MineArchive
Atherton Collieries A.F.C.
| Category | Sports |
|---|---|
| Dates | Founded 1916; Bolton Combination champions ten times 1919–1965; Lancashire FA Amateur Shield six times by 1964–65; North West Counties League founder member 1982; promoted to the Northern Premier League 2017 |
A football club formed in Atherton in 1916 by miners from the six pits then working in the town's urban district, to raise welfare money for local people during the First World War; ten times Bolton Combination champions between 1919 and 1965, it now plays in the Northern Premier League.
The mining history in this record
Atherton Collieries was formed in 1916 by miners from the six pits operating in the old Atherton Urban District, as a way of providing welfare for people at home during the war. After the war it joined the Bolton Combination and won the title in its first season, along with the Lancashire FA Amateur Shield. Between 1919 and 1965 the club won the Bolton Combination ten times, and by 1964–65 it had won the Amateur Shield six times, a record still unsurpassed. It has played at Alder House since its formation. The six pits are not named; Chanters, Gibfield and Howe Bridge, all Fletcher, Burrows and Co. collieries in Atherton, were working in this period.
People
Billy Butler and Bob Haworth, former Colls players, played for Bolton Wanderers in the 1923 FA Cup Final; Anthony Pilkington, later a Republic of Ireland international, played for the club in 2006–07.
Legacy today
When the pits were nationalised the club was gifted to the people of the town. Nicknamed the Colls, it was a founder member of the North West Counties League in 1982, won promotion to the Northern Premier League in 2017, and still plays at Alder House.
Recorded claims
Individual factual claims, each tagged with how solidly it's grounded and attached to the source(s) that support it. Where sources disagree, both are kept.
- The club was formed in 1916 by miners from the six pits operating in Atherton Urban District, to raise money for, or provide welfare to, people at home during the war. (documented fact) 1,2
- Between 1919 and 1965 the club won the Bolton Combination ten times, and by 1964–65 the Lancashire FA Amateur Shield six times. (documented fact) 1
- When the pits were nationalised, the club was gifted to the people of the town. (later recollection) 2
- Chanters, Gibfield and Howe Bridge collieries were working in Atherton when the club was formed; the six pits whose miners founded it are not named. (reasonable inference, uncertain) 3,1,2
Mines
- Chanters Colliery — Greater Manchester
One of the Atherton pits working when miners from the town's six pits founded the club in 1916 (inferred: the sources do not name the six). - Gibfield Colliery — Greater Manchester
One of the Atherton pits working when miners from the town's six pits founded the club in 1916 (inferred: the sources do not name the six). - Howe Bridge Colliery — Greater Manchester
One of the Atherton pits working when miners from the town's six pits founded the club in 1916 (inferred: the sources do not name the six).
Regions
Real-world mining concepts used here
Sources
- (secondary) Atherton Collieries A.F.C. — Wikipedia
- (secondary) History – Atherton Collieries — Atherton Collieries FC C.I.C.
- (secondary) Lancashire OnLine Parish Clerk Project — Atherton Pits — Lancashire OnLine Parish Clerk Project
Record created: 16 September 2026 · Last researched: 16 September 2026