North West Non League
Manchester League
1890-91
• 1890-91 was the opening season of the league, initially announced as the Mancheser Junior League, but officially played as the Manchester League. A single division was played.
• The league was formed at the start of April 1890 at a meeting in Manchester, with 12 teams initially announced as joining the new league.
• Worsley then joined, but then withdrew again in pre-season, while Heaton Park, Manchester Amateurs and Manchester St Mary's has also earlier all withdrawn, though St Mary's returned for next season. Lancashire Independent College then joined, making the number now 11
• Only 10 teams ended up completing 1890-91, as Longsight withdrew in late Feb 1891, though continued playing friendies instead
INCOMING
• Dalton Hall - new club, from South Manchester, part of the University (Greenheys ground)
• Lancashire Independent College - no league - local friendlies, from South Manchester, Chorlton/Whalley Range
• Longsight - no league - local friendlies, from South Manchester, playing in Chorlton-on-Medlock (High Street ground)
• Manchester Press - no league - local friendlies, from from Old Trafford area of South West Manchester
• Manchester St Bride's - no league - local friendlies, from Old Trafford area of South West Manchester (Hullard Hall ground)
• Manchester West End - no league - local friendlies, from South West Manchester (Brooks's Bar)
• Newton St Mark's - no league - local friendlies, from the Monsall area of North Manchester
• Stockport - no league - local friendlies, renamed from Stockport St Thomas (Adswood Lane ground)
• Stretford - no league - local friendlies, from South West Manchester area (Old Cock Hotel ground)
• Tonge - no league - local friendlies, from the Middleton area, North Manchester (Old Brick Ground)
• Whalley Range - no league - local friendlies, from South Manchester, Chorlton/Whalley Range
| 1890-91 | Pl | W | D | L | F-A | GA | Points | Note | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Manchester St Bride's |
17 |
13 |
2 |
2 |
57-15 |
3.80 |
28 |
Champions | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2. | Whalley Range |
16 |
10 |
3 |
3 |
54-23 |
2.35 |
23 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3. | Lancashire Independent College |
15 |
10 |
2 |
3 |
41-23 |
1.78 |
23 |
one result missing (believed to be a defeat) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4. | Stretford |
15 |
10 |
1 |
4 |
51-27 |
1.89 |
21 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5. | Tonge |
17 |
9 |
3 |
5 |
46-23 |
2.00 |
17 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 6. | Newton St Mark's |
17 |
7 |
3 |
7 |
48-58 |
0.83 |
17 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 7. | Manchester Press * |
16 |
7 |
0 |
9 |
32-36 |
0.89 |
12 |
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| 8. | Dalton Hall |
15 |
5 |
1 |
9 |
30-45 |
0.67 |
11 |
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| 9. | Stockport |
16 |
2 |
0 |
14 |
16-38 |
0.42 |
4 |
one result missing (believed to be a win) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 10. | Manchester West End |
15 |
1 |
1 |
13 |
12-50 |
0.24 |
3 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| . | Longsight |
11 |
6 |
2 |
3 |
25-25 |
1.00 |
14 |
Resigned - record expunged | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
• Manchester Press had 2 points deducted for playing an ineligible man
• The latest table found for the season was published after matches on Saturday 4 April 1891. One further game was scheduled between Stockport and Lancashire Independent College for a Wednesday night 15 April at Stockport County's Green Lane ground, but the result of this and any later games has not yet been traced.
• It is possible that no further games were played once Manchester St Bride's had been confirmed as Champions, which would have been the case if Lancashire Independent College lost that game against Stockport, because as of Sat 4 April, only they could catch Manchster St Bride's for the title.
• This would have left the runners up spot still open between Lancashire Inpdendent College, Whalley Range and Stretford, but given that this was very early days for league football, it may be that only finding the Champions was considered important and so the season ended then.
• The below printed version of the table was in the Manchester Courier on Mon 6 April:
• Longsight's withdrawal seems to have been unexpected, with the team doing well, and were on track for a top half finish at least. They had beaten Manchester St Bride's, and so they benefitted when Longsight had their record expunged. Their last 3 games before withdrawl were all wins. They continued playing friendlies for the rest of the season, so they must have seen that they were generating more revenue than the league games
NAME CHANGE
• Manchester St Bride's changed their name to West Manchester St Bride's after the season
OUTGOING
• Lancashire Independent College - no league - local friendlies
• Longsight - resigned in late February 1891 and instead played local friendlies
• Manchester Press - FOLDED after the season
• Manchester West End - no league - local friendlies
• Stockport - merged with Cheshire County & Stockport Cricket Club after the season and then played only friendlies the next season
• Stretford - no league - local friendlies