The Vikings had seized and fortified the Irish ports of Dublin and Limerick and from 800 - 1266 the Isle of Man (Ellan Vannin) was a dependency of Denmark.

Locally, the Wirral had a number of Viking settlements and, even closer, the name Kelsterton is clearly Nordic (Kel'ster'ton - Kel = the spine or keel of a ship, ster = men and ton = a settlement) Kelsterton was a small, secluded 'hideout' where ships could be repaired and serviced. (The Dee flowed along its northern shore up until its canalisation in 1745 and Wepre Brook would have represented a discreet point of entry into the Tegengle woodlands. P.W.)

In short, the Vikings were a close and constant threat to the City of Chester, and captured Danes were often beheaded and their skulls kicked about the streets. In 1540 the inhabitants of Chester were still remembering and marking this practice. A city charter stating:

"For the shoemakers yearly on Shrove Tuesday to deliver to the drapers, in the presence of the Mayor of Chester, one ball of leather called a footeball of the value of three shillings and fourpence or above."

So it was that the practice of kicking an enemy's skull around the streets had now, by the sixteenth century, been sanitised and remembered by leather "footeballs".

With the advent of Bank Holidays and industrialisation football developed into its modern form with the development of organised leagues, clubs and agreed rules through the latter half of the nineteenth century.

One of the earliest local football clubs was that of the 1st Flintshire Volunteers (the equivalent of the Territorials today) and they held their annual supper at the Star Inn, Mold in 1876. Many clubs were started by churches and chapels attempting to persuade the young men on to the playing fields instead of the perils of the local ale houses. For example, one of the first cup games ever played by Connah's Quay was against Linacre Bible Class where the result was a2-2 draw. Similarly, the Chester and District Junior League of the 1890's had such teams as St Werburgh's, St Mary's and Christchurch.

By the mid 1880s there were a number of football clubs in this part of Flintshire, but not Connah's Quay. The reason for this was that the young men of the town were "naturally drawn to the sea" - they were fishing and sailing, their life styles dictated by tides and voyages. But it was from this movement and desire to create a temperate yet athletic Christianity that organised football began in Connah's Quay .

Connah's Quay at this time had no library but in 1888 a number of town notables decided to establish a public reading room - "for young people have nowhere to spend their evenings or to improve their minds."

A committee was formed and premises were provided by Mr. Reney at his Central Buildings. Benefactors gave generously and the Connah's Quay Literary Institute was formed. The grand opening was in March by Mr. Freme of Wepre Hall. It was a great occasion and the public were delighted with the many books of reference and the walls covered by maps and charts.. Hopes were expressed that this would put and end to the "drunkenness, fighting and other concurrent evils amongst the youth of Connah's Quay."

The Institute was popular and in early 1890 , in response to the suggestions of its youthful members, decided to organise a full day Sporting Festival. This was held in Mr. Ellwood's field and the band of the Denbighshire Hussars was engaged to attend the event. There were a number of athletic events - "flat races and tug-of-war" and dancing to the musical strains of the military band.

The main event of the day however was a football match between Connah's Quay and Mancot - Mancot winning 2-1. There was great excitement for this, the first formal match to be played in Connah's Quay and all agreed that the town should now have its own football club.

Accordingly, on Wednesday evening the 28th of August 1890 a special meeting was called at the Literary Institute with the aim of creating a football club in Connah's Quay.