Walkley F.C.
| Full name | Walkley Football Club | |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 1870 | |
| Dissolved | 1890 | |
| Ground | Old Grindstone | |
| Secretary (1889–90) | George Willey | |
|
| ||
Walkley Football Club was an association football club from Sheffield, Yorkshire.
History
[edit]
The club was formed in 1870, originally playing under the Sheffield rules. The club's record in its first season was an equable 5 wins, 6 draws, and 5 defeats.[1]
Walkley was an entrant to the first Sheffield Association Cup in 1876–77; it lost in the first round at Kimberworth by 2 goals to 0, with Kimberworth goalkeeper Taylor not having a save to make.[2]
Although the club was a consistent competitor in the 1870s and 1880s, at one point being severely critical of the Sheffield Football Association for not notifying it of a replay in the Sheffield Senior Cup in 1884,[3] it was consistently unsuccessful, never making the final stages of the local competitions. However the club took a step up in 1889–90, by becoming a founder member of the Sheffield & District Football League[4] and entering the FA Cup for the first time. In the 1889–90 FA Cup qualifying rounds, it lost 2–0 at Sheffield F.C. at the first time of asking, both Sheffield goals coming in extra-time after a Walkley second-half goal was chalked off for offside,[5] and finished mid-table in the League.[6] There were however already signs of difficulties - the club's home first round Sheffield Association Cup tie with Heeley only attracted 150 spectators, and the visitors won 8–0 after Walkley went down to 10 men at half-time through injury.[7]
However, although the club re-entered the Sheffield & District League for 1890–91,[8] the club very quickly fell apart. It lost its ground,[9] thus having to play all matches away from home;[10] it then failed to turn up for its first League match at Kilnhurst, blaming a missed train.[11] For the tie at Staveley in the first of the 1890–91 FA Cup qualifying rounds, Walkley only turned up with 9 players, and was demolished 19–0, with 4 further home goals disallowed. The club recovered enough to lose to the same side by a mere 4–0 in the League the following week, with a different goalkeeper and full-backs playing,[12] but that was the club's last recorded game - the last action of the club was scratching to the Eckington Works side in the Sheffield Association Cup later in October.[13] Ironically the League shield had been donated by the League secretary, George Willey, who was also the Walkley secretary.[14]
Colours
[edit]The club's colours were scarlet and white.[15]
Ground
[edit]The club originally played at Hillsborough.[16] In 1877, it moved to a new ground at Penistone Road,[17] and in 1888 to a new, enclosed, ground behind the Old Grindstone Inn at Crookes.[18]
References
[edit]- ^ "Local intelligence". Sheffield Independent: 3. 4 April 1871.
- ^ "Walkley v Kimberworth". Sheffield Independent: 4. 6 November 1876.
- ^ Willey, George (25 November 1884). "Mexbro' v Walkley Cup tie". Sheffield Independent: 7.
- ^ "Sheffield & District Football League". Sheffield and Rotherham Independent: 7. 22 August 1889.
- ^ "Sheffield Club v Walkley". Sheffield Independent: 7. 28 October 1889.
- ^ "Football notes". Sheffield Independent: 8. 11 February 1890.
- ^ "Walkley v Heeley". Sheffield Independent: 7. 21 October 1889.
- ^ "The Sheffield & District Football League". Sheffield Independent: 7. 1 September 1890.
- ^ "Kilnhurst v Kilnhurst Wanderers". Sheffield Independent: 8. 22 September 1890.
- ^ "Football & cricket notes". Sheffield Independent: 7. 23 September 1890.
- ^ "Kilnhurst v Kilnhurst Wanderers". Sheffield Independent: 7. 22 September 1890.
- ^ "Walkley v Mexbro'". Sheffield Independent: 7. 13 October 1890.
- ^ "Football notes". Sheffield Independent: 9. 21 October 1890.
- ^ "Sheffield & District Football League". South Yorkshire Times: 3. 8 January 1891.
- ^ Alcock, Charles (1873). Football Annual. London: Sportsman. p. 82.
- ^ Alcock, Charles (1873). Football Annual. London: Sportsman. p. 82.
- ^ Alcock, Charles (1877). Football Annual. London: Ward, Lock, and Tyler. p. 83.
- ^ "Walkley Football Club". Sheffield Independent: 6. 14 August 1888.