135 years ago today.....

[Alan Whittle]

Out of curiosity anyone know why the following clubs were not included in the first ever football league?

Crystal Palace, Reading, Nottingham Forest, Sheffield Wednesday, Birmingham, Middlesborough, Port Vale, Crewe, Ipswich, Man Utd, Grimsby, Doncaster, Fulham, Sunderland, Swindon, Man City, Leyton Orient, Watford, Tottenham, QPR, Bristol Rovers, Coventry, Stockport, Leicester, Tranmere, Lincoln, Luton, Millwall, Southampton. arsenal, Plymouth, Shrewsbury, Blackpool, Barnsley, Cheltenham, Wycombe, Walsall

All these clubs were supposedly formed before the league started in 1888.

I assume it’s to do with the fact some of them had not yet turned professional and due to proximity as all the original member clubs are from the midlands and the north of England

The original Crystal Palace FC., formed by workers after the site of the original Great Exhibition moved to South London from Hyde Park, went out of business and a new club created in 1905.
There are some links from the new club back to the original club of 1861 and the club are now claiming they are strong enough to use as the current clubs formation date. Until recently we all just accepted 1905.

 

[Baines' left foot]

THE ORIGINALS

 

[FrenchDarrenBent]

Everton played at Anfield the first four years.

 

[Littlesue]

Based on kits, this time I am going for Derby.

Plus having opposable thumbs will make me like a god there.

See half kept same colours half didn't

 

[summerisle]

View attachment 208780

Second lowest number of goals scored - Calvert Lewin out injured ?

 

[matty1878]

we’re still poo

 

[davek]

There is some mystery also, around why we were admitted to the League over Bootle FC.

Not that I’m complaining obviously. I wonder would @davek know? He is quite good at the history aspect.

Liverpool Caledonian, a defunct club in Wavertree, is also an excellent rabbit hole to delve.

Bootle had as great a claim to a league place as Everton. But even then money talked. Eveton at Anfield had a facilty already attarcting international matches and was considered one of the best stadiums in England even in the 1880s. Everton were, in fact, left off the original provisional list for the founder members but they petitioned William McGregor the Villa man who thought up the concept of a league and courted his favour, lobbying hard behind the scenes. Bootle with their Hawthorne Road ground and it's circa 5,000-8,000 capacity - a cricket ground as much as a football ground - stood little chance against Everton with a 20,000 capacity purpose built football stadium.

Liverpool Caledonians were an attempt to galvanise the Scots emigres in Liverpool - especially the working class Scots around the railyards of the north end and south end - to come together and support 'their' team. Their stadium off Smithdown Road held only 2,000-3,000 and though becoming a Ltd Liability Co. they only lasted 2 years between 1892-1894. The ethnic appeal for football support in Liverpool never took a hold as it did in Scotland and Ireland.

 

[degsy]

...The ethnic appeal for football support in Liverpool never took a hold as it did in Scotland and Ireland.

For which we should be eternally grateful, despite the 'Everton are the Catholic Club of Merseyside' myth that some of the uninformed pop up with on a regular basis.