The camaraderie of the riverside's amateur cricketers, who played their summer games on the wide open spaces of Sophia gardens, near Cardiff Castle, was such that meetings were organised to decide as to how to keep the members together during the winter months. Despite the attraction of Rugby Union, the popular choice was to form a Association Football Team. Mr Bartley Wilson, a bristol born lithograph artist, who despite being an invalid and needing the aid of walking sticks for mobility, was an active member of the cricket club and had arranged an inaugural meeting for interested parties in his home at No.1 Coldstream Terrace. Only five people attended and the project was almost aborted there and then, but a second meeting was proposed which received a better response. From those members present the first committee of Riverside Football Club was elected. the committee consisted of:- Messrs. Stanely Barrett, Frank Burfitt, William Canter, E.W. Holder, George Pearce, James Redfern, Andrew Sheen, A.J. Stone amd Mr Bartley Wilson (Secretary). Utilizing the sparse facilities at Sophia Gardens, where the shed served as both a meeting place and a dressing room, the newly formed team arranged local friendlies in the winter of 1899. They suffered badly in their first fixture- a 1-9 beating by Barry West End. Enthusiasm knows no bounds however, and the club were accepted as members to the Cardiff and District league in 1900. The first known colours of Riverside were Chocolate and Amber quartered shirts and Black Shorts (or knickers as they were referred to at the time). In the face of competitive local football, the playing strength within the club grew appreciably. This was a period when amateur players were often poached from other clubs, and many would join the best organisation that could offer the best in terms of recreation. With the facilities needing to be improved, the Club acquired a disused stable, and the stalwarts quickly and successfully converted the structure into an acceptable premises and soon had gas and water installed. An amalgamation with a rival club Riverside Albion, was undertaken in 1902, and three years later Riverside A.F.C gained their first recognized honour by wining The Bevan shield, a local competition. With the foundations now on sound footing the committee agreed that the club would benefit from a higher grade of Football, so began to look at various available options open to them. When in 1905 Cardiff became a City the club attempted to change it's name to Cardiff City.The local Authorities refused unless the club would compete in the South Wales League, the strongest Association at the time which boasted teams like Aberadre,Barry District,Cwymparc,Meardy,Merthyr town and Ton Pentre. And so in 1908 Riverside A.F.C applied for election and were accepted to the South Wales League becoming Cardiff City A.F.C.......To Be Continued.
