Reginald de Courtenay Welch

Reginald Courtenay Welch

Reginald Courtenay Welch at Harrow
Personal information
Full name	Reginald Courtenay Welch
Date of birth	(1851-10-17)17 October 1851
Place of birth	Kensington, England
Date of death	4 June 1939(1939-06-04) (aged 87)
Place of death	Farnham, England
Playing position	Goalkeeper, Defender
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
	Old Harrovians
	Harrow Chequers
1869–1878	The Wanderers
National team
1872–1874	England	2	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.

Reginald Courtenay Welch (17 October 1851 – 4 June 1939) (sometimes Reginald de Courtenay Welch) was a key player in the early years of association football. He played for The Wanderers in the FA Cup Finals of 1872 and 1873, and also played for England in the first ever international match. During his career he appeared both in goal and as a defender.

Welch was born in Kensington, London on 17 October 1851 and attended Harrow School. He was the son of John Welch, a barrister of the Inner Temple. Following his career in football, Welch was an Army tutor between 1883 and 1895, going on to become principal of the Army College at Farnham, Surrey in 1895. He died at the College on 4 June 1939, aged 87, after more than 44 years as its principal. His funeral was held at St John's Church in nearby Hale and he was interred at the Green Lane Cemetery in Farnham.

While at Harrow, he represented the school at association football (colloquially known as "soccer") and went on to play for Old Harrovians before joining Harrow Chequers. As an amateur he also played for The Wanderers, with whom he played as goalkeeper in the final of the inaugural FA Cup tournament. The match took place on 16 March 1872 at the Kennington Oval, London, England, with the Wanderers running out as 1–0 victors over a team from the Royal Engineers.