text: what is royal engineer?   the royal engineers afc is a football team founded in 1869, under the leadership of major marindin of the corps of royal engineers, the sappers. they enjoyed a great deal of success in the 1870s, winning the fa cup in 1875.  the 1875 cup winning side were:  capt. w. merriman; lt. g.h. sim; lieutenant g.c. onslow; lt. r.m. ruck; lt. p.g. von donop; lt. c.k. wood; lt. h.e. rawson; lt. r.h. stafford; lt. h. w. renny-tailyour; lt. a. mein; and lt. c. wingfield-stratford.   the team drew 1-1 against old etonians f.c. with a goal from renny-tailyour and went on to win the replay 2-0 with a goal each from renny-tailyour and stafford.  they have maintained their character as an amateur team (as was the tradition early on in football history) and have not played in top competition since the 1890s.