A BRIEF HISTORY OF TROJANS FOOTBALL CLUB
PETE REID

This is not intended to be a definitive history of the Trojans Football Club, the oldest rugby club in Hampshire, but more a selection of the highlights of the early years and a brief review of the past few years.
 

The Beginning

 On the 3rd of September 1874 a meeting was held at the Antelope Hotel, Southampton, by members of a previous club (thought to be "The Pirates"), with a view to forming the "Trojans".    H F Gibbs was voted the first Captain of the Club and the Club colours were voted as blue and red. It was agreed that the first annual subscription should be five shillings per year. The first rugby games of the Club were played at Porters Mead, which is now called Queens Park, Southampton.
 
The first Annual Meeting of the Club took place on the 24th September 1875 when the Treasurer reported a small credit balance of five pence halfpenny (2.29p). The results for the 1874/75 season produced five victories and three defeats.
 
The Club joined the Rugby Football Union in 1881.
 

Change the Laws

 At a committee Meeting on the 5^th September 1874 the Playing Rules of Rugby Football were read through and the worthy members of the Trojans decided to make an amendment to Rule number 15 which read "It is lawful to run in anywhere across the goal line". The addition made by the Trojans at that stage was "except between the goal posts". The Club soon found it necessary to alter this!
 

The First Results

Southsea (A) lost by two punts out and seven touch downs
Salisbury (A) Won by one goal and two touch downs to nil.
Salisbury (H) Lost by one goal, one try and two touch downs to two tries and four touch downs.
Magpies Won by three tries and seven touch downs to nil.
Southsea (H) Won by one goal to nil
Springhill Won by one goal and three touch downs to one goal.
Royal Academy Gosport Lost by four tries and six touch downs to one try.

First Floodlit game

 On the evening of 28th November 1878, a match was played against the Rovers Football Club by electric light, having been cancelled the night before because of rain. This was the first exhibition of electric light in Southampton, and believed to be the first ever game of rugby under lights. The local newspaper reported that "at times the light was very brilliant and players could be seen plainly".