Elections to the Football League

[Jorge Porbillas]

Back on the old board we had a thread about elections to the football league.
Someone had a book about the who, when and where of each season's election and re-election.

Who had the book and can they check something for me please?

[Gangster Octopus]

Elections to the Football League

I have. But I'm working today, so I've not got it with me. Sorry.

[Jorge Porbillas]

Elections to the Football League

That's ok, it's not urgent GO. Would you mind checking out Llanelli (possibly spelt Llanelly) in the 1950s please?

Apparently they made a few election attempts, around the time they signed Jock Stein in 1950/51.

Thanks in advance.

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

Elections to the Football League

The old re-election process relied on 1950s Club Chairmen being able to fill in the forms correctly.

It was a lot easier to spell "Bury" and "Hull" than "Llanelli". Or indeed "Cambrige. Camebridje. Came- oh, bugger, Bury."

[Gangster Octopus]

Elections to the Football League

Football League Division Three Southern Section Elections

1922
36 - Southend United (stayed in)
32 - Exeter City (stayed in)
21 - Pontypridd (failed)
1 - Bath City (failed)
0 - Llanelly (failed)

1923
45 - Aberdare Athletic (stayed in)
45 - Newport County (stayed in)
28 - Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic (joined)
9 - Llanelly (failed)
8 - Pontypridd (failed)
0 - Torquay United (failed)

1929
42 - Exeter City (stayed in)
35 - Gillingham (stayed in)
6 - Argonauts (failed)
5 - Aldershot (failed)
1 - Kettering Town (failed)
1 - Thames Association (failed)
0 - Llanelly (failed)

1930
33 - Gillingham (stayed in)
20 - Thames Association (joined)
19 - Aldershot (failed)
14 - Merthyr Town (expelled)
4 - Llanelly (failed)
0 - Argonauts (failed)

1931
38 - Norwich City (stayed in)
25 - Mansfield Town (joined)
19 - Newport County (expelled)
14 - Aldershot (failed)
2 - Merthyr Town (failed)
0 - Llanelly (failed)

1932
41 - Gillingham (stayed in)
36 - Newport County (joined)
35 - Aldershot (joined)
25 - Llanelly (failed)
8 - Guildford City (failed)
2 - Merthyr Town (failed)

1933
45 - Swindon Town (stayed in)
26 - Newport County (stayed in)
20 - Llanelly (failed)
5 - Folkstone (failed)
1 - Merthyr Town (failed)
1 - Nuneaton (failed)

1947 - no vote taken
Norwich City (stayed in)
Mansfield Town (stayed in)
Barry Town (failed)
Bath City (failed)
Chelmsford City (failed)
Colchester United (failed)
Gillingham (failed)
Gravesend & Northfleet (failed)
Guildford City (failed)
Llanelly (failed)
Merthyr Tydfil (failed)
Peterborough United (failed)
Worcester City (failed)
Yeovil Town (failed)

1950 - no re-election
44 - Gillingham (joined)
28 - Colchester Untied (joined)
11 - Worcester City (failed)
8 - Chelmsford City (failed)
5 - Peterborough United (failed)
1 - Merthyr Tydfil (failed)
1 - Yeovil Town (failed)
0 - Llanelly (failed)
0 - Cradley Heath (failed)
0 - Nuneaton Borough (failed)

1951
48 - Watford (stayed in)
45 - Crystal Palace (stayed in)
3 - Bath City (failed)
1 - Merthyr Tydfil (failed)
1 - Worcester City (failed)
0 - Chelmsford City (failed)
0 - Hereford United (failed)
0 - Llanelly (failed)
0 - Peterborough United (failed)
0 - Yeovil Town (failed)

There's no mention of Jock Stein in the text. Looks like their best chance was in the early thirties. What would've happened if they'd pipped Newport?

Oh, and apparently they changed their name in the seventies.

[Auntie Beryl]

Elections to the Football League

Prompted by GO's post, I've been reading around the history of Thames Association FC.

It was a weird one - trading for four years, a league club for two of those, averaging 2,469 spectators in a stadium built for 120,000. Odd.

[Yoss]

Elections to the Football League

So, the cumulative total attendance of all their league games ever is still less than their ground capacity?

There can't be many teams who can say that.

[Jorge Porbillas]

Elections to the Football League

GO - top man, much appreciated

[Amor de Cosmos]

Elections to the Football League

That 120,000 capacity stadium:

[Kowalski]

Elections to the Football League

I was wondering if GO could do the same for Bangor City, to solve a long running argument at Farrar Road.

[Jorge Porbillas]

Elections to the Football League

It's been done Kowalski - you want the old Wigan/crash barriers thing answered don't you? Check out the old board, they didn't get a single vote ...

[Kowalski]

Elections to the Football League

Oh I didn't realise that, before my time. I'm sure there were a couple of other occasions too.

[Gangster Octopus]

Elections to the Football League

Football League Division Three Northern Section Election

1947 - no vote taken
Southport (stayed in)
Halifax Town (stayed in)
Annfield Plain (failed)
Ashington (failed)
Ashton United (failed)
Bangor City (failed)
Consett (failed)
Dudley Town (failed)
Nelson (failed)
North Shields (failed)
Northwich Victoria (failed)
Scunthorpe And Lindsey United (failed)
Shrewsbury Town (failed)
Stockton (failed)
South Liverpool (failed)
Wigan Athletic (failed)
Workington (failed)

Football League Division Four Election

1972
49 - Northampton Town (stayed in)
46 - Stockport County (stayed in)
46 - Crewe Alexandra (stayed in)
26(29) - Hereford United (joined)
26(20) - Barrow (expelled)
1 - Bradford Park Avenue (failed)
1 - Cambridge City (failed)
1 - Wimbledon (failed)
0 - Bangor City (failed)
0 - Bedford Town (failed)
0 - Boston United (failed)
0 - Hillingdon Borough (failed)
0 - Romford (failed)
0 - Telford United (failed)
0 - Wigan Athletic (failed)
0 - Yeovil Town (failed)

There was a sort of half-hearted attempt in 1950 expansion season, but it never got as far as a vote.

Note Wigan Athletic's failure in both. They paid heavily for the Wigan Borough collapse.

[Andy C]

Elections to the Football League

Around that time (the 1970s) Wigan's frustration at not getting elected led them to apply for election to the Scottish league.

[Jimmy Bignutz]

Elections to the Football League

I didn't realise Hillingdon nearly had a League club. Well, I say nearly.

[Kowalski]

Elections to the Football League

Thanks GO

[Gangster Octopus]

Elections to the Football League

It's not so much Hillingdon Borough that's the shock, but Annfield Plain. Just how big are they? Or were they?

[Jimmy Bignutz]

Elections to the Football League

The winner of Big Brother...er.. 2005 or so (Antony) played for them. So not very big these days.

[Guest]

Elections to the Football League

England had its very own Queen's Park (except without the sticking-with-amateurism bit). Never knew that before.

[My Name Is Ian]

Elections to the Football League

Well, I for one am exceptionally disappointed that Argonauts were unsuccessful in their application.

[N est à?]

Elections to the Football League

Thames must be by a distance the most ludicrous club to play in the football league (insert Newcastle joke here)- launced at the outset of the depression, right on West Ham's doorstep,120,000 capacity ground and the record for the lowest attendance, rattling around like peas on a container ship. And they sent their players out dressed like jockeys in red and blue quarters and according to wikipedia, a tremedously cool white away shirt with a big question mark on it.

[Gangster Octopus]

Elections to the Football League

The Prodigal wrote:

England had its very own Queen's Park (except without the sticking-with-amateurism bit). Never knew that before.

Where are you getting that information from? Unless you're referring to Rangers of that ilk...

[Guest]

Elections to the Football League

I was referring to Thames - the miniscule crowds in vast stadium thing.

[Sporting]

Elections to the Football League

I was referring to Thames - the miniscule crowds in vast stadium thing.

How come a guest from 12 years ago has the same fave biscuit and football team as me?

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

It's a "thing" - according to my view they support Carlisle United.