Tonge F.C.
| Full name | Tonge Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Founded | 1887 | ||
| Dissolved | 1918 | ||
| Ground | Tonge Hall Farm | ||
| |||
Tonge Football Club was an association football club from Tonge, Middleton, Lancashire.
History
[edit]A Tonge club was active from 1883 to 1885, when it entered the Lancashire Senior Cup for three seasons, losing in the first round every time. The instant club however was founded in 1887, and after only taking £2 5/ of gate money in its first season, had caught the attention of the locals to the extent that the gate income grew sevenfold to nearly £18.[1] In the early years of its existence the club was normally referred to as Tonge Association Football Club.
In 1890, the members of the Middleton Cricket Club proposed taking over the Tonge side; when rebuffed, they formed their own club - Middleton F.C.[2] - and the rivalry between the clubs spilt over when Middleton was suspended after Tonge reported that the new side had stolen away two contracted players.[3]
The club was a founder member of the Manchester League in 1890,[4] and took the title every season from 1896–97 until 1900–01, other than in 1898–99. It joined the Football Association in 1907, entitling it to enter the FA Cup,[5] It first did so in 1908–09, beating Atherton in an extra-preliminary round tie, and taking Lancashire League side Hyde to a replay in the first qualifying round.[6] The following season, Tonge reached the fourth and penultimate qualifying round, going down 1–0 at Carlisle United, having sold home advantage for the tie (which "did not meet with general approval")[7] - the run included revenge over Hyde with a 3–0 second qualifying round win.[8]
Tonge remained a member of the Manchester League until 1910–11, when it finished bottom, only soring 16 points in 30 matches. The club retained a fitful existence until the end of the First World War, when it became apparent that there was no possible resurrection of the club, and in April 1918 the grandstand was put up for sale.[9]
Colours
[edit]The club's original colours were white; after two seasons it was able to provide custom white shirts with blue facings, and chocolate and blue halved shirts were adopted as a second kit.[10] By 1902 the club was wearing blue jerseys.[11]
Ground
[edit]The club originally played on a field at Upper Tonge, and in 1890 secured a new ground at Tonge Hall Farm, to be known as the Old Brick Ground.[12] The club's first game there was a Manchester League match against Stockport on 6 September, and ended in a 10–1 victory for the home side, centre-forward Spurr scoring the first goal.[13]
Notable players
[edit]- Tony Donnelly, who left the club for Heywood United, and later joined Manchester United.[14]
- George Lamberton, who signed for Bury in December 1901, having scored 14 goals in the first half of the 1901–02 season in the Manchester League alone[15]
- Arthur Dixon, transferred to Oldham Athletic in 1912[16]
External links
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Tonge Association Football Club". Middleton and North Manchester Guardian: 4. 4 May 1889.
- ^ "Notes on news". Middleton Guardian: 4. 27 June 1891.
- ^ "Suspension of Middleton A.F.C.". Middleton Guardian: 8. 1 August 1891.
- ^ "Tonge A.F.C.". Middleton and North Manchester Guardian: 5. 17 May 1890.
- ^ "The FA Council". North Star: 6. 5 October 1907.
- ^ "Football 38th English Football Association (FA) Cup 1908-1909 Qualification". todor66. Retrieved 15 March 2025.
- ^ "Games in the qualifying round". Guardian: 4. 22 November 1909.
- ^ "Football 39th English Football Association (FA) Cup 1909-1910 Qualification". todor66. Retrieved 15 March 2025.
- ^ "On sale". Middleton and North Manchester Guardian: 1. 6 April 1918.
- ^ "Tonge Association Football Club". Middleton and North Manchester Guardian: 4. 7 September 1889.
- ^ "Athletic News". Athletic News: 4. 17 November 1902.
- ^ "Tonge Association Football Club". Middleton and North Manchester Guardian: 5. 23 August 1890.
- ^ "Manchester League - Tonge v Stockport". Middleton and North Manchester Guardian: 3. 13 September 1890.
- ^ "Anthony "Tony" Donnelly". mufcinfo.com. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
- ^ "Sporting notes". Evening Post: 5. 3 December 1901.
- ^ "Middleton & Tonge". Middleton and North Manchester Guardian: 3. 14 December 1918.