Holwell Sports FC

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Club History

1902 Club founded as Holwell Works.

1907-08 Junior Cup (Southern) finalists, losing 2-0 to Barwell United.

1908-09 First ever Leicestershire Senior Cup tie results in a 3-1 defeat, away v Leicester Fosse in first round; Winners of the Rolleston Cup.

1909-10 Accepted into membership of Leicestershire Senior League.

1911-12 Senior League Champions ahead of second-placed Gresley Rovers.

1912-13 Outbreak of war ends club’s membership of Senior League; Winners of the Rolleston Cup.

1913-14 Senior Cup finalists for the first time, losing 2-1 to Leicester Fosse at Coalville. The following team represented Holwell in the final: Ball, Sylvester, Smith, Birch, Jones, Crates, Armstrong, Bestwick, Walker, Williamson, Booth.

1934-35 Re-admitted into membership of Senior League; Despite Senior status, Holwell beat Hinckley Amateurs 6-1 to win the final of the Junior Cup (Southern).

1944-45 Senior League history is made in April 1945 when father and son Horace (40) and Derek (18) Newham are both in Holwell’s forward line in the 4-2 victory over RAF (Desford)

1948-49 Finish bottom of Division One, the first season two divisions are run in this way, with 11 points and are relegated.

1953-54 Rolleston Cup winners.

1954-55 Senior League Division One runners-up, seven points behind Leicester City A; Revenge gained as Holwell win Senior Cup for the first ever time, beating Leicester City A 4-3 at Anstey Nomads. Holwell’s goalscorers are Ashdown, Hudson and (amazingly) King and Reed, both own goals; Rolleston Cup retained.

1955-56 Winners of Rolleston Cup for third season in succession.

1956-57 Senior Cup winners, beating Whitwick Colliery 2-1 in final, at Melton. Team line-up read Jardine, Aley, Wallace, Hack, Spiby, Hall, Hebb, Caithness, Learmonth, Whittaker, Burdett. Goalscorers were Bill Caithness and Jimmy Learmonth, still at Holwell as a vice-president.

1957-58 Senior League Division One runners-up, eight points behind Leicester City A, and four points ahead of third-placed Oadby Town. Senior Cup winners again, beating Loughborough Colleges 2-1 at Browns Lane, Loughborough. Robinson, Baker and Hudson only team changes to previous season, replacing Hall, Hebb and Learmonth. Whittaker and Robinson were goalscorers. Oadby Town 0 Holwell Works 2, in third round, first ever Senior Cup tie between the two clubs.

1958-59 Senior Cup semi-finalists losing 3-1 to Morris Sports.

1960-61 Senior Cup semi-finalists losing 3-2, at home, to Burgess Products, after an earlier 2-2 draw.

1961-62 Relegated from Senior League Division One, with only Midland Woodworkers finishing below Holwell.

1962-63 Promoted to Division One as runners-up, seven points behind Melton Old Grammarians.

1963-64 Relegated from Division One once again, in last but one position, with just Whitwick Colliery placed lower.

1965-66 Runners-up, four points behind Shepshed Albion, of Division Two, promoted again.

1967-68 Last in Division One with just seven points, 15 points adrift of next club Loughborough Utd Reserves.

1969-70 Last in Division Two, with eight points, 11 points adrift of next club, Hinckley Gunners.

1974-75 Last but one in Division Two, above English Electric Whetstone.

1975-76 Holwell finish in 15th position in Division Two for second successive season, and so cease to be members of Senior League, joining the City League.

1978-79 Saturday Junior Cup finalists, losing 3-1 to Desford Colliery, at Anstey Nomads.

1979-80 Accepted, once again, into membership of Leicestershire Senior League; Ex Welsh guardsman Geoff Gibbon appointed manager of Holwell.

1981-82 Promoted as runners-up of Senior League Division Two, behind Narborough and Littlethorpe.

1983-84 Senior League’s Divisions re-classified as Premier and First; Holwell relegated from Premier Division, finishing in last place, with just 15 points.

1984-85 Division One Champions with 42 points, one point clear of runners-up Lutterworth Town; Senior Cup finalists, losing 3-0 to Shepshed Charterhouse at Holmes Park.

1986-87 Again Senior Cup finalists, losing 2-1 to Stapenhill at Holmes Park; Record best ever victory in Senior Cup, beating Barrow Town 10-0 at Asfordby Hill in the first round.

1987-88 Holwell become Senior League Premier Division Champions with 46 points, four ahead of runners-up, Stapenhill.

1988-89 Change name to Holwell Sports; Battle of Britain Cup finalists losing 3-1 to Leicester United Reserves; Melton Charity Cup winners, beating Melton Town 6-0 in final; Tebbutt-Brown Cup finalists losing 2-0 to Syston.

1990-91 Leicester City bring a team to Asfordby Hill on April 15 1991 to celebrate the switching on of the new floodlights.

1991-92 Holwell win the Senior League Championship for the third time. Ian Hunter snaps up a hat-trick as Sports sink local rivals Pedigree Petfoods to clinch the title.

1992-93 Holwell retain the Senior League title with a 3-1 win over nearest rivals Oadby Town. Scorers are Steve Kee, Stuart Robinson and Simon Hill.

1997-98 Melton Charity Cup winners and runners-up to Friar Lane OB in Beacon Bitter Cup.

1998-99 Holwell finish third in Senior League.

2000-01 Finish as runners-up after seeing title hopes dashed with 2-0 loss to Thringstone.

2002-03 Melton Charity Cup winners beating Asfordby Amateurs 3-2 thanks to an extra-time golden goal from Jim Foreman. Winners of Leicestershire and Rutland County FA's Fair Play award consisting of a framed certificate and a £250 voucher.

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