Accrington FC

Accrington FC - The original Accrington football club

If you are reading this and have just said “who are they?” in a thick Scouse accent, you are miles off it. This is not Accrington Stanley, this is the original Accrington club - Accrington FC.

One of the founding members of the football league in 1888, the history of Accrington Football Club is a fairly unique and storied one, reflecting the challenges and triumphs of English lower league football.

Accrington in Lancashire was a typical Victorian industrial northern town and Accrington FC sprang up like many football teams at the time from the local cricket club. They were formed by eleven gentlemen from Accrington Cricket Club who wanted to play sport throughout the Winter, cricket could only be played in the Summer months due to the weather. Cricket is a sport where bad light can led to a match being cancelled. In 1876, these eleven gentlemen organised a meeting in a local pub (the name of which is now lost) and the club was born. Nicknamed “Owd reds” due to their red shirts, they played their home matches at Peel park until they moved to Accrington Cricket Club’s ground at Thorneyholme Road in 1878. They did not start playing competitive matches against other teams until their move.

After a brief firtation with blue shorts Accrington FC's colours were firmly red and white.

Accrington FC were not the only team in the town at that time. Are you ready for some fantastically named football teams? The other teams included: Bell’s Temperance (I must take note), Church Rovers, Accrington Grasshoppers, Peel Bank Rovers and Accrington Remnants and Ramblers. I wonder what the last team were the remnants of?

When the Football Association was formed in 1863, amateurism was the norm and professionalism was not permitted. In 1884 Accrington FC were part of the revolt against the Football Association over this and were actually expelled a year earlier for paying a player.

Accrington FC played their first ever football league match at home against Everton FC which they lost 1-2. Their best season came in 1889-90 when they hit the dizzy heights of sixth in the football league table. However, as football often goes, in the 1892-93 season they finished fifteenth out of sixteen and were relegated after losing 1-0 in a “test match” against

Sheffield United at Trent Bridge Cricket Ground. There wasn’t any automatic promotion or relegation in the early football league. Instead, teams played post season matches known as a “test match”. Teams at the bottom of the league played teams at the top of the league below to see who got relegated or promoted. These were one off, high stakes matches a bit like modern playoffs.

In 1890 the Football League ruled that "no two member teams could register similar colours, so as to avoid clashes." This rule was later abandoned in favour of one stipulating that all teams must have a second set of shirts in a different colour available. 

In a strange turn of events, the powers that be at Accrington FC decided they didn’t fancy life in the second division, so resigned from the league, becoming the first of the founding members of the football league to leave the league permanently. They joined the Lancashire League and after one season applied for re-election to the Football League, but were rejected. The Lancashire league mustn’t have been up to much.

Shortly after, Accrington FC suffered financial problems, which eventually led to their demise. The club continued to play outside of the football league until 1896, when they finally folded after a heavy 12-0 defeat on 14th January to Darwin FC in the Lancashire senior cup.

There were many baron years of football league action in Accrington until 1921-22, when Accrington Stanley (“who are they?” You’re ok to do it now.), a local rival, became a member of the Football League. 

The squad of 1886

During its short existence, the club had three players selected for the England International team:

George Haworth 5 caps 1887 - 1890

George Haworth (17 October 1864 – 5 January 1943) was an English footballer notable for his contributions to Accrington FC and the England national team in the late 19th century. Born in Accrington, Lancashire, he began his football career with Christ Church FC in 1878 before joining Accrington F.C. in 1882. During his career, he also had stints with Preston North End and Blackburn Rovers, with whom he won the FA Cup in 1885.

Haworth was a versatile player, primarily occupying the right half or centre half positions. He was part of Accrington FC when they became one of the twelve founding members of The Football League in 1888. In the inaugural league season (1888–89), he played in 21 of the club’s 22 matches, scoring once, as Accrington finished seventh in the table. The following season, he captained the team to a sixth-place finish, their highest league position.

Internationally, Haworth earned five caps for England between 1887 and 1890. He made his debut against Ireland on 5 February 1887 and participated in the British Home Championship matches during that period. His final international appearance was a 1–1 draw with Scotland on 5 April 1890.

After retiring from football in 1892, Haworth remained connected to the sport and later had an administrative role in the running of Accrington F.C. He passed away on 5 January 1943 in Bradford, Yorkshire, at the age of 78.

His legacy is also linked to his nephew, John Haworth, who helped found Accrington Stanley and later managed Burnley.

Joe Lofthouse - 7 caps 1885 - 1890

Joseph Morris Lofthouse (14 April 1865 – 10 June 1919) was an English footballer renowned for his versatility and contributions during the late 19th century. Born in Blackburn, Lancashire, he began his football career with Blackburn Rovers in 1882, where he played multiple positions, including left-half and inside-right. During his initial tenure with Blackburn Rovers, he secured two FA Cup victories in 1884 and 1885.

In 1888, Lofthouse joined Accrington FC, one of the founding members of The Football League. He made his league debut on 8 September 1888 against Everton at Anfield, playing as a right-winger in a match that ended in a 2–1 loss for Accrington. He scored his first league goal on 3 November 1888 in a 3–3 draw against Notts County at Trent Bridge. Throughout the 1888–89 season, Lofthouse was a consistent presence, missing only one of Accrington’s 22 league matches and contributing two goals.

After his season with Accrington, Lofthouse returned to Blackburn Rovers in 1889. During his second spell with the club, he was part of the team that won the 1890 FA Cup Final, achieving a 6–1 victory over The Wednesday. Lofthouse scored one of the goals in that final. In total, he scored 18 goals in 51 league appearances for Blackburn Rovers before moving to Darwen in 1892 and later to Walsall Town Swifts in 1893.

On the international stage, Lofthouse earned seven caps for England between 1885 and 1890, scoring two goals. He made his debut on 28 February 1885 against Ireland, marking the occasion with a goal in a 4–0 victory. His final appearance for England was on 15 March 1890 in a 9–1 win over Ireland.

After retiring from playing, Lofthouse remained involved in football, taking on roles such as coaching at the Magyar Athletic Club in Budapest and serving as a trainer at Everton. He passed away on 10 June 1919 in Blackburn at the age of 54.

 Jimmy Whitehead - 2 caps 1893 - 1894

James “Jimmy” Whitehead (29 January 1870 – 20 August 1929) was an English footballer who played as an inside right during the late 19th century. Born in Church, Lancashire, he began his career with Peel Bank Rovers before joining Accrington FC in 1890. During his tenure at Accrington, he made 73 league appearances and scored 23 goals.

In 1893, Whitehead transferred to Blackburn Rovers for a fee of £100, a significant sum at the time, which Accrington used to alleviate their debts. At Blackburn, he continued to impress, making 86 league appearances and netting 22 goals over four seasons. He later joined Manchester City for the 1897–98 season, contributing 7 goals in 24 appearances. Following his stint with Manchester City, Whitehead returned to Accrington, this time with Accrington Stanley, after the original Accrington FC had folded.

Internationally, Whitehead earned two caps for England. He made his debut on 13 March 1893 in a 6–0 victory against Wales and earned his second cap on 3 March 1894 in a 2–2 draw with Ireland.

After retiring from football, Whitehead remained in Accrington, where he became a beerseller and later worked as a lithographer. He passed away on 20 August 1929 at the age of 59.

League and cup history

League History:

• Football League (1888–1893):

  • 1888–89 Season: Finished 7th out of 12 teams.
  • 1889–90 Season: Achieved their best league position, finishing 6th.
  • 1890–91 Season: Ended in 10th place.
  • 1891–92 Season: Secured 11th position.
  • 1892–93 Season: Finished 15th and faced relegation after losing a test match to Sheffield United. Subsequently, they resigned from the league rather than join the Second Division.

• Lancashire League (1893–1895): After leaving the Football League, Accrington F.C. joined the Lancashire League.

• Lancashire Combination (1895–1896): The club moved to the Lancashire Combination but resigned mid-season in 1896, leading to their records being expunged.

Cup History:

• FA Cup Appearances:
  • 1881–82 Season: Reached the Second Round.
  • 1882–83 Season: Exited in the First Round.
  • 1883–84 Season: Disqualified in the Second Round due to professionalism issues.
  • 1884–85 Season: Disqualified in the First Round for similar reasons.
  • 1887–88 Season: Advanced to the Third Round.
  • 1888–89 Season: Eliminated in the First Round.
  • 1889–90 Season: Reached the Second Round.
  • 1890–91 Season: Exited in the Second Round.
  • 1891–92 Season: Reached the Second Round.
  • 1895–96 Season: Participated but their record was expunged after resigning mid-season.