Upton Colliery F.C.

The works team of Upton Colliery in the West Riding, formed in 1931 and wound up around 1964 when the pit closed — a club whose whole existence was bracketed by its colliery's. It was a serious side, a member of the Yorkshire Football League from 1933 and runners-up in 1934-35 on goal difference, and it was where Charlie Williams, Joe Shaw and Clarrie Jordan all began.

The mining history in this record

Upton Colliery F.C. was formed in 1931 as the colliery's works team, in a village that existed because of the pit: work on the site had begun only in 1924 and the first coal was raised in 1927. It played at the Colliery Ground beside the pit.

The club started in the South Kirkby and District League and the Doncaster & District Senior League, and joined the Yorkshire Football League in 1933. In 1934-35 it missed the championship on goal difference alone. It returned to the Yorkshire League after the war before dropping into the Sheffield Association League after 1946-47, and in 1949 the facilities at the Colliery Ground were judged insufficient for re-election to the Yorkshire League. It won the Sheffield and Hallamshire Senior Cup twice, in 1936-37 and 1949-50, and the Sheffield Association League four times in the 1950s. It first entered the FA Cup in 1939-40 and competed every season from 1945 to 1960, reaching the third qualifying round three times.

The club ceased to operate around 1964 — the year the colliery that had made it was sealed after an explosion and closed.

People

Charlie Williams worked in Upton Colliery in his youth and played for its team before being scouted by Doncaster Rovers. He became one of the first black professional footballers in England and, after football, a successful and widely known comedian; he died in 2006.

Joe Shaw worked briefly as a coalminer at Upton and played for the colliery team before moving to Sheffield United, where he holds a number of club records.

Clarrie Jordan, who jointly holds the record of scoring in ten consecutive Football League games, began his career with Upton Colliery. George Ashall, another Upton player, was a coal miner before his footballing career.

Legacy today

The Colliery Ground is still used for local football, though little of the original colliery buildings or the ground's facilities remains; the colliery site itself is now Upton Country Park.

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 1931 as the works team of Upton Colliery and ceased to operate around 1964, when the colliery itself closed. (documented fact) ¹
• Upton Colliery joined the Yorkshire Football League in 1933 and in 1934-35 missed the championship on goal difference alone; in 1949 its ground facilities were judged insufficient for re-election to the league. (documented fact) ^1,2
• Charlie Williams worked at Upton Colliery in his youth and played for the colliery team before being scouted by Doncaster Rovers, going on to be one of the first black professional footballers in England and later a well-known comedian. (documented fact) ^3,4
• Joe Shaw worked briefly as a coalminer at Upton and played for Upton Colliery F.C. before joining Sheffield United, for whom he holds a number of club records. (documented fact) ³
• In 1934-35 the club finished second of eighteen in the Yorkshire League, losing the title on goal average; it left the league after finishing bottom in 1946-47. (documented fact) ²
• Upton Colliery F.C. played in the FA Cup and counted Charlie Williams among its players. (documented fact) ^1,4

Mines

• Upton Colliery — West Yorkshire
  The club was formed in 1931 as the works team of Upton Colliery, played at the Colliery Ground beside the pit, and ceased to operate around 1964 when the colliery closed.

Real-world mining concepts used here

Coal, Colliery

Sources

1. (secondary) Upton Colliery F.C. — Wikipedia
2. (secondary) Football Club History Database - Upton Colliery — Football Club History Database
3. (secondary) Upton Colliery — Wikipedia
4. (secondary) Local History (Upton and North Elmsall Parish Council) — Upton and North Elmsall Parish Council

Record created: 3 September 2026 · Last researched: 3 September 2026