| Full name | Great Bridge Unity Football Club | |
|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | the Unity | |
| Founded | by 1879 | |
| Dissolved | 1896 | |
| Ground | Horseley Heath | |
Great Bridge Unity F.C. was an English association football club from Great Bridge, then in Staffordshire, now in the West Midlands county.
The Unity first entered competitive football in 1883–84, with an entry for the Birmingham Senior Cup and the Walsall Cup. In the former, the club lost to Sutton Coldfield in the first round, after two replays. [1] In the latter, the club beat Aston Victoria in the first round, but lost to West Bromwich All Saints in the second. [2]
The club competed in the FA Cup in the 1887-88 season. In the first round, the Unity was beaten by Stafford Road F.C., but the Football Association ordered a replay as only seven of the Stafford Road players were eligible for the tournament. Rather than replay the tie, the Wolverhampton side scratched, and played a friendly against the Unity on the due date (which ended 1-1). [3]
In the second round, the Unity came from 2–1 down to beat Burton Swifts 5–2 away from home. [4] The Unity beat Birmingham Excelsior away in the third [5] but were finally downed by Bootle in the fourth, amid controversy; the Sporting Life judged Bootle's winner to have been offside, [6] and the Unity made protests against the eligibility of six Bootle players. By the time the appeal had been heard, Bootle had been knocked out by the Old Carthusians, and the FA had little appetite for finding in the Unity's favour in such circumstances. [7]
In 1889-90 the club was one of the founders of the Birmingham and District League; it later dropped out but resumed membership of the league for the season of 1891–92, but did not complete the season. [8]
The final reported matches for the club are in the 1895–96 season, in the West Midland League for amateur and reserve clubs. [9]
The club wore white shirts, [10] although it formally described its colours as black and white. [11]
FA Cup
Dudley Charity Cup
There were various attempts to start a new Great Bridge Unity club, the only one with any longevity being a 1910s incarnation which played in the very low-ranking Hill Top League in Birmingham. [14]
Birmingham St. George's F.C. was a football club based in Smethwick, England. The club started as St George's FC in Aston, before moving to the Cape Hill brewery in 1886 under the name Mitchell St George's.
Long Eaton Rangers Football Club was a football club based in Long Eaton, Derbyshire, England, which, for a brief period in the 1880s, had a legitimate claim to being one of the best teams in the country. They were founding members of the second ever league, The Combination, in 1888, and when that folded, the Football Alliance in 1889.
The 1880s was a decade that saw Aston Villa F.C. go from a small club to one that could challenge most teams in the country at the time. It also saw their most significant contribution to the game across the globe, with William McGregor creating the world's first Football League.
Wednesbury Town F.C. was the name used for three football clubs based in Wednesbury, West Midlands, England.
Great Lever Football Club were an English football club founded in 1877, from, Great Lever, near Farnworth in Lancashire, within the town of Bolton, England. The club was briefly one of the best sides in England.
Stafford Road F.C. was an English association football club founded in 1874, which now defunct. The club was connected to the Stafford Road railway works in Wolverhampton, then-Staffordshire.
The 1885–86 season was the eighth season in the history of West Bromwich Albion Football Club. In what was their inaugural season as a professional club, Albion moved to the Stoney Lane ground after leaving their previous home at Four Acres. The team also changed the colour of its kit, wearing blue and white striped jerseys for the first time. As league football had not been introduced in England at the time, the team competed solely in cup competitions and friendly matches throughout the season, playing 52 matches in total.
The 1883–84 season was the sixth season in the history of West Bromwich Albion Football Club. Albion played their home matches at the Four Acres during the season, and the team wore a chocolate and white coloured kit. The club competed in the FA Cup for the first time, losing in the first round. They did reach the final of the Staffordshire Senior Cup, but were defeated by St George's in the final. Albion also participated in the Birmingham Senior Cup, Birmingham Charity Cup and Wednesbury Charity Cup, but were eliminated at the semi-final stage of all three competitions.
The 1884–1885 season was 7th season of West Bromwich Albion Football Club. It was their third and final season at the Four Acres and their last season as an amateur club. Continuing the trial of various coloured kits during the club's early years, the players wore cardinal red and blue halved shirts. The club reached the FA Cup quarter-final for the first time, played in the semi-finals of the Staffordshire Senior Cup and Birmingham Charity Cup and were eliminated from the Birmingham Senior Cup at the third round stage.
The 1886–87 season was the ninth season in the history of West Bromwich Albion Football Club. The club reached the FA Cup final for the second successive season, but again finished as runners-up, losing 0–2 to local rivals Aston Villa. Albion also reached the final of two regional cup competitions, winning the Staffordshire Senior Cup and finishing as runners-up in the Birmingham Senior Cup. In addition, they took part in the Walsall Senior Cup and Birmingham Charity Cup, as well as playing a number of friendly matches.
Birmingham Excelsior Football Club was an English football club with a claimed foundation date of 1874.
The 1891–92 season was the 11th season of competitive association football played by Small Heath Football Club, an English football club based in the Small Heath district of Birmingham, and their third season in the Football Alliance. At the end of the season, in which Small Heath finished in third position, most of the teams were absorbed into the newly formed Second Division of the Football League, and the Alliance folded for lack of membership.
The 1887–88 season was the 10th season in the history of West Bromwich Albion Football Club. The club reached the FA Cup final for the third successive season and won the competition for the first time, beating Preston North End 2–1. Albion also competed in four local cup competitions, winning the Walsall Senior Cup and West Bromwich Charity Cup and finishing as runners-up in the Birmingham Senior Cup and Staffordshire Senior Cup. Due to a congested fixture list, the club refused to take part in the Birmingham Charity Cup.
Warwick County F.C. was the association football division of Warwickshire County Cricket Club.
The 1890–91 season was the tenth season of competitive association football played by Small Heath Football Club, an English football club based in the Small Heath district of Birmingham, and their second season in the Football Alliance. They finished in tenth position in the twelve-team league for the second consecutive year. Seven wins, two draws and thirteen defeats gave them sixteen points, one point fewer than in 1889–90. The team scored 58 goals in Alliance competition, but conceded 66, at an average of three goals per match.
The 1889–90 season was the ninth season of competitive association football played by Small Heath F.C., an English football club based in the Small Heath district of Birmingham. They competed in the inaugural season of the Football Alliance. They finished in tenth position in the twelve-team league with six wins, five draws and eleven defeats, which gave them seventeen points. The team scored 44 goals in Alliance competition but conceded 67.
Aston Unity Football Club was an association football club from Aston, now in Birmingham. The club was one of the first clubs in Birmingham and entered the FA Cup a number of times in the 1880s.
Wellington St George's F.C. was an English association football club from near Telford in Shropshire.
Crosswells Brewery was a brewery in Oldbury, then in Worcestershire, operational from the mid-19th century until 1914.
Aston Shakespeare Football Club was an English football club from Aston, then in Staffordshire, England.
  | This article about a defunct English football club is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
