Stalybridge Celtic F.C.

The club's formation is usually given as 1909. However, it may have been as early as 1905 when an amateur club with the same name was formed. There were players called Storrs and Manwood who played in the 1906 and 1909 teams, and a player called Rhodes who played in the amateurs' first game; a Herbert Rhodes was a significant benefactor of the 'later' Celtic. The club played for two seasons in the Lancashire and Cheshire Amateur League, before turning professional and joining the Lancashire Combination in 1911–12, winning the title in its first season, but withdrawing from the competition to play in the Central League - the following season a Celtic reserve XI replaced Tyldesley Albion in the Combination after the latter had played one match in the season. Celtic finished in fourth place in the Central League in 1912–13, and was runner-up in 1913–14. In an attempt to progress the club joined the Southern League. The club rejoined the Central League for the 1919–20 season and in 1921 became one of the founder members of the Football League's Third Division North. However the club resigned after two seasons, as it was felt that it could not attract enough support to justify a League side – in spite of the fact that average attendance of 5,480 in 1922 was almost 2,000 more than neighbouring Rochdale, who played in the same Division. The full Celtic story in the League is detailed in Manchester A Football History where Celtic are given the same level of analysis and research as…

Challenge shield – 1955, 1978 Cheshire county league – 1980 Cheshire county league cup – 1922 Cheshire Senior Cup – 1953, 2001 Edward case cup – 1978 Intermediate cup – 1958, 1969 Lancashire & Cheshire League Division 1 - 1910–11 Lancashire Combination Division Two – 1912 Lancashire floodlit cup – 1989 Manchester Senior Cup – 1923 North West Counties League – 1984, 1987 North west counties super cup – 1984 Northern Premier League – 1991–92, 2000–01 Northern Premier League Challenge Cup – 1999 Northern Premier League President's Cup – 2001, 2003 Peter Swales Shield – 1992