Staple Hill F.C.

Staple Hill
Full nameStaple Hill Football Club
Foundedprior to 1893
Dissolved2004
1908–09Western League Division Two, 5/12

Staple Hill F.C. was an English football club based in Staple Hill, Bristol. The club joined the Bristol & District League in 1893–94, that league's second season, before it was renamed the Western League in 1895. Joint runners-up in Division One in 1895–96, Staple Hill were placed in Division Two of the league after a new professional section was formed in 1897. They won this division twice, in 1898–99 and 1906–07, and were runners-up on two other occasions, but were never promoted.[1]

They were regular entrants in the FA Cup, and reached the first round proper in 1905–06 when they travelled to Manchester United's Bank Street ground, where they lost 7–2 in front of 7,560 spectators.[2]

After finishing as champions the previous season, Staple Hill finished bottom of the Western League Division Two in 1907–08, and dropped out of the league at the end of the following season.[1] The club continued competing in local football until it was disbanded in 2004.[3] A more recent club, Staple Hill Orient, competed in the Bristol and District Football League until 2016.

League history

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Staple Hill's 16 seasons of Western League football are listed below.[1]

Season Division Position W D L F A Pts
Bristol & District League
1893–94 Bristol & District League, Division One 7 of 10 5 5 8 23 33 15
1894–95 Bristol & District League, Division One 4 of 12 11 4 7 56 38 26
League renamed to Western League
1895–96 Western League, Division One 2= of 11 13 3 4 38 19 29
1896–97 Western League, Division One 8 of 9 5 0 11 18 39 10
1897–98 Western League, Division One Amateur 2 of 9 11 1 4 38 15 23
1898–99 Western League, Division Two 1 of 8 11 1 2 55 15 23
1899–1900 Western League, Division Two 2 of 5 4 4 0 22 3 12
1900–01 Western League, Division Two 3 of 7 6 1 3 34 17 13
1901–02 Western League, Division Two 4 of 9 9 3 4 30 24 21
1902–03 Western League, Division Two 5 of 8 5 3 6 27 20 13
1903–04 Western League, Division Two 2 of 10 13 1 4 53 19 27
1904–05 Western League, Division Two 4 of 9 7 3 6 27 23 17
1905–06 Western League, Division Two 6 of 10 8 1 9 32 38 17
1906–07 Western League, Division Two 1 of 10 12 2 4 44 28 26
1907–08 Western League, Division Two 9 of 9 3 0 13 18 40 6
1908–09 Western League, Division Two 5 of 12 9 4 9 41 60 22

Reserves

[edit]

For three seasons, Staple Hill entered a reserve team in Division Two of the Western League:

Season Division Position W D L F A Pts
Bristol & District League
1894–95 Bristol & District League, Division Two 10 of 11 4 1 15 32 79 9
League renamed to Western League
1895–96 Western League, Division Two 7 of 10 7 2 9 34 58 16
1896–97 Western League, Division Two 7 of 7 1 1 10 8 34 3

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c Robinson, Michael (ed.), Non-League Football Tables 1889–2006, Soccer Books, 2006
  2. ^ "Manchester United vs Staple Hill – 13 Jan 1906". aboutmanutd.com. Retrieved 29 September 2011.
  3. ^ "Staple Hill football club reunited". Downend Voice. 23 June 2015.