Throston Wanderers, second winners of the County Junior Cup which had been first put for Competition in 1887, however, the Cup had been insituted to encourage Clubs to join the County Union and a condition of winning the Cup was that they had to join the County and become a "Senior" club. Clubs were to find the transition to stronger fixtures too much and often folded, as was the case with this Throston Wanderers club. The players are pictured with gold medals, the Ladies of Hartlepool collected the sum of £80 to provide the medals which also included players from Hartlepool Rovers 1st and 2nd XV who had also brought home the Senior and Second Teams Cup that season.  

The Final of the Cup was played on Victoria Ground in February of 1889, Wanderers coming out on top by 2 goals, 2 tries and 4 minors to 1 minor to Sherburn House, a club based on Sherburn colliery east of Durham City. On route to the Final they had beaten West Hartlepool West End, South Shields YMC then Durham YMCA, Sherburn had overcome West Hpl Christ Church. Seaham Harbour, Mount Pleasant, Gateshead and Hamsteels

Of the players pictured Cud Hodgson, 3^rd from the right in the back row, joined Rovers and became an automatic choice for them from 1891 to 1900.

The name was revived with great success between the two World Wars until they folded in 1933 and the name survived since that time as either a Cricket or a Soccer Club in the town. 

Date (of image) : 1881

Donor : The Hamilton Family

Creator : Unknown

Part of the "Hpool & District " collection