Bolton Association F.C.

Bolton Association F.C. was an English association football club from Bolton in Lancashire. The Association was part of the club name, rather than a descriptor for the code the team played.

Bolton Association
Full nameBolton Association Football Club
Nickname(s)the Boltonians,[1] the Association
Founded1883
Dissolved1892?
GroundGreen Lane
Hon. SecretariesW. A. Scott, J. Fairhurst[2]

History

The club was founded in 1883 by a Mr J. Walker of the Bolton Cricket Club,[3] who became the club's captain, as a contrast to the illegal professionalism of Bolton Wanderers. The club started as a side "solely for the recreation to be obtained from its pursuit, and not with the exclusive determination to win at all hazards which actuates the management of the other organisation";[4] when trying to recruit players, the club relied on persuasion rather than "inducement", an attitude contrasting with a local unnamed club offering 5 shillings per win and half-a-crown per defeat.[5]

The quixotic nature of such an approach, and the change in the nature of the game, were shown up almost instantly; although the Association beat Cambridge University 2–1 at home at Christmas 1883 and Chorley by 10 goals to 1 a month before,[6] it lost 3–2 at home to minnows Enfield in the first round of the Lancashire Cup,[7] 7–1 at Notts County,[8] 6–1 at Preston North End,[9] 11–0 at Great Lever (despite playing with 13 men),[10] and 12–2 at Blackburn Olympic.[11] At the end of the club's first season, one of their better players, George Dobson, left the club to become a professional at Bolton Wanderers. Walker had the consolation of representing the Lancashire FA, called up as a reserve in late 1883 for a match against the Sheffield FA.[12]

Despite the club's adherence to amateurism, the club was part of a proposed breakaway group, the British Football Association, which agitated for professionalism. It proved counter to the club's hopes for a successful side and the last references to the club are in 1891 playing junior football.[13]

FA Cup

The club entered the FA Cup in 1883–84 and 1884–85. In the first entry, the club easily beat Bradshaw 5–1 in the first round,[14] and was considered to have done well to restrict Bolton Wanderers to three goals in the second round, especially as the forward Sowerbutts was "rendered almost useless by a violent charge early in the game".[15]

The following season the club got a walkover in the first round, scheduled opponents Astley Bridge withdrawing after the Lancashire FA fell out with the Football Association over professionalism,[16] but in the second round an "indifferent" team[17] lost 7–2 at Darwen Old Wanderers.

Colours

The club adopted colours which were "quite out of the common"; dark blue and canary yellow vertical striped shirts, rather than jerseys.[18]

Ground

The club played at Green Lane, which was the cricket club's ground, and reputed to be the best in the county.[19]

References
  1. "Eagley v Bolton Association". Guardian: 7. 12 March 1883.
  2. "report". Athletic News: 1. 27 June 1883.
  3. "Eagley v Bolton Association". Guardian: 7. 12 March 1883.
  4. "Sports & Pastimes". Nottingham Guardian. 18 January 1884.
  5. "Sporting". Liverpool Mercury: 3. 12 November 1883.
  6. "Bolton Association v Chorley". Manchester Courier: 3. 26 November 1883.
  7. "Fishwick Ramblers v Livesey United". Blackburn Weekly Standard: 3. 14 October 1883.
  8. "Football Notes". Blackburn Standard: 3. 19 January 1884.
  9. "Multiple Sports Items". Blackburn Standard: 3. 22 March 1884.
  10. "Great Lever v Bolton Association". Manchester Courier: 3. 2 April 1883.
  11. "Football Notes". Blackburn Standard: 3. 15 March 1884.
  12. "Athletic News". Athletic News: 5. 12 December 1883.
  13. "Bolton Junior Cup". Manchester Times: 7. 27 November 1891.
  14. "report". Bolton Evening News: 4. 5 November 1883.
  15. "report". Manchester Courier: 3. 3 December 1883.
  16. "Football notes". Liverpool Mercury: 7. 20 October 1884.
  17. "report". Manchester Courier: 3. 1 December 1884.
  18. "report". Athletic News: 1. 27 June 1883.
  19. "report". Athletic News: 1. 27 June 1883.
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