Droylsden F.C.

Droylsden were originally formed at the invitation of Joseph Cropper, the landlord of the Butchers Arms public house, to play behind the pub. After twenty years of friendlies and local leagues (including winning the Ashton & District League in 1913–14), disbandment, reformations, and changes of strip, the club emerged from the First World War as the sole survivors amongst the village teams, and as members of the Manchester League. The club also adopted their now traditional colours of red and white, the inspiration for the unusual nickname of The Bloods. Two games in the 1921 Manchester Junior Cup Final against Hyde United who were in the Manchester Football League attracted over 15,000 fans to see Hyde prevail. However, the Bloods had their revenge two years later, taking the Cup from their local rivals. The 1930s was the era of Droylsden's record goal scorer, Ernest "Gilly" Gillibrand, scorer of 275 goals in just four seasons. Gilly's goals saw Droylsden to the Manchester League Championship in 1931 and again in 1933, and in the latter season he aided Droylsden to the third qualifying round in their first season in the FA Cup. In 1936, the club successfully applied to join the Lancashire Combination and, a season later, became a nursery club to Manchester City, whose A team played at the Butcher's Arms. City's surplus players were available to play for Droylsden, but the link disqualified the club from appearing in the FA Cup. When other competitions were suspended in 1939…

Conference North champions: 2006–07 Northern Premier League Division One champions: 1998–99 Northern Premier League Challenge Cup winners: 2003–04 Northern Premier League President's Cup winners: 1998–99 North West Counties League Division Two champions: 1986–87 Manchester League champions: 1931, 1933 Manchester Junior Cup winners: 1923 Manchester Senior Cup winners: 1973, 1976, 1979 Manchester Premier Cup winners: 1946–47, 1951–52, 1959–60, 1964–65, 1969–70, 1980–81, 1992–93, 1999–2000, 2003–04, 2006–07, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2025–26 Tony Downes Memorial Cup joint winners: 2007–08 (shared with Chester City) Ashton & District League Champions 1913–14