1921–22 Nelson F.C. season

The 1921–22 season was the 41st season of football played by Nelson. It was their first season as a professional club, and their first in the Football League Third Division North, after the restructuring of the English league system. The side ended the season in 16th place in the division, finishing behind Barrow on goal average.[1] The campaign started on 27 August 1921 with a 1–2 defeat by Wigan Borough, which was attended by a then record crowd of 9,000 at Seedhill.[2] Nelson's first win in the Football League came on 3 September 1921, when they beat Wigan Borough 4–1 at Springfield Park. The season ended with a 0–0 draw at home to Tranmere Rovers on 6 May 1922. By the end of the campaign, the side had a league record of 13 wins, seven draws and 18 defeats, giving them a total of 33 points.[1]

Nelson F.C.
1921–22 season
ManagerDavid Wilson (player-manager)
Football League Third Division North16th (W:13 D:7 L:18 Pts:33)
FA CupSixth Qualifying Round
Highest home attendance9,000 (vs Wigan Borough, 27 August 1921)
← 1920–21

In the FA Cup, the side entered the competition in the Fourth Qualifying Round. They defeated Accrington Stanley and then won their Fifth Qualifying Round match 3–2 at home to Rochdale. However, they did not progress past the Sixth Qualifying Round, when they were knocked out by Worksop Town.[3]

Season review edit

Events edit

  • 27 August: Billy Halligan scores Nelson's first-ever goal in the Football League, two minutes into the first game of the season against Wigan Borough.
  • 3 September: Nelson get their first win in the Football League, defeating Wigan Borough 4–1 at Springfield Park.
  • 8 October: Nelson's six-match unbeaten run in the league comes to an end following a 1–4 defeat away at Accrington Stanley.
  • 19 November: Nelson progress through to the Fifth Qualifying Round of the FA Cup with a 1–0 win over Accrington Stanley.
  • 3 December: A 3–2 victory over Rochdale sees Nelson through to the Sixth Qualifying Round of the FA Cup.
  • 17 December: Nelson are knocked out of the FA Cup, losing 1–2 away at Worksop Town.
  • 2 January: The side achieve their biggest win of the campaign, a 4–0 victory against Wrexham at Seedhill.
  • 28 January: Hartlepools United inflict Nelson's heaviest defeat of the season, a 6–1 drubbing at Victoria Park.
  • 6 May: Nelson draw their final league game of the season, a 0–0 draw at home to Tranmere Rovers.

League progress edit

The chart below shows Nelson's league positions throughout the course of the 1921–22 season. The green area (position 1) represents the automatic promotion place to the Football League Second Division, while the red area (positions 19 and 20) shows the teams who had to apply for re-election to the League at the end of the season. The highest position achieved by Nelson during the season was 1st place, after the fourth match. In the middle of the season Nelson slipped down the league table, eventually finishing in 16th position.  

Statistics edit

League position edit

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GAv Pts
14 Lincoln City[a] 38 14 6 18 48 59 0.814 34
15 Barrow[b] 38 14 5 19 42 54 0.778 33
16 Nelson[c] 38 13 7 18 48 66 0.727 33
17 Wigan Borough[b] 38 11 9 18 46 72 0.639 31
18 Tranmere Rovers[c] 38 9 11 18 51 61 0.836 29
Source: rsssf.com
Notes:
  1. ^ Returned after one season absence, spent in the Midland League
  2. ^ a b New club in the league; elected from Lancashire Combination
  3. ^ a b New club in the league; elected from Central League

Player details edit

During the 1921–22 season, 29 different players appeared in at least one competitive match for Nelson. The table below shows the number of appearances and goals scored by each player.

Nat. Position Player Third Division (North) FA Cup Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
  FW Harold Andrews 8 1 0 0 8 1
  MF Richard Baird 2 0 0 0 2 0
  FW John Bennie 12 6 2 0 14 6
  GK Robert Bruce 7 0 3 0 10 0
  GK Harry Clegg 5 0 0 0 5 0
  DF Eddie Eastwood 1 0 0 0 1 0
  FW Joe Eddleston 37 16 3 1 40 17
  MF Thomas Garnett 1 0 0 0 1 0
  FW Billy Halligan 17 6 3 0 20 6
  FW Harry Hargreaves 13 2 0 0 13 2
  DF Ray Hartley 1 0 0 0 1 0
  GK Harry Heyes 26 0 0 0 26 0
  MF Sid Hoad 16 0 0 0 16 0
  DF Thomas Jacques 17 1 3 0 20 1
  DF Bob Lilley 34 0 3 1 37 1
  FW William McGreevy 3 1 0 0 3 1
  FW Cecil Marsh 17 2 2 0 19 2
  FW Harry Mellor 1 0 0 0 1 0
  DF James Price 20 0 0 0 20 0
  MF Wilfred Proctor 14 1 2 0 16 1
  DF Clement Rigg 29 0 3 0 32 0
  DF John Steel 25 0 0 0 25 0
  DF Albert Turner 1 0 0 0 1 0
  FW William Waller 25 7 3 3 28 10
  DF John Walmsley 1 0 0 0 1 0
  DF Bob Wilde 36 0 3 0 39 0
  DF David Wilson 34 3 3 0 37 3
  MF William Wilson 1 0 0 0 1 0
  MF James Wootton 14 1 0 0 14 1

FW = Forward, MF = Midfielder, GK = Goalkeeper, DF = Defender

Match results edit

Football League Third Division North edit

27 August 1921 1 Nelson 1–2 Wigan Borough Nelson
Halligan   2' Report Hodges  
Twiss  
Stadium: Seedhill
Attendance: 12,000
Referee: I. Baker
3 September 1921 2 Wigan Borough 1–4 Nelson Wigan
Hornby   Report Jacques  
Hargreaves  
Halligan  
Marsh  
Stadium: Springfield Park
Attendance: 8,000
Referee: I. Baker
10 September 1921 3 Lincoln City 0–2 Nelson Lincoln
Report Halligan   30'
Hargreaves   39'
Stadium: Sincil Bank
Attendance: 6,000
Referee: A. Scholey
12 September 1921 4 Nelson 1–0 Stalybridge Celtic Nelson
Proctor   37' Report Stadium: Seedhill
Attendance: 10,000
Referee: J.O. Forshaw
17 September 1921 5 Nelson 0–0 Lincoln City Nelson
Report Stadium: Seedhill
Attendance: 10,000
Referee: A. Scholey
24 September 1921 6 Darlington 0–1 Nelson Darlington
Report Halligan   87' Stadium: Feethams
Attendance: 10,000
Referee: A. Pellowe
1 October 1921 7 Nelson 1–1 Darlington Nelson
Eddleston   Report Hooper   Stadium: Seedhill
Attendance: 10,000
8 October 1921 8 Accrington Stanley 4–1 Nelson Accrington
Green   
Hosker  
Makin  
Report Halligan   Stadium: Peel Park
Attendance: 14,000
Referee: G.N. Watson
15 October 1921 9 Nelson 0–1 Accrington Stanley Nelson
Report Green   (pen.) Stadium: Seedhill
Attendance: 12,000
Referee: G.N. Watson
22 October 1921 10 Chesterfield 1–2 Nelson Chesterfield
Clarke   Report Eddleston    Stadium: Saltergate
Attendance: 6,000
Referee: C.F. Porter
29 October 1921 11 Nelson 2–0 Chesterfield Nelson
Eddleston  
Marsh  
Report Stadium: Seedhill
Attendance: 5,000
Referee: C.F. Porter
5 November 1921 12 Crewe Alexandra 2–1 Nelson Crewe
Caulfield   (pen.)
Winterburn  
Report Eddleston   Stadium: Gresty Road
Attendance: 5,000
Referee: H.V. Stott
12 November 1921 13 Nelson 1–2 Crewe Alexandra Nelson
Chorlton   (o.g.) Report Winterburn  
Hassall  
Stadium: Seedhill
Attendance: 8,000
Referee: H.V. Stott
26 November 1921 14 Wrexham 4–2 Nelson Wrexham
Jones  
Goode  
Burton  
Cotton  
Report Bennie  
Waller  
Stadium: Racecourse Ground
Attendance: 6,000
Referee: A. Scholey
24 December 1921 15 Barrow 0–2 Nelson Barrow-in-Furness
Report Eddleston  
Bennie  
Stadium: Holker Street
Attendance: 5,000
Referee: S. Rothwell
26 December 1921 16 Nelson 3–5 Durham City Nelson
Bennie  
Andrews  
Waller  
Report Cousins   
Dobinson  
Young   
Stadium: Seedhill
Attendance: 8,000
Referee: E. Farrar
27 December 1921 17 Stalybridge Celtic 2–0 Nelson Stalybridge
Petrie  
Gee  
Report Stadium: Bower Fold
Attendance: 6,000
Referee: J.O. Forshaw
31 December 1921 18 Ashington 4–0 Nelson Ashington
Robertson  
Galloway  
Dargue   
Report Stadium: Portland Park
Attendance: 5,000
Referee: F. Leigh
2 January 1922 19 Nelson 4–0 Wrexham Nelson
Bennie   
Waller  
Eddleston  
Report Stadium: Seedhill
Attendance: 4,000
Referee: J. Rennie
14 January 1922 20 Nelson 0–2 Ashington Nelson
Report Featherstone   (pen.)
Dargue  
Stadium: Seedhill
Attendance: 3,000
Referee: F. Leigh
21 January 1922 21 Nelson 0–4 Hartlepools United Nelson
Report Parkinson  
Burn  
Crowther  
Yews  
Stadium: Seedhill
Attendance: 4,000
Referee: A. Ward
28 January 1922 22 Hartlepools United 6–1 Nelson Hartlepool
Parkinson   
Robertson   
Thomas  
Crowther  
Report Eddleston   Stadium: Victoria Park
Attendance: 7,000
Referee: A.Ward
4 February 1922 23 Nelson 3–2 Southport Nelson
Wilson   (pen.)
Bennie  
Eddleston  
Report Rawlins  
Little  
Stadium: Seedhill
Attendance: 4,000
Referee: W.F. Bunnell
11 February 1922 24 Southport 0–1 Nelson Southport
Report Eddleston   Stadium: Haig Avenue
Attendance: 4,000
Referee: W.F. Bunnell
18 February 1922 25 Nelson 2–2 Stockport County Nelson
Hallingan  
Waller  
Report Heath  
Gault  
Stadium: Seedhill
Attendance: 8,000
Referee: J.O. Forshaw
25 February 1922 26 Stockport County 3–0 Nelson Stockport
Gault  
Heath   (pen.)
Waterall  
Report Stadium: Edgeley Park
Attendance: 10,000
Referee: J.O. Forshaw
4 March 1922 27 Nelson 3–0 Grimsby Town Nelson
Eddleston  
Waller   
Report Stadium: Seedhill
Attendance: 7,000
Referee: H. Cooper
11 March 1922 28 Grimsby Town 3–1 Nelson Cleethorpes
Carmichael    (pen.)
Casson  
Report Eddleston   Stadium: Blundell Park
Attendance: 9,000
Referee: H. Cooper
18 March 1922 29 Walsall 2–0 Nelson Walsall
Reid  
Bowyer  
Report Stadium: Fellows Park
Attendance: 5,500
Referee: J. Holmes
1 April 1922 30 Nelson 0–0 Halifax Town Nelson
Report Stadium: Seedhill
Attendance: 7,000
Referee: G.N. Watson
8 April 1922 31 Halifax Town 3–1 Nelson Halifax
Jamieson   
Dent  
Report Wootton   Stadium: The Shay
Attendance: 2,000
Referee: G.N. Watson
14 April 1922 32 Durham City 2–0 Nelson Durham
Wensley  
Wilson  
Report Stadium: Kepier Haughs
Attendance: 1,000
Referee: E. Farrar
15 April 1922 33 Rochdale 2–2 Nelson Rochdale
Dennison    Report Eddleston  
Wilson  
Stadium: Spotland
Attendance: 3,000
Referee: H.W. Andrews
17 April 1922 34 Nelson 1–1 Barrow Nelson
McGreevy   Report Matthews   Stadium: Seedhill
Attendance: 5,000
Referee: S. Rothwell
22 April 1922 35 Nelson 4–1 Rochdale Nelson
Eddleston    
Wilson  
Report Hill   Stadium: Seedhill
Attendance: 4,000
Referee: H.W. Andrews
25 April 1922 36 Nelson 1–0 Walsall Nelson
Waller   Report Stadium: Seedhill
Attendance: 3,000
Referee: J. Holmes
29 April 1922 37 Tranmere Rovers 4–0 Nelson Birkenhead
Campbell  
Milnes  
Moreton  
Rainford  
Report Stadium: Prenton Park
Attendance: 3,000
Referee: J.E. Telford
6 May 1922 38 Nelson 0–0 Tranmere Rovers Nelson
Report Stadium: Seedhill
Attendance: 4,000
Referee: J.E. Telford

FA Cup edit

19 November 1921 Q4 Accrington Stanley 0–1 Nelson Accrington
Waller   Stadium: Peel Park
Attendance: 10,106
Referee: J.V. Pennington
3 December 1921 Q5 Nelson 3–2 Rochdale Nelson
Eddleston  
Waller  
Lilley   (pen.)
Bennett  
Dennison  
Stadium: Seedhill
Attendance: 6,000
Referee: Unknown
17 December 1921 Q6 Worksop Town 2–1 Nelson Worksop
Charlesworth  
Bretnall  
Waller   Stadium: Central Avenue
Attendance: 5,000
Referee: H. Kirk

References edit

General
  • "Nelson 1921/1922 results and fixtures". Soccerbase. Retrieved 16 December 2009.
Specific
  1. ^ a b Robinson, M, ed. (2006). Football League Tables 1888–2006. Soccer Books. p. 16. ISBN 1-86223-143-5.
  2. ^ "Nelson FC: 1921–1923". Nelson F.C. 8 April 2005. Archived from the original on 7 May 2005. Retrieved 23 November 2009.
  3. ^ Broughton, Gary (29 October 2007). "Blues Complete F.A. Cup History". Nelson FC. Archived from the original on 19 December 2009. Retrieved 11 December 2009.