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OLDHAM ATHLETIC FOOTBALL CLUB
Oldham Athletic Association Football Club is a professional football club in Oldham, Lancashire, England,[3][4] which competes in EFL League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system, and plays home matches at Boundary Park.[4][5] Known as the "Latics", Oldham traditionally play in blue shirts. The club has a rivalry known as the A62 derby with Huddersfield Town, as well as long-standing local rivalries with Bolton Wanderers, Rochdale and Stockport County.
The history of Oldham Athletic began with the founding of Pine Villa F.C. in 1895, a team that played in the Manchester and Lancashire leagues. When neighbours Oldham County folded in 1899, Pine Villa moved into their stadium and changed their name to Oldham Athletic.[6] They won the Lancashire Combination title in 1906–07 and were elected into the Football League. They won promotion out of the Second Division in 1909–10 and went on to finish second in the First Division in 1914–15, before being relegated in 1923. Another relegation in 1935 left them in the Third Division North, which they won at the end of the 1952–53 campaign, only to be relegated back into the following year. Placed in the Fourth Division, they secured promotion in 1962–63, and again in 1970–71 after another relegation in 1969.[citation needed]
Jimmy Frizzell managed the club from 1970 to 1982 and under his leadership, Oldham won the Third Division title in 1973–74. He was succeeded by Joe Royle, who also had a 12-year spell in charge, during which time Oldham reached the League Cup final in 1990, before winning the Second Division title in 1990–91, which took them back into the top-flight for the first time in 68 years. Oldham were founder members of the Premier League in 1992, but were relegated two years later and fell to the third tier by 1997. The club ended a 21-season-long stay in the third tier – which encompassed numerous financial crises – with relegation out of League One in 2018.
The club began life in the fourth tier with a 14th-place finish in 2018–19, under a series of managers over the years beginning with Frankie Bunn, moving on to former Manchester United player Paul Scholes for one month, then Harry Kewell and Keith Curle
Oldham Athletic in 1905
In July 1895, licensee John Garland with his son formed a football club named Pine Villa Football Club with a group of friends inside the Featherstall & Junction Inn. The club was initially named after the Pine Mill whose shadow the club played in. The term Villa is thought to have originated due to Aston Villa's dominance at the time of formation.[7] The club changed its appearance and name in 1899 to Oldham Athletic Football Club. The club immediately gained professional status and played in both the Lancashire Combination and Lancashire League. Unlike many clubs, Oldham Athletic gained quick success and gained acceptance into the Football League in 1907–08. After three years in the Second Division, Latics gained promotion to the First Division.[citation needed]
Within a couple of seasons, Oldham had announced themselves serious contenders, finishing 4th in the league in 1912–13, and reaching the F.A. Cup semi-finals the same season, losing out 1–0 versus Aston Villa. In 1914–15, Latics reached the quarter-finals of the FA Cup but were knocked out once again after a 0–3 replay against Sheffield United. In the league that season they almost won it all; Latics lost the league by one point, as close as they have ever come to winning the league. Latics early success was only halted by the First World War.
OLDHAM ATHLETIC EARLY HISTORY 1905
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club (/ˈboʊltən/ (listen)) is a professional football club based in Bolton, England, which competes in EFL League One, the third tier of English football.
Formed as Christ Church Football Club in 1874, it adopted its current name in 1877 and was a founder member of the Football League in 1888. Bolton have spent more seasons, 73, than any other club in the top flight without winning the title.[5] They finished third in the First Division in 1891–92, 1920–21 and 1924–25. Bolton won the FA Cup three times in the 1920s, and again in 1958. The club spent a season in the Fourth Division in 1987–88, before regaining top-flight status in 1995 and qualifying for the UEFA Cup twice; reaching the last 32 in 2005–06 and the last 16 in 2007–08.
The club played at Burnden Park for 102 years from 1895. On 9 March 1946, thirty-three Bolton fans lost their lives in a human crush, the Burnden Park disaster.[6] In 1997, Bolton moved to the Reebok Stadium. The stadium was renamed the Macron Stadium in 2014 and University of Bolton Stadium in 2018.
Beginning in 2015, Bolton had been in severe financial difficulties, and went into administration in May 2019. Facing possible EFL expulsion and probable extinction, the club was acquired by new owners on 28 August 2019.
EARLY HISTORY 1877-1929
The club was founded by the Reverend Joseph Farrall Wright, Perpetual curate of Christ Church Bolton,[7] and Thomas Ogden, the schoolmaster at the adjacent church school, in 1874 as Christ Church F.C.[8] It was initially run from the church of the same name on Deane Road, Bolton, on the site where the Innovation factory of the University of Bolton now stands. The club left the location following a dispute with the vicar, and changed its name to Bolton Wanderers in 1877. The name was chosen as the club initially had a lot of difficulty finding a permanent ground to play on, having used three venues in its first four years of existence.[
Bolton were one of the 12 founder members of the Football League, which formed in 1888.[10] At the time Lancashire was one of the strongest footballing regions in the country, with 6 of the 12 founder clubs coming from within the boundaries of the historic county of Lancashire. Having remained in the Football League since its formation, Bolton have spent more time in the top flight (Premier League/old First Division) than out of it.
Bolton won the celebrated 1923 FA Cup Final
Chart showing the progress of Bolton Wanderers F.C. through the English football league system.
In 1894 Bolton reached the final of the FA Cup for the first time, but lost 4–1 to Notts County at Goodison Park.[11] A decade later they were runners-up a second time, losing 1–0 to local rivals Manchester City at Crystal Palace on 23 April 1904.[12]
The period before and after the First World War was Bolton's most consistent period of top-flight success as measured by league finishes, with the club finishing outside the top 8 of the First Division on only two occasions between 1911–12 and 1927–28.[13] In this period Bolton equalled their record finish of third twice, in 1920–21 and 1924–25, on the latter occasion missing out on the title by just 3 points (in an era of 2 points for a win).[14]
On 28 April 1923, Bolton won their first major trophy in their third final, beating West Ham United 2–0 in the first ever Wembley FA Cup final. The match, famously known as The White Horse Final was played in front of over 127,000 supporters. Bolton's centre-forward, David Jack scored the first ever goal at Wembley Stadium.[15] Driven by long-term players Joe Smith in attack, Ted Vizard and Billy Butler on the wings, and Jimmy Seddon in defence, they became the most successful cup side of the twenties, winning three times. Their second victory of the decade came in 1926, beating Manchester City 1–0 in front of over 91,000 spectators,[16] and the third came in 1929 as Portsmouth were beaten 2–0 in front of nearly 93,000 fans.
In 1928 the club faced financial difficulties and so was forced to sell David Jack to Arsenal to raise funds. Despite the pressure to sell, the agreed fee of £10,890 was a world record, more than double the previous most expensive transfer of a player.
Wigan Athletic F.C.
THE EARLY YEARS NON LEAGUE FOOTBALL 1932-1978
Wigan Athletic Football Club (/ˈwɪɡən/) is an English professional association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. The team competes in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1932, they have played at the 25,138-seat DW Stadium since 1999, before which they played at Springfield Park. Their colours are blue and white stripes, although all-blue shirts have been common throughout the club's history. The club regards Bolton Wanderers as its primary derby rival.
Wigan competed in the Cheshire County League for the first nine seasons of the club's existence, winning three league titles before being placed in the Lancashire Combination in 1947. It spent 14 years in the Lancashire Combination and secured four league titles during this time. It spent 1961 to 1968 back in the Cheshire County League, picking up another league title in 1964–65. Invited to become a founder member of the Northern Premier League in 1968, the club won two league titles and also reached the FA Trophy final in 1973. Wigan was elected to the Football League in 1978 and was promoted out of the Fourth Division in 1981–82. The club won the Associate Members' Cup in 1985, but was relegated back into the fourth tier in 1993. It won the Third Division title in 1996–97, the Football League Trophy in 1999 and the Second Division in 2002–03, before securing promotion out of the Championship in 2004–05.
Wigan was the beaten finalist in the League Cup in 2006 and won the FA Cup in 2013, beating Manchester City in the final. However, the club was relegated later that year, bringing its eight-season stay in the Premier League to an end. The FA Cup success did, though, gain it a place in the UEFA Europa League group stages the following season. Relegated from the Championship in 2015, the club won the League One title in 2015–16 and repeated this feat in 2017–18 after another relegation. On 1 July 2020, less than a month after a change of ownership, it was placed into administration and was relegated from the Championship due to the subsequent points deduction.
Wigan Athletic was formed in 1932, following the winding-up of Wigan Borough the year before. Wigan Athletic was the fifth attempt to create a stable football club in the town following the demise of Wigan County, Wigan United, Wigan Town and Wigan Borough. Springfield Park, the former home of Wigan Borough, was purchased by the club for £2,850.[1] Despite their initial application being turned down, Wigan Athletic were elected into the Cheshire County League following the resignation of Manchester Central. The club had also made the first of many attempts to be admitted into the Football League, but failed to receive a single vote. On 27 August 1932, Wigan Athletic played their first-ever league game against Port Vale Reserves. The team played in red and white shirts with black shorts.[2]
Wigan Athletic won its first honours in the 1933–34 season, finishing top of the Cheshire League, despite being based in neighbouring Lancashire. In the following season the club won a second league championship and also entered the FA Cup for the first time,[3] defeating Carlisle United 6–1 in the first round – a cup record for the biggest victory by a non-league club over a league club. In the 1935–36 season, the club won its third consecutive Cheshire League title and the Lancashire Junior Cup.
After the Second World War, Wigan Athletic adopted their present-day blue and white colours.[2] The club struggled to assemble a competitive side and finished bottom of the league in 1946–47 season. Despite their pre-war success, the club failed to gain re-election and was replaced by Winsford United. The club joined the Lancashire Combination, winning the league in their first season.[3] In 1950, Wigan Athletic came close to election to The Football League, narrowly losing out to Scunthorpe United and Shrewsbury Town. The club would frequently apply for election to the Football League over the next 28 years before finally being accepted.
In the 1953–54 season, Wigan played an FA Cup match against Hereford United in front of a crowd of 27,526 – a club record and also a record attendance for a match between two non-league teams at a non-league ground. In the next round of the cup, Wigan Athletic was drawn against First Division side Newcastle United. Wigan Athletic held their top-flight opponents to a 2–2 draw at St James' Park, but went on to lose the replay 3–2. In 1961, the club moved back to the Cheshire League.
In the 1964–65 season, Wigan Athletic won its first Cheshire League title since returning to the league,[3] with top goalscorer Harry Lyon scoring 66 times. He remains the club's greatest goalscorer of all time. Wigan Athletic won four cup titles in the 1966–67 season (Lancashire Floodlit Cup winner, Liverpool Non League Senior Cup winner, Northern Floodlit League winner, Northern Floodlit League Cup winner) and was also Cheshire County League runner-up.[4]
In 1968, Wigan Athletic was a founder member of the Northern Premier League. In winning the league title in 1970–71, the leading goalscorer, with 42 goals including seven hat-tricks, was Geoff Davies, who scored 28 goals in the following 1971–72 season. The team played at Wembley Stadium for the first time in the 1973 FA Trophy Final, where they lost 2–1 to Scarborough. After 34 failed election attempts, including one controversial but headline-making application in 1972 to join the Scottish League Second Division, Wigan Athletic was elected to the Football League in 1978.
Rochdale A.F.C.
Rochdale Association Football Club is a professional football club based in the town of Rochdale, Lancashire, England. The team compete in League Two, the fourth tier of
Founded in 1907, Rochdale entered the Lancashire Combination and after securing promotion out of Division Two in 1909–10 they won the Division One title in 1910–11 and 1911–12. They then switched to the Central League, before being invited into the Football League when the Third Division North was created in 1921.
the English football league system. Nicknamed 'The Dale', they have played home matches at Spotland Stadium since 1920 and contest derby matches with nearby Bury.
The club remained in the division for 47 years but were relegated out of the new nationwide Third Division in 1959. They reached the League Cup final in 1962 and secured promotion out of the Fourth Division in 1968–69. Relegated in 1974, Rochdale remained in the fourth tier for 36 seasons after unsuccessful play-off campaigns in 2002, 2008 and 2009. The club finally secured promotion in 2009–10 and following relegation in 2012 were again promoted out of League Two in 2013–14, but were relegated back to League Two in 2020-21.
Full nameSalford City Football Club
Nickname(s)The Ammies
Founded1940; 82 years ago (as Salford Central Mission)
GroundMoor Lane
Capacity5,106 (2,246 seated)[1]
OwnerProject 92 Limited
ChairmanKaren Baird
ManagerGary Bowyer
LeagueEFL League Two
2020–21EFL League Two, 8th of 24
WebsiteClub website
Salford City Football Club is a professional football club in Salford, England, that competes in League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system, after achieving promotion from the National League in the 2018–19 season.
Salford City F.C.
The club was founded as Salford Central Mission in 1940, changed to Salford Central in 1947, and played minor local league football until winning a place in the Manchester League in 1963. Salford were winners of the Lancashire Amateur Cup in 1971, 1973, and 1975 and the Manchester Premier Cup in 1978 and 1979. The club joined the Cheshire County League in 1980, which amalgamated into the North West Counties Football League (NWCFL) two years later. They changed their name again in 1989, to Salford City, and secured promotion into the Northern Premier League (NPL) in 2008. The club survived in the league on the final day of the following season, an achievement known in club folklore as The Great Escape.
In 2014, Salford were taken over by former Manchester United players Nicky Butt, Ryan Giggs, Gary Neville, Phil Neville, and Paul Scholes, who each own 10% of the club, with Singaporean businessman Peter Lim owning the rest; David Beckham purchased a 10% share from Lim in 2019. Under the management duo of Anthony Johnson and Bernard Morley, they were crowned NPL Division One North champions in 2015, won the NPL Premier Division play-offs in 2016, and the National League North title in 2018. This success was followed in 2019 with promotion to the English Football League (EFL) after winning the 2019 National League play-off final, under the stewardship of Graham Alexander. Salford won the EFL Trophy in their début campaign.
Salford play their home games at Moor Lane, which underwent a major transformation between 2016 and 2017, and is currently known as the "Peninsula Stadium" for sponsorship purposes. The club have primarily worn tangerine shirts and black shorts throughout their recorded history, before switching to red shirts and white shorts following the takeover. The club's nickname, The Ammies, stems from their name from the early 1960s to the early 1970s, Salford Amateurs. The club's anthem is The Pogues cover of "Dirty Old Town", a song written by Salford local Ewan MacColl.
