Stalybridge Celtic
Formed 1909
Founder member of Division Three (North) 1921. Resigned 1923
Kit History
1921-1923 a
Background
Although a team by the name
of "Celtic" played in the Cheshire Town as early as 1906, the
modern club was formed three years later by Herbert Rhodes, a local business
man and philanthropist. He poured much of his personal fortune into developing
Celtic's ground, Bower Fold and played in the team.
After two seasons in the Lancashire & Cheshire Amateur league, Celtic turned professional and joined the Lancashire Combination. Later the club graduated to the Central League. After an obscure bureaucratic blunder, Celtic played for a while in the Southern League but after World War One, the club rejoined the Central League. In 1921 Celtic were voted into the new Third Division (North) as founder members.
Despite respectable finishes in 7th and 11th place, Celtic could not muster sufficient support locally and were unable to meet the costs of continuing in the Football League. They resigned at the end of the 1922-23 season and joined the Cheshire County League, replacing their own reserve side. The club continued to play at this level for sixty years before joining the Bass North West Counties League in the early 1980s and later on the Northern Premier League. By 1990 work was completed to bring Bower Fold up to League standard and in the 1990s the club appeared briefly in the Conference.
Sources
- (a) Club Colours (Bob Bickerton)
- (b) Athletic News (19 February 1923) submitted by Kingsley (Wrexham FC)