Francis Heron


Charles Francis William Heron was an English footballer who made one appearance as a forward for England and was a member of the Wanderers side that won the FA Cup in 1876.

Playing career

Heron, the younger brother of Hubert Heron, was born in Uxbridge, west London and attended Mill Hill School and Cranleigh School. On leaving school he played as an amateur for Uxbridge before joining the Wanderers F.C.
He made his solitary appearance for England in the fifth international match played at Hamilton Crescent, Partick on 4 March 1876. Heron played alongside his elder brother Hubert who was appointed team captain. According to Philip Gibbons, "England struggled throughout the game, which saw the home team run out winners by three goals to nil."
A week after the England match, he was part of the Wanderers team that met the Old Etonians in the 1876 FA Cup Final at the Kennington Oval. En route to the final, he scored two "crucial" goals against Sheffield in the third round.
In the final, the first match ended in a 1–1 draw, with the Wanderers victorious 3–0 in the replay on 18 March, with two goals from Thomas Hughes and one by Charles Wollaston. Hubert also played for Wanderers in this match; it would be another 120 years before a pair of brothers again played together in an FA Cup-final winning side and for England in the same season, when Gary and Phil Neville did so in 1996.
During his career he also played for Swifts and Windsor.

Later career

Heron played as an amateur and earned his living as a wine merchant in Bournemouth.

Honours

Wanderers