Hereford Thistle F.C.
| Full name | Hereford Thistle Football Club | |
|---|---|---|
| Nickname | the Thistle | |
| Founded | 1885 | |
| Dissolved | 1899 | |
| Ground | Barrack Ground | |
|
| ||
Hereford Thistle Football Club was a football club based in Hereford, England.
History
Founded in 1885,[1] the club joined the Western League for the 1894–95 season[2] (winning the division title) and moved to the Birmingham & District League the following year, winning the title in the 1896–97 season.[3]
The club beat Hereford 3–0 in the Herefordshire Senior Cup final in 1894–95,[4] and the same clubs reached the final in 1895–96 and 1896–97, the Thistle winning every time.[5] The last fixture led to a dispute over the date, as the final was due to be held in March, but Hereford arranged a Birmingham league match for the final date, to which Thistle objected, having kept the date free.[6]
The club disbanded after the 1898–99 season, the pressure of competing with reserve sides of professional clubs in the Birmingham & District League proving too much, and players generally joining Hereford F.C. as a result;[7] the club had not been helped by the Mayor of Hereford vetoing a lottery through which the club was trying to raise funds.[8] In May 1899, one of the Thistle's now-former players, George Harper, rescued two boys from drowning in a marl pit in Garrison Lane, Birmingham, for which he was awarded a medal by the Royal Humane Society.[9]
Colours
In 1894 the club adopted new colours of chocolate shirts with blue pockets.[10]
Ground
The club played at the Barrack Ground off Harold Street,[11][12] using the Grapes Hotel as its correspondence address and for facilities.[13]
League records
| Season | League | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pts | Pos |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1894–95 | Western Football League Division One | 22 | 18 | 3 | 1 | 93 | 21 | 39 | 1/12 |
| 1895–96 | Birmingham and District Football League | 30 | 15 | 3 | 12 | 61 | 62 | 33 | 7/16 |
| 1896–97 | Birmingham and District Football League | 30 | 23 | 3 | 4 | 82 | 25 | 49 | 1/16 |
| 1897–98 | Birmingham and District Football League | 30 | 11 | 5 | 14 | 55 | 62 | 27 | 8/16 |
| 1898–99 | Birmingham and District Football League | 34 | 10 | 5 | 19 | 49 | 94 | 25 | 16/18 |
Former players
1. Players that have played/managed in the Football League or any foreign equivalent to this level (i.e. fully professional league).
2. Players with full international caps.
3. Players that hold a club record or have captained the club.
Harry Crump- Jack Sharp, who played for the club in its Western League title season[14]
- Bert Sharp, who had started with the club as a boy, and who moved to Aston Villa in 1897[15]
- Billy Ollis
- George Harper
References
- ↑ "Rare memorabilia of Hereford Thistle FC put up for sale". Hereford Times. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
- ↑ "Association football in the Bristol district". Western Daily Press: 6. 1 May 1894.
- ↑ "Football Club History Database – Hereford Thistle". fchd.info. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
- ↑ "Herefordshire Senior Cup - Final". Birmingham Gazette: 6. 26 April 1895.
- ↑ "The Hereford club". Hereford Times: 17. 15 May 1897.
- ↑ "The date of the Hereford Senior Cup". Hereford Times: 3. 27 March 1897.
- ↑ "Hereford Thistle Football Club". Hereford Times: 2. 27 May 1899.
- ↑ "The Football Association Council". Nottinghamshire Guardian: 3. 3 June 1899.
- ↑ "An old Thistle player's bravery". Hereford Times: 3. 23 September 1899.
- ↑ "Bristol & District League". Bristol Times: 8. 21 December 1894.
- ↑ "Football gossip". Hereford Journal: 7. 14 October 1893.
- ↑ "Hereford Thistle v Wellington Town". Hereford Times: 3. 1 April 1899.
- ↑ "Hereford Thistle F.C.". Athletic News: 7. 27 July 1896.
- ↑ "Athletic notes". Bristol Times and Mirror: 6. 12 June 1899.
- ↑ "Football notes". Sports Argus: 1. 4 September 1897.