Frickley Athletic F.C.

Association football club in South Elmsall, England

Football club
Frickley Athletic F.C.
Full nameFrickley Athletic Football Club
Nickname(s)The Blues
Founded1908
GroundWestfield Lane
South Elmsall
Capacity2,087 (490 seated)
ChairmanRichard Norman
ManagerPatrick McGuire
LeagueNorthern Counties East League Premier Division
2022–23Northern Counties East League Premier Division, 17th of 20
WebsiteClub website
Home colours
Away colours

Frickley Athletic Football Club is a football club based in South Elmsall, West Yorkshire, England. They are members of the Northern Counties East League Premier Division and play at Westfield Lane.

History

The club was formed on 6 August 1908, and became a member of the South Yorkshire League. The football team was only one arm of the Frickley Athletic Club, which had been formed to give miners at the Frickley Colliery a recreational outlet. In a 1908 Yorkshire Telegraph and Star newspaper article the club was referred to as Frickley Colliery Athletic, but as the years went by the Athletic suffix was used less often.

In 1910, after joining the Sheffield Association League, they entered the FA Cup for the first time, their first game ending in a 0–3 defeat to Rotherham based Atlas Hotel.[1] Frickley returned to the South Yorkshire League for the duration of the First World War, but rejoined the Association League in 1919, and in 1921 they were crowned league champions, pipping Eckington Works to the title. Although they lost the title to Gainsborough Trinity reserves a year later, they did reach the 4th Qualifying Round of the FA Cup for the first time, and in the summer of 1922 they were accepted as new members of the Yorkshire League.

Colliery soon established themselves as one of the league's top sides, finishing in third place in their inaugural campaign in the competition, and going one step further to finish as runners-up a year later. In 1924 they applied to become members of the Midland League, and they were gladly admitted by a competition that had lost a lot of its members the previous year.

The club found the going tough in the Midland League, and for many years struggled against finishing in the lower reaches of the competition – in 1931 they conceded 137 goals and unsurprisingly finished bottom of the league.[2] By 1933, gate receipts had dwindled and they withdrew from league football for a year. They returned in 1934, but were still often found propping up the league table. In 1936–37 they again finished bottom of the pile, but the season had provided a highlight when Frickley reached the 1st round proper of the FA Cup for the first time ever – although they lost 0–2 to Football League side Southport at Westfield Lane, a bumper crowd gave the club coffers a much needed boost.

Frickley returned to play in the Sheffield Association League for the duration of the Second World War, but rejoined the Midland League in 1945. Their second appearance in the FA Cup proper came in the 1957–58 season, when they were knocked out by South Shields away from home.

In 1960 the Midland League disbanded, and Frickley, having finished bottom of the table, opted to join the Cheshire League, a competition they remained in for the duration of the 1960s, despite the Midland League having been restarted only a year after folding. Colliery were far more competitive in the Cheshire League, although they never troubled the top places in the division. In 1963 they beat Macclesfield Town away in the Fourth Qualifying Round of the FA Cup to set up a mouth-watering First round tie at Meadow Lane against Notts County, the Third Division only just progressing after beating Frickley 2–1. In 1969 the club entered the FA Trophy for the first time.

In 1970 Colliery returned to the Midland League, which had lost a lot of its members to the recently formed Northern Premier League. Frickley soon became one of the more accomplished sides in the league, with third and second-placed finishes (in 1971 and 1973 respectively) sandwiching another trip to the first round of the FA Cup. Rotherham United journeyed to Westfield Lane and had to settle for a 2–2 draw in a thrilling encounter before seeing off the non-league side in the replay at Millmoor. Two years later the Blues faced another Yorkshire derby in the FA Cup proper, but the encounter was less memorable for Frickley, who were trounced 1–6 at The Shay.

In 1976, two years after changing their name to Frickley Athletic, the club was admitted to the Northern Premier League. At first they became whipping boys, finishing fourth bottom in the inaugural campaign, but they soon turned the tide, and in 1980 finished in third place. The club committee decided to apply for membership of the recently founded Alliance Premier League (APL), the highest level below the Football League, and were rewarded with a place in the competition for the 1980–81 season.

Any fears that Frickley would find the APL too tough were soon allayed, and the club was to embark on a golden era. The club reached the FA Cup proper in four successive years from 1983, reaching the second round in 1984 (losing to Darlington at Feethams) and going one better a year later. After beating Hartlepool United away in the second round (their first ever win over Football League opposition), Frickley got the home draw they wanted in the third round, with local rivals Rotherham United the visitors to Westfield Lane. The Millers came away with the spoils, winning 3–1 in front of a ground record crowd of 5,800, but Frickley's season would only get better – they would come within a whisker of taking the APL title, with only Enfield able to finish above them in the league table and take the championship.

The APL was renamed the Football Conference for the following season, and Frickley's golden era had come to an end. They finished second bottom of the division and were relegated back to the Northern Premier League (NPL) Premier Division. They remained in the NPL Premier Division from 1987 until 2017, only once looking like winning promotion again in 2006, when they finished as league runners-up but were beaten in the end of season play-offs. On more than one occasion Frickley have finished in the bottom three but have been reprieved from relegation. In 2016-17 the club was relegated to the NPL Division 1 South. The club finished 2017-18 in third place but were defeated in the playoff semi finals to miss out on an immediate return. Then in 2022, the club was relegated to the ninth tier of English football, the Northern Counties East Football League Premier Division, for the first time in the club's history.

Frickley's last appearance in the FA Cup proper was in 2000, when they were beaten 4–0 by Northampton Town at Sixfields Stadium.

Season-by-season record

Season Division Level Position FA Cup FA Trophy FA Vase Notes
1908–09 South Yorkshire League 9th/11
1909–10 South Yorkshire League 4th/5
1910–11 Sheffield Association League 6th/14 EPR
1911–12 Sheffield Association League 2nd/16
1912–13 Sheffield Association League 11th/15 PR
1913–14 Sheffield Association League 16th/16 1QR
1914–15 Sheffield Association League 1QR
1915–16 South Yorkshire League
1916–17 South Yorkshire League
1917–18 South Yorkshire League
1918–19 South Yorkshire League
1919–20 Sheffield Association League 2QR
1920–21 Sheffield Association League 1st/17 PR League champions
1921–22 Sheffield Association League 4QR
1922–23 Yorkshire League 3rd/16 2QR
1923–24 Yorkshire League 2nd/18 3QR
1924–25 Midland League 13th/15 1QR
1925–26 Midland League 20th/21 1QR
1926–27 Midland League 12th/20 2QR
1927–28 Midland League 18th/23 3QR
1928–29 Midland League 14th/26 1QR
1929–30 Midland League 19th/26 PR
1930–31 Midland League 24th/24 1QR
1931–32 Midland League 23rd/24 2QR
1932–33 Midland League 14th/23 2QR
1933–34 No league entered 1QR
1934–35 Midland League 19th/20 1QR
1935–36 Midland League 19th/20 1QR
1936–37 Midland League 22nd/22 1R
1937–38 Midland League 10th/22 2QR
1938–39 Midland League 17th/22 4QR
1939–40 Club did not enter any competitions due to World War II
1940–41 Sheffield Association League
1941–42 Sheffield Association League
1942–43 Sheffield Association League
1943–44 Sheffield Association League
1944–45 Sheffield Association League
1945–46 Midland League 7th/19 3QR
1946–47 Midland League 22nd/22 2QR
1947–48 Midland League 20th/22 1QR
1948–49 Midland League 22nd/22 3QR
1949–50 Midland League 18th/24 1QR
1950–51 Midland League 13th/22 1QR
1951–52 Midland League 13th/22 4QR
1952–53 Midland League 21st/24 4QR
1953–54 Midland League 18th/24 4QR
1954–55 Midland League 23rd/24 1QR
1955–56 Midland League 21st/24 3QR
1956–57 Midland League 12th/24 4QR
1957–58 Midland League 10th/24 1R
1958–59 Midland League 10th/19 1QR
1959–60 Midland League 17th/17 2QR
1960–61 Cheshire League 3rd/22 4QR
1961–62 Cheshire League 21st/22 1QR
1962–63 Cheshire League 11th/22 2QR
1963–64 Cheshire League 11th/22 1R
1964–65 Cheshire League 7th/22 3QR
1965–66 Cheshire League 14th/22 2QR
1966–67 Cheshire League 8th/22 1QR
1967–68 Cheshire League 19th/22 2QR
1968–69 Cheshire League 11th/20 3QR
1969–70 Cheshire League 14th/20 3QR 1QR
1970–71 Midland League 3rd/18 4QR 3QR
1971–72 Midland League 9th/18 1R 1QR
1972–73 Midland League 2nd/18 PR 1QR
1973–74 Midland League 5th/17 1R 3QR
1974–75 Midland League 7th/18 1QR PR
1975–76 Midland League Premier Division 8th/18 3QR PR
1976–77 Northern Premier League 20th/23 1QR 1R
1977–78 Northern Premier League 12th/24 2QR 2R
1978–79 Northern Premier League 19th/23 1QR 3QR
1979–80 Northern Premier League 3rd/22 2QR 3QR Promoted
1980–81 Alliance Premier League 10th/20 1QR 3QR
1981–82 Alliance Premier League 15th/22 3QR 1R
1982–83 Alliance Premier League 16th/22 3QR 3QR
1983–84 Alliance Premier League 12th/22 1R 3R
1984–85 Alliance Premier League 11th/22 2R QF
1985–86 Alliance Premier League 2nd/22 3R 2R
1986–87 Football Conference 21st/22 1R 1R Relegated
1987–88 Northern Premier League Premier Division 10th/22 4QR 1R
1988–89 Northern Premier League Premier Division 9th/22 1R 2R
1989–90 Northern Premier League Premier Division 13th/22 2QR 3QR
1990–91 Northern Premier League Premier Division 10th/21 4QR 2R
1991–92 Northern Premier League Premier Division 14th/22 3QR 1R
1992–93 Northern Premier League Premier Division 7th/22 3QR 1R
1993–94 Northern Premier League Premier Division 5th/22 1QR 1R
1994–95 Northern Premier League Premier Division 19th/22 3QR 3QR
1995–96 Northern Premier League Premier Division 19th/22 2QR 2QR
1996–97 Northern Premier League Premier Division 18th/23 3QR 3QR
1997–98 Northern Premier League Premier Division 16th/22 1QR 1QR
1998–99 Northern Premier League Premier Division 16th/22 4QR 3R
1999–00 Northern Premier League Premier Division 16th/23 2QR 3R
2000–01 Northern Premier League Premier Division 20th/23 1R 1R
2001–02 Northern Premier League Premier Division 13th/23 2QR 2R
2002–03 Northern Premier League Premier Division 20th/23 2QR 2R
2003–04 Northern Premier League Premier Division 22nd/23 2QR 2R
2004–05 Northern Premier League Premier Division 7 18th/22 2QR 1R
2005–06 Northern Premier League Premier Division 7 2nd/22 2QR 1QR
2006–07 Northern Premier League Premier Division 7 16th/22 2QR 1QR
2007–08 Northern Premier League Premier Division 7 14th/21 1QR 2QR
2008–09 Northern Premier League Premier Division 7 11th/22 3QR 1QR
2009–10 Northern Premier League Premier Division 7 15th/20 3QR 2QR
2010–11 Northern Premier League Premier Division 7 18th/22 3QR 1QR
2011–12 Northern Premier League Premier Division 7 19th/22 3QR 1QR
2012–13 Northern Premier League Premier Division 7 18th/22 3QR 1QR
2013–14 Northern Premier League Premier Division 7 21st/24 2QR 1QR
2014–15 Northern Premier League Premier Division 7 19th/24 1QR 1QR
2015–16 Northern Premier League Premier Division 7 7th/24 2QR 1QR
2016–17 Northern Premier League Premier Division 7 22nd/24 1QR 1QR Relegated
2017–18 Northern Premier League Division One South 8 3rd/22 1QR 1QR
2018–19 Northern Premier League Division One East 8 12th/20 2QR 1QR
2019–20 Northern Premier League Division One South East 8 PR EPR League season abandoned due to COVID-19 pandemic
2020–21 Northern Premier League Division One South East 8 1QR 3QR League season abandoned due to COVID-19 pandemic
2021–22 Northern Premier League Division One South East 8 18th/19 PR 3QR Relegated
2022–23 Northern Counties East League Premier Division 9 17th/20 EPR 1R
2023–24 Northern Counties East League Premier Division 9 TBD TBD TBD
Season Division Level Position FA Cup FA Trophy FA Vase Notes

Ground

Since 1910 Frickley have played home games at Westfield Lane. The ground was initially used for athletics as early as 1904, with the main stand being approved for construction in 1927 and opened in 1928, with the help of the miners welfare fund. While the colliery was still operating the stadium sat at the foot of a tall spoil tip, which has since been largely lowered in height and landscaped as part of Frickley Country Park.

Honours

Records

See also

  • Frickley Athletic F.C. players

References

  1. ^ Brown, Tony (2006). The FA Challenge Cup : Complete Results. soccerdata.
  2. ^ "England - Midland League".

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Frickley Athletic F.C..
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