The Formation Of The Ottawa Football Club, Sept. 1876

A blog or website about the history of football in Ottawa, or the capital region as a whole, needs to begin with the formation of the Ottawa football club. There was "football-based activity" prior to that that point, but this is, for all intents and purposes, the launching point (even if the red and black colours had yet to come into play at that point).

I've copied the original news report as closely as I could, including the over-reliance on the comma. ;-) There was no specific writer credited for the story.

The meeting advertised to take place at the Cricket Ground on Monday afternoon for the organization of a Football Club was adjourned until last night, and accordingly a goodly number of gentlemen assembled at 8:30 in a private room at the Russell House, and at once proceeded to business. 

Mr. C. Brodie was appointed chairman of the meeting and Mr. G. H. Scott Secretary.  The following gentlemen were then enrolled as member - the Club to be known as the "Ottawa Football Club: - 

C. B. Brodie
G. H. Scott
A.F. Cotton
M. K. Dunlevi
P. Sherwood
M. J. Dunlevi
A. C. Welsh
V. Nicholson
L. Jarvis
F. Newby
K. Early Wilmot
J. Brunel
J. Bruce McDonald
G. R. Robertson
E. S. Skead
J. Leslie
G. Thompson
J. Albert Grant
J. E. Prower
A. Stewart
J. M. Johnston
A. Morginstein
G. Tempest
J. B. Monk
J. Fletcher
Dr. Powell
W.R. Baker
F.A. Dixon
J. J. Gormully
T. M. Morton
G. E. Millar
-- Henry
J. Morkell
-- Piddington 

The following officers were next duly elected:
Mr. Allan Gilmour, President; Mr. K. Eardly Wilmot, Vice-President; Mr. James Fletcher, Secretary-Treasurer.
Committee -- A. Stewart, E. S. Skead. G. H. Scott, P. Sherwood, Dr. Powell.  

The jerseys, stockings and caps have already been ordered from England by Morgan & Sons, and are expected in the course of a week or ten days. The colors of the club are cerise and French Grey. The jerseys and stockings will be these colors, with navy blue knickerbockers. Candidates for admission to the club, must in future be proposed and seconded by members, and their names then handed to the committee for approval. The making out of by-laws, choosing of a standard game, ground, etc, is all left in the hands of the committee. After a vote of thanks to Mr. Brodie, for the manner in which he had filled the chair, the meeting was adjourned. 

I have seen some debate as to the exact date and for that reason I regret not writing it down when I copied the article at the library downtown. I found it nearly right away on my first attempt years ago and failed on subsequent tries. I was finally able to confirm that it came from the September 20th Ottawa Daily Citizen, meaning that the meeting took place the previous date, the 19th.