The 1930–31 season was the 50th season in the history of Nelson Football Club, and their tenth and final as a member of The Football League. As they had done in 1927–28, the team finished bottom of the Third Division North, with a record of 6 wins, 7 draws and 29 defeats giving them a total of 19 points. As a result, Nelson were forced to apply for re-election to the League. The application was not successful; in a recount following a tied vote, Chester received one more vote than Nelson and subsequently took their place in the Third Division North for the 1931–32 season. Nelson were poor throughout the season, and lost all 22 league and cup matches away from home. They fell to the bottom of the table on 26 December 1930 and remained there until the end of the season. The 0–4 defeat away at Hull City on 2 May 1931 was to be their last match in the Football League.

Nelson also entered the 1930–31 FA Cup, and reached the Second Round for the second time in their history. After defeating North Eastern League side Workington in the First Round, Nelson were knocked out by York City following a replay. The team's top goalscorer was Leslie Raisbeck, a new signing from Stockport County, who scored a total of 15 goals in all competitions. The average attendance at Seedhill was just over 2,400, by far the lowest average during Nelson's spell in the Football League.

Football League

Key H = Home match A = Away match In Result column, Nelson's score shown first

Match results Date Opponents Result Goalscorers Attendance 30 August 1930 Rochdale (A) 4–5 Bate (3), Carmedy 4,822 2 September 1930 Hull City (H) 0–2 5,128 6 September 1930 Darlington (H) 3–1 Bate (2), Howarth 3,299 10 September 1930 Lincoln City (H) 1–2 Howarth 3,955 13 September 1930 Halifax Town (A) 0–1 5,433 15 September 1930 Lincoln City (A) 0–2 6,741 20 September 1930 New Brighton (H) 2–2 Hawes, Robinson 2,585 27 September 1930 Stockport County (A) 0–1 6,822 4 October 1930 Gateshead (H) 2–2 Raisbeck (2) 2,321 11 October 1930 Doncaster Rovers (A) 0–2 3,542 18 October 1930 Crewe Alexandra (A) 2–4 Raisbeck, Robinson 4,143 25 October 1930 Accrington Stanley (H) 4–2 Carmedy (3), Raisbeck 2,756 1 November 1930 Tranmere Rovers (A) 1–7 Bate 3,257 8 November 1930 Carlisle United (H) 1–2 Carmedy 2,737 15 November 1930 York City (A) 0–3 3,874 22 November 1930 Rotherham United (H) 0–0 1,606 6 December 1930 Barrow (H) 0–3 2,154 20 December 1930 Wrexham (H) 2–0 Raisbeck, Robinson 1,685 25 December 1930 Hartlepools United (A) 0–4 4,518 26 December 1930 Hartlepools United (H) 1–1 Carmedy 2,267 27 December 1930 Rochdale (H) 0–0 2,774 1 January 1931 Southport (A) 1–8 Raisbeck 4,534 3 January 1931 Darlington (A) 1–2 Raisbeck 2,585 10 January 1931 Chesterfield (A) 1–2 Harker 5,296 17 January 1931 Halifax Town (H) 3–2 Harker, Hawes, Martin 2,462 24 January 1931 New Brighton (A) 0–2 2,227 31 January 1931 Stockport County (H) 1–1 Harker 1,593 7 February 1931 Gateshead (A) 0–2 3,161 14 February 1931 Doncaster Rovers (H) 2–0 Harker, Raisbeck 2,304 21 February 1931 Crewe Alexandra (H) 1–1 Hawes 2,232 28 February 1931 Accrington Stanley (A) 1–3 Raisbeck 2,216 7 March 1931 Tranmere Rovers (H) 0–4 1,546 14 March 1931 Carlisle United (A) 1–8 Harker 3,468 21 March 1931 York City (H) 2–5 Dixon, Raisbeck 1,645 28 March 1931 Rotherham United (A) 0–3 3,442 3 April 1931 Wigan Borough (H) 2–1 Raisbeck, Tebb 1,666 4 April 1931 Chesterfield (H) 0–5 1,827 6 April 1931 Wigan Borough (A) 1–3 Seabrook (o.g.) 2,943 11 April 1931 Barrow (A) 1–2 Carmedy 5,307 18 April 1931 Southport 1–4 Manock 1,323 25 April 1931 Wrexham (A) 1–5 Tebb 1,413 2 May 1931 Hull City (A) 0–4 4,542

FA Cup

Match results Round Date Opponents Result Goalscorers Attendance First round 29 November 1930 Workington (H) 4–0 Hawes, Raisbeck (3) 2,600 Second round 13 December 1930 York City (H) 1–1 Allen 3,000 Second round replay 18 December 1930 York City (A) 2–3 Raisbeck, Robinson 2,206

Player statistics Key to positions

CF = Centre forward FB = Fullback GK = Goalkeeper

HB = Half-back IF = Inside forward OF = Outside forward

Statistics Nat.PositionPlayerThird Division NorthFA CupTotalAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsIFFrank Allen14031171HBLen Baker700070CFArthur Bate24620266HBJames Caine300030OFTom Carmedy29710307OFRalph Chapman400040FBHarry Counsell300030OFArthur Dawson10000100HBCharlie Dixon16100161FBBilly Fairhurst36030390IFBilly Harker18500185IFArthur Hawes26331294GKCharlie Hillam300030OFArchie Howarth820082HBGeorge Howes35030380OFJohn Jewell300030IFEdward Manock510051HBJack Martin27130301CFRobert Nuttall400040CFLeslie Raisbeck2911343215FBGilbert Richmond16000160FBErnie Robinson27030300OFHenry Robinson20331234HBCharles Sandbach200020GKPeter Shevlin16020180HBDavid Suttie38030410IFTommy Tebb14200142CFStan Walker200020GKSam Warhurst23010240

See also List of Nelson F.C. seasons

References