This picture was taken by the chemists and photographers, Browne And Gradidge, probably around 1895.

After the formation of Andover Football Club in 1883, this second, local team was put together after a meeting of Andover Red Star Cricket Club on 31 August 1884, who decided to form a football team as well.

Cricket seasons do not clash with football seasons and it is likely that some of the founder members of the new club were cricketers as well.

The meeting took place at Charles Green’s restaurant at 17 High Street, the site of which is where Superdrug is today.

No doubt referee Green in the photograph is the confectioner, baker and restaurant owner – a little more rotund than the others.

READ MORE: When Andover Football Club was formed at White Hart hotel

Playing was to start at the beginning of October, when the new football season commenced.

An early match with Andover FC was held at the beginning of December in Stride’s field, then the ground of choice for both football and cricket, situated at the bottom of Weyhill Road where Alexandra Road lies now.

A brief report of the game suggests that the new team were bettered by their more experienced rivals but still only achieved one goal, while the Red Stars put up a strong fight.

That match was played on Saturday afternoon and another was to take place in the same field the following day, when Andover FC were to play Spring Hill School.

There is no mention of the state of the field but it must have suffered some wear with consecutive games on the same weekend, especially when wet.

The report names all the players in both teams but none of the team in the photograph above were playing in 1884.

By 1886, Andover FC had secured the Walled Meadow as their home ground and a game in the middle of October 1890, being a contest between the two Andover clubs, was the subject of a full report in the Andover Chronicle, a rival paper to the Advertiser.

The hap-hazard nature of fixtures meant that this was Andover FC’s first match of the season whereas the Red Stars had already played more than one already.

It was a very hot day and the Red Stars won the toss and elected to play with the sun behind them.

The Red Stars dominated the first half but failed to score, whereas Andover eventually scored a goal from the centre of the pitch.

Half-time came as a relief from the intensity of the sun but when the second half resumed, the Red Stars had the sun in their face and (no tribute to any ground-keeper) the longer grass at the lower end of the pitch was a bar to the forwards’ performance from both sides.

There was a lot of handling of the ball which led the writer of the report to wonder whether it was a game of football or rugby.

After several corners, Andover scored again.

This re-vitalised the opposition and finally the Red Stars netted the ball but the final score was 2-1 to Andover FC.

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There were diverting moments during the somewhat troubled history of the Red Stars: G Mitchener was suspended for a fortnight after a referee’s report in 1896; the whole team was suspended a year later, pending a payment to Basingstoke Albion, the expenses incurred by the latter team for non-fulfilment by the Red Stars of a fixture.

In 1898, the Red Stars had to pay Wilton FC for breach of a fixture whereas, conversely, the Red Stars went to Basingstoke and incurred an expense of £1/2/- when Basingstoke failed to play.

The greatest success was in 1899 when the Red Stars won the Hampshire Junior Cup.

However, throughout the 1890s, there was talk of amalgamation with Andover FC.

The Red Stars had no permanent home ground and it was felt that one local club would be stronger in performance than two separate ones, as well as the obvious advantage of pooling finances.

Indeed, both clubs were running at a loss.

A proposal to amalgamate in 1892 had failed but by 1899 there was a greater impetus to do so.

In August, following some discussions over the previous months, the scheme to amalgamate was put to a meeting in the White Hart Hotel.

Technically, it appears, at that moment there was no Andover club at all and a motion to form a football club was carried unanimously.

Sixty-six people chose to enrol themselves as members of a new club at a cost of 2/6d each and the Walled Meadow would be taken as the club ground from the owner Mr F Best at a rent of £20 a year.

Finally, the amalgamation of the two clubs was agreed and the Andover Red Stars were no more.