Droylsden F.C.

Droylsden F.C. is an English football club based in Droylsden, near Manchester. As of the 2011–12 season, they play in the Conference North.

History

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, disbandment, reformations and changes of strip, the club emerged from World War I 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 1,500 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...
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