Warrington A.F.C.
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| Full name | Warrington Association Football Club |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1899 |
| Dissolved | 16 January 1902 |
| Ground | Warrington Cricket Field |
| President | Councillor W. Pierpoint |
| Secretary | (1899) T. P. Bradshaw,[1] (1900) E. A. Connor[2] |
Warrington A.F.C. was an association football club from Warrington, Lancashire.
The first Warrington A.F.C. (normally referred to as Warrington Association) was founded in 1884.[3] With the rugby football code dominant in the town, the club struggled to keep its head above water; in 1886[4] and 1887[5] its members faced claims in court for non-payment of bills, and in September 1893 the club was formally disbanded.[6]
The club however was re-founded in 1899,[7] and showed considerable ambition before the 1899–1900 season, joining the Lancashire Alliance,[8] and signing (amongst others) Ted Connor of Preston North End and one Colour-Sergeant Jones from St Helens Recs, whom Aston Villa wanted to buy out of the Army, only for Warrington to beat it to the punch.[9] Jones however did not remain with the club long - in November, as an Army reservist, he was called up for deployment to Enniskillen, the club presenting him with a travelling bag.[10]
After a season in which the club made a profit of 14s 6½d from an income of £207 8s,[11] and finished mid-table in the Alliance,[12] the club resolved to join the Combination league in 1900,[13] and finished the season 10th out of 12,[14] but also winners of the Warrington Cup, thanks to a win over Newton-le-Willows in front of 3,000 at Earlestown.[15]
Despite this success, the club had suffered a loss of £45 over the season, and took a step up to join the higher status Lancashire League for the 1901–02 season, in the hope of attracting higher crowds.[16] However the club ran out of money before the season ended; in January 1902, with a loss of £15 likely to increase to £50 before the season end, it resolved to wind itself up.[17] In February 1902, it tendered its resignation to the League, which was accepted, and the club's record was expunged.[18] At the time, the club had only won one of its 14 games (against Haydock in December 1901, coming from 3–1 down to win 4–3)[19] and drawn 2, and had only scored 9 goals, conceding 38; it was bottom of the table, a point behind Bacup.[20]
Ground
The club played at the Warrington Cricket Field.[21]
References
- ↑ "Association football". Warrington Examiner: 5. 12 August 1899.
- ↑ "Notes on games and athletics". Widnes Examiner: 6. 20 July 1900.
- ↑ "Warrington (Association Football Club)". St Helens Examiner: 8. 13 September 1884.
- ↑ "report". Warrington Examiner: 5. 9 January 1886.
- ↑ "Another football club dispute". Warrington Examiner: 5. 23 July 1887.
- ↑ "The Warrington Association Football Club". Warrington Examiner: 8. 9 September 1893.
- ↑ "Notes on games and athletics". Warrington Examiner: 5. 12 August 1899.
- ↑ "Sports and pastimes". Stockport Chronicle: 3. 14 June 1899.
- ↑ "Warrington Association Football Club". Liverpool Echo: 4. 2 August 1899.
- ↑ "Presentation to a Warrington footballer". Runcorn Guardian: 5. 28 November 1899.
- ↑ "The Warrington Association Club". Liverpool Daily Post: 9. 9 July 1900.
- ↑ "Lancashire Alliance". Non-league matters. Retrieved 13 November 2025.
- ↑ "Warrington Association Football Club". Liverpool Echo: 8. 7 July 1900.
- ↑ "England - The Combination". rsssf. Retrieved 2 March 2025.
- ↑ "Warrington Cup". Runcorn Guardian: 6. 24 April 1901.
- ↑ "Association Football Club - a disastrous season". Warrington Examiner: 5. 15 June 1901.
- ↑ "Serious financial difficulties - the club disbanded". Runcorn Guardian: 6. 22 January 1902.
- ↑ "Lancashire League meeting at Bolton". Manchester Courier: 7. 7 February 1902.
- ↑ "Warrington v Haydock". Liverpool Echo: 8. 7 December 1901.
- ↑ "Results up to Saturday, February 1 (inclusive)". Manchester Courier: 7. 3 February 1902.
- ↑ "Association". Runcorn Examiner: 6. 20 October 1894.