Home   Medway   Sport   Article

Royal Engineers AFC begin their 150th anniversary celebrations of their FA Cup victory with a match against a Gillingham Town team set to feature former Arsenal player Eduardo

Former Arsenal and Croatia international Eduardo is set to play in a match to mark 150 years since the Royal Engineers won the FA Cup.

A series of special events are taking place to celebrate the 1875 triumph when the Royal Engineers - who are based at Brompton Barracks in Chatham and play home games in Gillingham - beat Old Etonians. They are the only military team to have ever won the famous club competition.

Eduardo in action for Arsenal in the Premier League Picture: Arsenal Football Club / Stuart MacFarlane
Eduardo in action for Arsenal in the Premier League Picture: Arsenal Football Club / Stuart MacFarlane

The celebrations will conclude in May when the ‘Sappers’ are due to play an Old Etonians team at their Garrison Sports Ground in Medway in what organisers hope will be a festival of football.

The series of events starts this Sunday when the Royal Engineers team take on Kent County League side Gillingham Town and among those penciled in to play for the step seven side is Brazilian-born striker Eduardo da Silva.

“I just hope my fitness is good enough to last the whole game!” he joked.

“I try to keep fit but I’m definitely not as fit as I was!

“I can’t remember the last time I played in an 11-a-side game but I do have a five-a-side kick about with friends in Brazil quite often.

“I’m really looking forward to the game and the special occasion for both clubs, Gillingham Town and especially the Royal Engineers, as they celebrate their 150th anniversary since winning the FA Cup which is a great achievement.”

The current Royal Engineers AFC team who are celebrating their 1875 FA Cup triumph this year
The current Royal Engineers AFC team who are celebrating their 1875 FA Cup triumph this year

Eduardo, now 41, played 64 international games for Croatia after moving there from his native Brazil to play for Dinamo Zagreb.

While with the Gunners, Eduardo’s been described as the club's most clinical finisher since Ian Wright after scoring 12 goals from 22 starts in his first season at the Emirates Stadium before suffering an horrific injury at Birmingham, which kept him out for a year.

He later moved to top Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk and twice scored against the Gunners when he played against them in the Champions League, including a winning goal.

Eduardo was invited to become the ambassador of Gillingham Town - who currently play in Sittingbourne - by his friend Alex Bernardes, a team playing in the Kent County League.

The former Arsenal player has previously said it would be a dream to help a small club to become a big one and he’s enjoying the involvement.

He said: “It’s a privilege to be an ambassador for Gillingham Town FC as we look to grow the club and to continue supporting the community.

“Gillingham Town FC has given me the opportunity to give something back to a community in England which was something I’ve always wanted to do to thank the support I’ve received during my time at Arsenal and it’s something I’m proud of.”

Gillingham Town are expecting an appearance from former Arsenal star Eduardo this Sunday in their game against former FA Cup winners Royal Engineers
Gillingham Town are expecting an appearance from former Arsenal star Eduardo this Sunday in their game against former FA Cup winners Royal Engineers

The Royal Engineers have forged links with Gillingham Town, who they have offered their facilities to use. A pavilion that’s recently been built at the Garrison, funded by the Army Sports Control Board, could be an ideal location for the club as they look to set up a community hub in Gillingham.

W01 (RSM) Keith Stubbs is manager and coach of the Royal Engineers team which is usually filled with the best players from the various unit level teams who play across the country.

For Sunday’s match, The Royal Engineers team will be made up of a mixture of Masters, which is serving personnel over 35 and some ex-Royal Engineers footballers.

Mr Stubbs said: “We've had quite a lot of events recently, which is quite humbling.

“We're going to be doing a replay of that 1875 match and we have already recreated the 1874 final last year at Oxford University.

“It'd be fantastic to be up against Eduardo and we’ve got a couple of Arsenal fans as well that are thriving to pit their wits against him!”

The Royal Engineers played Wanderers in the first ever FA Cup final in 1872 at the Kennington Oval and two years later were beaten by Oxford University.

The 1875 final ended 1-1 but the ‘Sappers’ won the replay 2-0. A fourth final appearance against Wanderers in 1878 ended in a loss.

The Royal Engineers currently sit top of the Massey Trophy Division 1 table where they compete against other Army sides. Mr Stubbs also set up a women’s team in 2014 and they have a Vets team too.

It’s free entry on Sunday, with the game being played at the RSME No.1 Ground, Gillingham, on Kings Bastion road, near to the Garrison Sports Ground. Bucket collections will be raising money for the Royal Engineers Association, the national veterans charity the RBLI and mental health charity Heads Together. Kick off is at 3pm.

Close This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies.Learn More