It was a close shave for Uganda’s oldest football club in topflight last season, with Express FC flirting with relegation throughout the season. A final day win coupled with favourable results from relegation rivals was all that the Red Eagles fans prayed for and got and now they will want to forget that bitter season. But what they cannot forget is the history of the club they are proud to associate with.

The story of Express FC dates back to October 1957 and it intertwined with managers of the Uganda Express Newspapers. The concept of starting the club was drafted by Joseph William Kiwanuka, popularly known as ”Jolly Joe”. Kiwanuka was a powerful politician but also extended his influence to business and sports. He also owned the Express newspaper which had its headquarters at White Nile in Katwe.

On July 7, 1959, Kiwanuka convened a meeting with close pals such as Dr Paul Senyendo, Dr Barnabas Kunuka, John Senseko Kulubya and Gaster Nsubuga before mooting the idea of starting a foot- ball club.

It took place at his offices located on plot 89, Jinja road. At the time, there were only a handful of football teams in the country and most of them were associated with institutions. These included Bitumastic, Prisons, Police, Nsambya, Mutungo, Young Salumbay, Kayunga, Namulonge and Wampewo.

DID YOU KNOW?

When national team coach overlooked Express players, club founder Joseph Kiwanuka asked for a friendly and beat the national team and when the latter lost to Nigeria, Kiwanuka asked for a friendly with the Green Eagles of Nigeria, and FC duly thumped he West African 3-0. Kiwanuka declared Express as the Red Eagles.

The meeting agreed to have Dr Kunuka as chairman with Kulubya becoming treasurer. Nsubuga was tasked to assemble players but Kiwanuka, being a hands-on person, elected to be the coach. He picked Prince Badru Kakungulu to be the patron and also named the club Express FC to rhyme with his newspaper.

Some of the club’s first recruits include goalkeepers Bablo Ali, Henry Balamaze Lwanga, Dr James Makumbi and later Noah Mbowa. Others were Robert Kiberu (captain), Abdul Karim Kiggundu, Ali Kitonsa, Charles Jaggwe, Jimmy Sewava, and John Dibya. Those who joined later included; Jimmy Bakyayita Semugabi, Naftali Ekesa, R Bugoba, Majid Fauza, Ibrahim Dafala, John Kitanda, and John Ssimbwa, among others.

Being a rich man, Kiwanuka virtually footed all bills for the newly-formed club as he sought to endear it to fans by continually asserting that Express was the common man’s team. That is how the club got the tag Mukwano Gwabangi.

Indeed, Express quickly won over the hearts of fans, who partly associated with it due to Kiwanuka’s close connections with the Buganda kingdom. However, Kiwanuka’s political affiliation to UPC affected some of his officials from other political par- ties and many had to quit for fear of political persecution.

But this didn’t deter Express’ rise because Kiwanuka’s influence had few boundaries and his word was always final. Express dominated the Kampala and District League, which served as the top-tier at the time before the official formation of the national league in 1968.

Some of the trophies Express won at the time include the Wardle Cup as well as Luwangula Cup. Kiwanuka was one of the few people who had got a chance to watch professional football abroad and was exposed to some coaching methods. So, he always used to taunt and challenge national team coaches tactically, especially when his players were not selected for the national duty.

In 1961, for example, a Challenge Cup was set up between Express and the national team to settle a bitter war of words between Kiwanuka and Cranes coach Clive Bond. Kiwanuka accused the Englishman of poor team selection after the latter overlooked Express players for the Gossage Cup. Come D-day, Express upstaged the national team 2-1 and Kiwanuka had the last laugh.

In the aftermath, Bond still refused to summon a single player from Express for the friendly against visiting Nigeria’s Green Eagles. Uganda lost 0-2, something that further irritated Kiwanuka.

‘The Red Eagles’

To prove Bond wrong again, Kiwanuka requested a friendly game between Express and the Nigerians. Yet again, Kiwanuka proved Bond wrong by triumphing 3-0. After the win over the Green Eagles, Kiwanuka took the success to another level by declaring Express as the Red Eagles.

When the national football league was formed in 1968, Express was among the pioneer clubs in the top tier. Kiwanuka was very influential in the formation of the league but was murdered in 1973 before Express could lift any league title.

His successor Tucker Lwanga Mubiru guided the club to two league titles (1974 and 1976) before the club was banned by Nasur in 1977.

In 1979 the ban was lifted after the regime of Idi Amin had ended and Express returned to the National League for the 1980 season.

Express has never been relegated to the second division.
The club has six league titles (1974, 1975, 1993, 1995, 1996 and 2012

The Red Eagles have held the Uganda Cup title for a record 10 times (1985, 1990, 1991, 1994, 1995, 1997, 2001, 2003, 2006 and 2007) and it has had 12 chairmen: They include Dr Barnabas Kunuka, Joseph Kiwanuka, Tucker Lwanga, Sam Njuba, Jimmy Mugambe, Patrick Kiwanuka, Vincent Bbale Mugera, Meddie Sebaggala, Godfrey Kirumira, Sam Kiwanuka, Francis Ntalazi and Florence Nakiwala Kiyingi.

Today Express faces relegation due to financial constrait. There is a fundraising drive tomorrow Fri 23rd at Wankulukukku stadium to save the historical club from sinking. I urge football lovers to participate. You dont necessarily need to be an Express supporter because football is a uniting factor. Without Express, our premier league shall loose that taste