Accrington F.C.

Accrington Football Club was a football club based in Accrington, Lancashire, England. They were one of the founder members of the Football League.

History


Accrington Football Club was formed following a meeting at a local public house in 1878. The Owd Reds played at Accrington Cricket Club's ground in Thorneyholme Road, which is still in use for that sport today.

The club was part of the revolt against the Football Association in 1884 over professionalism, after being expelled from the FA the previous year for paying a player. They were one of the original twelve clubs that formed the Football League on 17 April 1888. Accrington's best season was in 1889–90, when the club finished sixth in the table. However, in the 1892–93 season they finished fifteenth (of 16) and were relegated after losing a test match 1–0 against Sheffield United at Trent Bridge. Accrington then resigned from the league rather than play in the Second Division, becoming the first of the founding Football League clubs to leave the League permanently (Stoke had failed to be re-elected in 1890, but rejoined the league a year later).

After its first season in the Lancashire League, Accrington unsuccessfully applied for re-election to the Football League. Shortly afterwards, Accrington F.C. suffered financial problems, which eventually led to its demise. The club continued outside the league until 1896, when they finally folded following a 12–0 defeat on 14 January against Darwen in the Lancashire Senior Cup.

Accrington did not have a Football League club again until in 1921–22 the Lancashire Combination league's Accrington Stanley (formerly a local rival), became a member as part of a major expansion of the league.

International players
During its short existence the club had three players selected for the England national team:
 * George Haworth – 5 caps (1887–1890)
 * Joe Lofthouse – 1 cap (1890)
 * Jimmy Whitehead – 1 cap (1893)