 Stanley convened a meeting at the Lord Aylesford Inn in Hillfields, with colleagues from the factory in Canterbury Street including "Little Harry" Banks, George Bowers, Harry Hathaway, "Cock" Heath, Frank Moseley, Andrew Poole, and "Shiner" Turner.The club's first headquarters was the White Lion in Gosford Green and they began playing matches at pitch in Stoke called Dowells Field.The Singers Cycle Company founder, George Singer, became the first president of the club.