa, Huddersfield Town, Arsenal and Manchester United, whose names so dominate successive eras of English football. Five times winners of the F.A. Cup, home at some stage of their careers to more than forty English International players and source of legendary administrators such as C.W. Alcock and Lord Kinnaird, the Wanderers are the very epitome of the early, heroic, age of the Association game.
It is surprising, therefore, that until now no comprehensive history of this renowned club has been available to the football enthusiast. The Wanderers F.C. remedies that emission, beginning with a survey of the High Victorian milieu in which the Wanderers and its predecessor the Forest club had their origins. It provides for the first time a season by season narrative of the teams matches based on contemporary accounts, together with a full statistical record of every game played by the club between its formation in 1859 and its disappearance some twenty five years later.
There are also brief biographies of fifty of the most prominent players with notes on others of interest who appeared for the club, among whom are a famous cricketing Doctor, the founder of West Ham United F.C., the father of an eminent Field Marshal, and the first American to play in an F.A. Cup Final.
The author:
Rob Cavallini has a thorough knowledge of the non-league game, having been involved in it one way or the other for most of his life. Born in Camden, London in 1976, Robs teenage years were spent playing at grassroots level in the north London area.
He spent 5 seasons playing as a centre-half for clubs such as Potters Bar Crusaders, Old Owens, Potters Bar Town and Raynes Park Vale before deciding to bring a halt to his playing career at the age of 21 and become fully involved in the administrative side of the game, which is where he decided his future lay. Rob had already dipped his toe into this side of things during his playing career, writing the match programme for his club Potters Bar Crusaders and becoming a committee member there, but decided to move up a level and joined Ryman League Hampton & Richmond Borough as their programme editor in 1997.
After just one year at Hampton, Rob joined Corinthian-Casuals, another Ryman League club but one with a long and proud history. It was here that he was to cut his teeth in the many and varied roles that are involved with running a football club as well as acquiring the affectionate nickname of Scoop, a tag that still follows him round to this day. During his five year stay at the Casuals, Rob diversified into becoming a web site designer, press secretary and match secretary as well as continuing with his match day programme writing. He also became a leading member of the clubs management committee, organising match days as well as the clubs widely documented tour to Brazil. The two Corinthians (Casuals and Paulista) formed a special place in Robs affections and the Brazilian version asked him to become their UK Representative, a role he still holds on to with pride. In 2003 Rob left the Casuals, but before he did he was instrumental in the construction of two new stands. These would prove vital during the close season as they ensured the clubs promotion over several others. He also set up a centenary game against Manchester United but sadly left before he could finish the project.
Croydon Athletic came calling for Robs services just days after learning of his departure. For the following season he became their Club Secretary.
Now approaching 30, and having a wealth of non-league knowledge behind him, Rob has embarked on an ambitious project to write a book about the famous old Wanderers club. If he approaches this task with the same whole-hearted determination as he has everything else over the last decade, it will prove to be an interesting and thoroughly entertaining read.
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