South Kirkby Colliery Football Club was a football club based in South Kirkby, West Yorkshire, England. The team played in the Sheffield & Hallamshire County Senior League Premier Division, the eleventh tier of the English football league system. Formed as South Kirkby the club were later adopted by the nearby colliery and eventually changed their name to South Kirkby Colliery.
In 1929-30 and 1940-41 the club won the Sheffield & Hallamshire Senior Cup, the oldest county cup in England. They are former members of the Yorkshire Football League and have played in the FA Cup on numerous occasions.
The club play at the Miners Welfare Ground, Millar's Walk, South Kirkby.
History Early years The club were formed at least as early as 1894 as South Kirkby and went on to become the works team of South Kirkby Colliery. The earliest known fixture for the club is a postponed match in 1894, though it is not clear which competition this was. The club initially competed in the Minor Cup Division Two of the Barnsley Association Football Union in the 1894–95 season, before joining the Barnsley Association Football Union League Division A for the 1896–97 season, winning the Minor Cup that season. By the end of the 1898–99 season the club had suffered two successive relegations in the Barnsley Association Football Union league structure and spent the 1899–1900 and 1900–01 seasons outside that league system, returning to the Barnsley Association Football Union Minor Cup league for the 1901–02 season. The 1901–02 season was a successful one but due to the Barnsley Association Football Union altering its league system the Minor Cup league became the top division and the Junior Cup became the second division and despite being promoted the club remained in the Minor Cup league. What had been the top division, the Challenge Cup league, became a knockout competition. In the 1902–03 season the club joined the Sheffield Association League and used their place in the Barnsley Association Minor Cup league for the reserves. The club were well supported by the workers of the colliery, who donated a small sum from their wages per week, making the club quite well off, though the club were known as South Kirkby and not known as South Kirkby Colliery until later in their history, the first known use of the name was in the 1904–05 season.
Professionalism In 1905–06 the club won the Sheffield Association League, the South Yorkshire League, the Hemsworth and District League, the Hemsworth and District Challenge Cup and narrowly missed out on a fifth title that season when they lost in the final of the Montague Hospital Cup for the second season in succession, in front of a crowd of over 5,000. The same season the club had a remarkable run in the FA Cup, eventually losing to Bishop Auckland in the fourth qualifying round (a club record). The season was one of the most successful in the club's history and led to a period of professionalism. By 1905 the club had signed James Aston formerly of Woolwich Arsenal and Small Heath and Edward Layton of Sheffield United, amongst a number of current and former professionals playing for the club in this era and moved into a new purpose built stadium of very high quality. In the 1911–12 season the club reached the semi-final of the Sheffield Challenge Cup and the final of the Wharncliffe Charity Cup. The final of the Wharncliffe Cup saw former Sheffield Wednesday outside left Jock Malloch return to familiar territory at Owlerton Stadium, where he faced his old rivals Sheffield United. Malloch also was a pivotal player in the club's run in the FA Cup that season. The club later joined the Sheffield Association League before moving into the Yorkshire League, later dropping down to the Doncaster and District Senior League in the late 1960s. The club now plays in the Sheffield and Hallamshire County Senior League.
Season-by-season record Season Division Level Position FA Cup Notes 1894–95 Barnsley & District Minor League - – 1895–96 Barnsley & District Minor League - – 1896–97 Barnsley & District Minor League - 1st/5 – League champions (won play-off) 1896–97 Barnsley Challenge Cup League - – 1898–99 Barnsley & District Minor League - 11th/11 – 1899–00 Club did not enter any competitions 1900–01 Club did not enter any competitions 1901–02 Barnsley & District Minor League - 1st/11 – League champions (won play-off) 1902–03 Barnsley & District Minor League - 8th/12 – 1903–04 Sheffield Association League - 12th/14 – 1904–05 Sheffield Association League - 3rd/7 – 1905–06 Sheffield Association League - 1st/13 – League champions 1906–07 Sheffield Association League - 1st/13 – League champions 1907–08 Sheffield Association League - 2nd/16 – 1908–09 Sheffield Association League - 2nd/15 – 1909–10 Sheffield Association League - 4th/14 – 1910–11 Sheffield Association League - – 1911–12 Sheffield Association League - 3rd/16 – 1912–13 Sheffield Association League - 2nd/15 – 1913–14 Sheffield Association League - 1st/16 – League champions 1914–15 Sheffield Association League - – 1915–16 Sheffield Association League - – 1919–20 Sheffield Association League - – 1920–21 Sheffield Association League - – 1921–22 Sheffield Association League - – 1922–23 Sheffield Association League - 13th/16 – 1923–24 Sheffield Association League - 17th/18 – 1924–25 Sheffield Association League - 4th/15 – 1925–26 Doncaster & District Senior League - – 1926–27 Doncaster & District Senior League - – 1927–28 Doncaster & District Senior League - 1st/12 – League champions 1928–29 Doncaster & District Senior League - 2nd/11 – 1929–30 Sheffield Association League - 3rd/15 – League champions (won play-off) 1930–31 Sheffield Association League - 1st/16 – League champions (won play-off) 1931–32 Sheffield Association League - 1st/13 – Lost league play-off 1932–33 Sheffield Association League - 2nd/12 – 1933–34 Yorkshire League - 2nd/13 – 1934–35 Yorkshire League - 8th/18 – 1935–36 Yorkshire League - 9th/20 – 1936–37 Yorkshire League - 4th/19 – 1937–38 Yorkshire League - 17th/20 – 1938–39 Yorkshire League - 14th/20 – 1939–40 Sheffield Association League - – 1940–41 Sheffield Association League - – 1941–42 Sheffield Association League - – 1942–43 Sheffield Association League - – 1943–44 Sheffield Association League - – 1944–45 Sheffield Association League - – 1945–46 Yorkshire League - 14th/15 2QR 1946–47 Yorkshire League - 14th/20 3QR 1947–48 Yorkshire League - 14th/20 1QR 1948–49 Yorkshire League - 19th/20 1QR Relegated 1949–50 Yorkshire League Division 2 - 14th/18 PR 1950–51 Yorkshire League Division 2 - 14th/17 PR 1951–52 Yorkshire League Division 2 - 8th/13 2QR 1952–53 Yorkshire League Division 2 - 4th/14 2QR Promoted 1953–54 Yorkshire League Division 1 - 18th/18 1QR Relegated 1954–55 Yorkshire League Division 2 - 5th/16 1QR 1955–56 Yorkshire League Division 2 - 9th/16 – 1956–57 Yorkshire League Division 2 - 5th/17 – 1957–58 Yorkshire League Division 2 - 6th/14 – 1958–59 Yorkshire League Division 2 - 5th/13 – 1959–60 Yorkshire League Division 2 - 6th/15 – 1960–61 Yorkshire League Division 2 - 7th/19 – 1961–62 Yorkshire League Division 2 - 14th/14 – 1962–63 Yorkshire League Division 2 - 14th/15 – 1963–64 Yorkshire League Division 2 - 15th/15 – 1964–65 Doncaster & District Senior League Division 3 - 2nd/13 – Promoted 1965–66 Doncaster & District Senior League Division 2 - 4th/13 – Promoted 1966–67 Doncaster & District Senior League Premier Division - 4th/13 – 1967–68 Doncaster & District Senior League Premier Division - 3rd/14 – 1968–69 Doncaster & District Senior League Premier Division - 1st/12 – League champions 1969–70 Doncaster & District Senior League Premier Division - – 1970–71 Doncaster & District Senior League Premier Division - – 1971–72 Doncaster & District Senior League Premier Division - – 1972–73 Doncaster & District Senior League Premier Division - – 1973–74 Doncaster & District Senior League Premier Division - – 1974–75 Doncaster & District Senior League Premier Division - – 1975–76 Doncaster & District Senior League Premier Division - – 1976–77 Doncaster & District Senior League Premier Division - – 1977–78 Doncaster & District Senior League Premier Division - – 1978–79 Doncaster & District Senior League Premier Division - – 1979–80 Doncaster & District Senior League Premier Division - – 1980–81 Doncaster & District Senior League Premier Division - – 1981–82 Doncaster & District Senior League Premier Division - – 1982–83 Doncaster & District Senior League Premier Division - – Relegated 1983–84 Doncaster & District Senior League Division 1 - – Relegated 1984–85 Doncaster & District Senior League Division 2 - – 1985–86 Doncaster & District Senior League Division 2 - 3rd/12 – Promoted 1986–87 Doncaster & District Senior League Division 1 - 7th/11 – 1987–88 Doncaster & District Senior League Division 1 - 8th/12 – 1988–89 Doncaster & District Senior League Division 1 - 8th/12 – 1989–90 Doncaster & District Senior League Division 1 - 1st/16 – League champions, promoted 1990–91 Doncaster & District Senior League Premier Division - 3rd/14 – 1991–92 Doncaster & District Senior League Premier Division - 8th/13 – 1992–93 Doncaster & District Senior League Premier Division - 6th/15 – 1993–94 Doncaster & District Senior League Premier Division - 4th/14 – 1994–95 Doncaster & District Senior League Premier Division - 6th/11 – 1995–96 Doncaster & District Senior League Premier Division - 1st/13 – League champions 1996–97 Doncaster & District Senior League Premier Division - 1st/14 – League champions 1997–98 Doncaster & District Senior League Premier Division - 1st/14 – League champions 1998–99 Sheffield and Hallamshire County Senior League Division 2 - 6th/12 – 1999–00 Sheffield and Hallamshire County Senior League Division 2 - 4th/10 – 2000–01 Sheffield and Hallamshire County Senior League Division 2 - 1st/8 – League champions, promoted 2001–02 Sheffield and Hallamshire County Senior League Division 1 - 2nd/14 – Promoted 2002–03 Sheffield and Hallamshire County Senior League Premier Division - 6th/13 – 2003–04 Sheffield and Hallamshire County Senior League Premier Division - 8th/14 – 2004–05 Sheffield and Hallamshire County Senior League Premier Division 11 8th/14 – 2005–06 Sheffield and Hallamshire County Senior League Premier Division 11 13th/14 – Relegated 2006–07 Sheffield and Hallamshire County Senior League Division 1 12 11th/14 – 2007–08 Sheffield and Hallamshire County Senior League Division 1 12 12th/13 – 2009–09 Sheffield and Hallamshire County Senior League Division 1 12 11th/14 – 2009–10 Sheffield and Hallamshire County Senior League Division 1 12 3rd/13 – Promoted 2010–11 Sheffield and Hallamshire County Senior League Premier Division 11 6th/14 – 2011–12 Sheffield and Hallamshire County Senior League Premier Division 11 10th/14 – 2012–13 Sheffield and Hallamshire County Senior League Premier Division 11 15th/15 – Relegated 2013–14 Sheffield and Hallamshire County Senior League Division 1 12 11th/14 – 2014–15 Sheffield and Hallamshire County Senior League Division 1 12 8th/12 – 2015–16 Sheffield and Hallamshire County Senior League Division 1 12 7th/13 – 2016–17 Sheffield and Hallamshire County Senior League Division 1 12 2nd/14 – Promoted 2017–18 Sheffield and Hallamshire County Senior League Premier Division 11 9th/15 – 2018–19 Sheffield and Hallamshire County Senior League Premier Division 11 15th/15 – 2019–20 Sheffield and Hallamshire County Senior League Premier Division 11 – – Season abandoned owing to COVID-19 pandemic 2020–21 Sheffield and Hallamshire County Senior League Premier Division 11 – – Season abandoned owing to COVID-19 pandemic 2021–22 Sheffield and Hallamshire County Senior League Premier Division 11 3rd/14 – 2022–23 Sheffield and Hallamshire County Senior League Premier Division 11 12th/14 – 2023–24 Sheffield and Hallamshire County Senior League Premier Division 11 TBD – Season Division Level Position FA Cup NotesSource: Football Club History Database
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