Portsmouth Rovers F.C.

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Portsmouth Rovers
Full namePortsmouth Rovers Football Club
Founded1907
Dissolved1928
GroundRattenclough

Portsmouth Rovers F.C. was an English association football club based in the village of Portsmouth, which was then in Lancashire.

History

There are references to a Portsmouth Rovers as early as 1887,[1] although this particular club's first competitive football came in the 1907–08 season.[2] The club gained early notoriety in 1908 when captain Tom Sugden got drunk. broke into a chicken coop, strangled 21 fowl, and was found unconscious at home, with one cooking in a pot; being of good character, he was bound over for 12 months.[3]

The team spent four years in the second division of the Lancashire Combination between 1911 and 1915, but consistently finished near the foot of the table.[4] Portsmouth Rovers also entered the FA Cup, the foremost cup competition in England, on several occasions and reached the first qualifying round twice. For seven consecutive seasons from 1919–20 to 1925–26, they were knocked out in the preliminary round. Portsmouth Rovers participated in the Cup for the final time on 4 September 1926, but lost to Walsden United in the extra preliminary round by a single goal.[5]

The last record of the club is its entry to the Lancashire Junior Cup in the 1928–29 season, but the club had disbanded before its tie with Walsden United could take place.[6]

Several notable footballers began their careers with Portsmouth Rovers; goalkeeper Jerry Dawson went on to become an England international,[7] while local full-back Clem Rigg played over 250 professional matches for Nelson.[8]

Colours

The club wore blue and white striped shirts[9] originally with white shorts,[10] which changed to black in the 1910s, and black and socks.[11]

Ground

The club played at Rattenclough,[12] to the west of the village, either on or close to the cricket ground.

FA Cup results

SeasonRoundOpponentDateH/AResult
1909–10Extra preliminary roundBacup11 September 1909Home0–3
1910–11Preliminary roundBurnley Casuals17 September 1910Away1–1
21 September 1910Home4–0
First qualifying roundBarnoldswick United1 October 1910Away0–3
1911–12Preliminary roundRossendale United16 September 1911Away0–8
1912–13Preliminary roundHaslingden28 September 1912Away1–3
1913–14Preliminary roundTottington27 September 1913Home4–2
First qualifying roundSouthport Central11 October 1913Home1–9
1914–15Preliminary roundBarnoldswick United26 September 1914Away2–4
1919–20Preliminary roundBreightmet United27 September 1919Home0–3
1920–21Preliminary roundLancaster Town25 September 1920Home2–3
1921–22Preliminary roundSkelmersdale United24 September 1921Away0–1
1923–24Preliminary roundMorecambe22 September 1923Away0–3
1924–25Preliminary roundHorwich RMI20 September 1924Away2–4
1925–26Preliminary roundLancaster Town19 September 1925Away0–4
1926–27Extra preliminary roundWalsden United4 September 1926Away0–1

References

  1. "Association". Manchester Evening News: 4. 23 December 1887.
  2. "N.E.L. Football Combination". Ramsbottom Observer: 2. 27 September 1907.
  3. "Remarkable Todmorden case". Manchester Evening News: 4. 22 October 1908.
  4. "Portsmouth Rovers league history". Football Club History Database. Richard Rundle. Retrieved 27 August 2010.
  5. "The FA Cup results archive". The Football Association. Retrieved 27 August 2010.
  6. "Lancashire F.A.'s Jubilee". Bolton News: 6. 14 August 1928.
  7. Scholes, Tony (2 October 2003). "Jerry Dawson". Clarets Mad. Retrieved 27 August 2010.
  8. Dykes, Garth (2009). Nelson FC in the Football League. Nottingham: SoccerData. p. 61. ISBN 978-1-905891-29-0.
  9. "Portsmouth Rovers v Rochdale Reserve". Todmorden Advertiser and Hebden Bridge Newsletter: 6. 20 February 1914.
  10. "Title: Portsmouth Rovers, c1910 - TOD00224". Pennine Horizons Digital Archive. Retrieved 5 January 2025.
  11. "Portsmouth Rovers Football Club". Calderdale Companion. Retrieved 5 January 2025.
  12. "Some narrow escapes". Burnley News: 10. 19 August 1916.