Arthur Wolstenholme
Encyclopedia
Arthur E. Wolstenholme was an English professional footballer who played as an inside forward
. He was predominantly used as an inside-right, but could also play at inside-left if required. In a career spanning 17 years, he played for a number of Football League teams, in addition to spells in the Southern Football League
with Gillingham
and Norwich City
. Wolstenholme was the first player ever to score four goals in a Football League Third Division North
fixture.
on 14 May 1889. After his football career ended, he returned to Manchester
, where he died in early 1958, at the age of 68.
club Oldham Athletic
towards the end of the 1907–08 season. The following campaign, he became more of a first-team regular, scoring 10 goals in 26 league appearances as the team finished sixth in the division. In 1909–10 he played a further two matches for Oldham before being signed by Blackpool
on a free transfer in December 1909. He made his debut for the Seasiders on 8 January, in a 2–1 defeat at Wolverhampton Wanderers
. He made a further eight appearances for Blackpool during their 1909–10
campaign, and scored his first League goal for the club in a 3–0 victory at West Bromwich Albion
on 16 April. His first overall goal, however, came in their FA Cup first-round tie with Barnsley
at Bloomfield Road
on New Year's Day.
The following season, 1910–11
, Wolstenholme appeared in all but two of Blackpool's League and FA Cup games. He scored four goals, all in the former competition, as the club finished seventh in Division Two. In 1911–12
, Wolstenholme made 31 League appearances and scored nine goals and finished the season as the club's top scorer. Three of these goals were in single-goal victories: at home to Chelsea
on 25 November; at home to Bristol City
two games later, on 9 December; and against Wolves on 17 April, again at Bloomfield Road. He scored again in the FA Cup, against Crewe Alexandra
in the first of two first-round replays on 22 January. Wolstenholme's final appearance for the club occurred in the penultimate League game, a 4-1 defeat at Chelsea
on 22 April. In total for Blackpool, he made 81 appearances and scored fifteen goals.
In August 1912, he joined Southern Football League
outfit Gillingham
. He made his debut in the club's first match of the 1912–13
season, its first after a change of name from New Brompton, and was a regular in the team for the first two-thirds of the season, but did not play again after 1 March 1913. He made 24 Southern League appearances for the club and scored 4 goals, in a season in which Gillingham scored the lowest number of goals in the division. He next moved to Norwich City
in July of the following year. Wolstenholme again changed clubs in the summer of 1914, returning to the Football League with Lincoln City
. He netted seven times in 30 appearances for the Imps before competitive football in England was halted by the First World War. In 1915, he rejoined his first club, Oldham Athletic, as a wartime guest player. When league football resumed in 1919, Wolstenholme re-signed for the club permanently for a transfer fee of £75. He scored twice in 22 league matches, and was released at the end of the 1919–20 campaign. He subsequently joined Football League Third Division
side Newport County
in June 1920, where he made 29 league appearances and scored seven goals. In the summer of 1921, he moved to Darlington
on a free transfer. During the side's 7–0 win over Chesterfield
on 10 September 1921, Wolstenholme became the first player ever to score four times in a Football League Third Division North
match. He ended the season with a tally of 17 goals in 29 league appearances, helping Darlington to a second-place finish in the division behind Stockport County
.
Despite his goalscoring exploits with Darlington, Wolstenholme was released in the summer of 1922. He was quickly signed by Nelson
manager David Wilson
, who had played with Wolstenholme during his time at Oldham Athletic. He made his debut for Nelson in the 2–6 defeat to Bradford Park Avenue
on 26 August 1922 and scored his first goal for the club in the 1–3 loss to Ashington
on 7 October 1922. Wolstenholme netted a hat-trick
in the 3–0 victory against his old club Darlington on 23 December 1922 to keep Nelson top of the league after 16 matches of the season. He ended the 1922–23 season on 13 goals as the team were crowned champions of the Third Division North, and won promotion to the Second Division for the first time in their history. He was on the scoresheet twice in the following campaign, against Stockport County and Blackpool, but could not prevent Nelson returning to the third tier after finishing 21st in the division. Wolstenholme was given a coaching role in 1924, but continued to make sporadic appearances for the first-team, scoring two goals in seven matches in the 1924–25 season. His final professional appearance came on 7 February 1925, in Nelson's 4–1 win over Tranmere Rovers
at Seedhill
. After leaving Nelson in the summer of 1925, Wolstenholme had a short spell in non-league football
with Colne Town before retiring from football completely in 1926.
Inside forward
In football, the position of inside forward was popularly used in the late nineteenth and first half of the 20th centuries. The inside forwards would support the centre forwards, running and making space in the opposition defence, and, as the passing game developed, supporting him with passes...
. He was predominantly used as an inside-right, but could also play at inside-left if required. In a career spanning 17 years, he played for a number of Football League teams, in addition to spells in the Southern Football League
Southern Football League
The Southern League is an English football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from the South West, South Central and Midlands of England and South Wales...
with Gillingham
Gillingham F.C.
Gillingham Football Club is an English professional football club based in the town of Gillingham, Kent. The only Kent-based club in the Football League, they play their home matches at the Priestfield Stadium...
and Norwich City
Norwich City F.C.
Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...
. Wolstenholme was the first player ever to score four goals in a Football League Third Division North
Football League Third Division North
The Third Division North of The Football League was a tier in the English association football league system from 1921 to 1958. It ran parallel to Third Division South with clubs elected to the League or relegated from a higher division allocated to one or the other according to geographical position...
fixture.
Biography
Arthur Wolstenholme was born in Middleton, Greater ManchesterMiddleton, Greater Manchester
Middleton is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale, in Greater Manchester, England. It stands on the River Irk, south-southwest of Rochdale, and north-northeast of the city of Manchester...
on 14 May 1889. After his football career ended, he returned to Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, where he died in early 1958, at the age of 68.
Career
Wolstenholme played junior football with Tonge until the age of 18 before joining Football League Second DivisionFootball League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
club Oldham Athletic
Oldham Athletic A.F.C.
Oldham Athletic Association Football Club is an English association football club based at Boundary Park, on Sheepfoot Lane in Oldham, Greater Manchester. The club currently competes in the Football League One, the third tier of the English league...
towards the end of the 1907–08 season. The following campaign, he became more of a first-team regular, scoring 10 goals in 26 league appearances as the team finished sixth in the division. In 1909–10 he played a further two matches for Oldham before being signed by Blackpool
Blackpool F.C.
Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...
on a free transfer in December 1909. He made his debut for the Seasiders on 8 January, in a 2–1 defeat at Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
. He made a further eight appearances for Blackpool during their 1909–10
Blackpool F.C. season 1909-10
The 1909-10 season was Blackpool F.C.s thirteenth season in the Football League. They competed in the twenty-team Division Two, then the second tier of English football, finishing twelfth....
campaign, and scored his first League goal for the club in a 3–0 victory at West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
on 16 April. His first overall goal, however, came in their FA Cup first-round tie with Barnsley
Barnsley F.C.
Barnsley Football Club are a professional English football club based in the town of Barnsley, South Yorkshire. Nicknamed the Tykes, they were founded in 1887 under the name Barnsley St. Peter's...
at Bloomfield Road
Bloomfield Road
Bloomfield Road is an all-seater football stadium in the English town of Blackpool, Lancashire. It has been the permanent home of Blackpool F.C. since 1901 and is named after the road on which the stadium's main entrance used to stand. The stadium has been in a process of redevelopment since 2000...
on New Year's Day.
The following season, 1910–11
Blackpool F.C. season 1910-11
The 1910-11 season was Blackpool F.C.s fourteenth season in the Football League. They competed in the twenty-team Division Two, then the second tier of English football, finishing seventh....
, Wolstenholme appeared in all but two of Blackpool's League and FA Cup games. He scored four goals, all in the former competition, as the club finished seventh in Division Two. In 1911–12
Blackpool F.C. season 1911-12
The 1911-12 season was Blackpool F.C.s fifteenth season in the Football League. They competed in the twenty-team Division Two, then the second tier of English football, finishing fourteenth....
, Wolstenholme made 31 League appearances and scored nine goals and finished the season as the club's top scorer. Three of these goals were in single-goal victories: at home to Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
on 25 November; at home to Bristol City
Bristol City F.C.
Bristol City Football Club is one of two football league clubs in Bristol, England . They play at Ashton Gate, located in the south-west of the City...
two games later, on 9 December; and against Wolves on 17 April, again at Bloomfield Road. He scored again in the FA Cup, against Crewe Alexandra
Crewe Alexandra F.C.
Crewe Alexandra Football Club is an English professional football club based in Crewe, Cheshire. Nicknamed The Railwaymen due to the town's links with the rail industry, they currently play in Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football, and are based at the Alexandra Stadium.The club...
in the first of two first-round replays on 22 January. Wolstenholme's final appearance for the club occurred in the penultimate League game, a 4-1 defeat at Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
on 22 April. In total for Blackpool, he made 81 appearances and scored fifteen goals.
In August 1912, he joined Southern Football League
Southern Football League
The Southern League is an English football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from the South West, South Central and Midlands of England and South Wales...
outfit Gillingham
Gillingham F.C.
Gillingham Football Club is an English professional football club based in the town of Gillingham, Kent. The only Kent-based club in the Football League, they play their home matches at the Priestfield Stadium...
. He made his debut in the club's first match of the 1912–13
1912-13 in English football
The 1912–13 season was the 42nd season of competitive football in England.-Overview:Sunderland won the First Division for the fifth time, with a record of 25–4–9; Aston Villa, finishing second, had fewer defeats, but a lot more draws: 19–12–7....
season, its first after a change of name from New Brompton, and was a regular in the team for the first two-thirds of the season, but did not play again after 1 March 1913. He made 24 Southern League appearances for the club and scored 4 goals, in a season in which Gillingham scored the lowest number of goals in the division. He next moved to Norwich City
Norwich City F.C.
Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...
in July of the following year. Wolstenholme again changed clubs in the summer of 1914, returning to the Football League with Lincoln City
Lincoln City F.C.
Lincoln City Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Lincoln, Lincolnshire. The club are currently members of the Conference National in 2011–12 following relegation from the Football League....
. He netted seven times in 30 appearances for the Imps before competitive football in England was halted by the First World War. In 1915, he rejoined his first club, Oldham Athletic, as a wartime guest player. When league football resumed in 1919, Wolstenholme re-signed for the club permanently for a transfer fee of £75. He scored twice in 22 league matches, and was released at the end of the 1919–20 campaign. He subsequently joined Football League Third Division
Football League Third Division
The Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...
side Newport County
Newport County A.F.C.
Newport County Association Football Club are a professional football club based in the city of Newport, south Wales, who currently play in the Conference National, the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...
in June 1920, where he made 29 league appearances and scored seven goals. In the summer of 1921, he moved to Darlington
Darlington F.C.
Darlington Football Club is a professional association football club based in Darlington, County Durham, currently playing in the Conference National. The club was founded in 1883, and originally played its games at Feethams, before moving to the Darlington Arena in 2003...
on a free transfer. During the side's 7–0 win over Chesterfield
Chesterfield F.C.
Chesterfield Football Club is an English football club based in Chesterfield, Derbyshire. The club currently plays in Football League One, the third tier of English football. Despite being the fourth oldest Football League club in England, they have spent most of their existence in the lower...
on 10 September 1921, Wolstenholme became the first player ever to score four times in a Football League Third Division North
Football League Third Division North
The Third Division North of The Football League was a tier in the English association football league system from 1921 to 1958. It ran parallel to Third Division South with clubs elected to the League or relegated from a higher division allocated to one or the other according to geographical position...
match. He ended the season with a tally of 17 goals in 29 league appearances, helping Darlington to a second-place finish in the division behind Stockport County
Stockport County F.C.
Stockport County Football Club is an English football club based in Stockport, Greater Manchester. The club formed in 1883 as Heaton Norris Rovers, shortly afterwards merging with Heaton Norris F.C., and adopted the current name on 24 May 1890 on the creation of the County Borough of Stockport...
.
Despite his goalscoring exploits with Darlington, Wolstenholme was released in the summer of 1922. He was quickly signed by Nelson
Nelson F.C.
Nelson F.C. are an English football club, based in Nelson, Lancashire. They are currently members of the North West Counties Football League Division One, who played their home matches at Victoria Park, Lomeshaye Way. They are full members of the Lancashire County Football Association.-Early years:...
manager David Wilson
David Wilson (footballer born 1884)
David Wilson was a Scottish professional footballer who played as a wing half. He started his career in the Scottish Football League and went on to play 475 matches in the Football League before retiring at the age of 40. He appeared in one international match for Scotland in 1913...
, who had played with Wolstenholme during his time at Oldham Athletic. He made his debut for Nelson in the 2–6 defeat to Bradford Park Avenue
Bradford Park Avenue A.F.C.
Bradford Association Football Club, previously also known as Bradford and since its reformation in the 1970s now referred to as Bradford Park Avenue, is a football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England...
on 26 August 1922 and scored his first goal for the club in the 1–3 loss to Ashington
Ashington A.F.C.
Ashington A.F.C. is an English non-league football club from Ashington, Northumberland, currently playing in the Northern League Division One. The team, nicknamed "The Colliers", play their home matches at Woodhorn Lane....
on 7 October 1922. Wolstenholme netted a hat-trick
Hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...
in the 3–0 victory against his old club Darlington on 23 December 1922 to keep Nelson top of the league after 16 matches of the season. He ended the 1922–23 season on 13 goals as the team were crowned champions of the Third Division North, and won promotion to the Second Division for the first time in their history. He was on the scoresheet twice in the following campaign, against Stockport County and Blackpool, but could not prevent Nelson returning to the third tier after finishing 21st in the division. Wolstenholme was given a coaching role in 1924, but continued to make sporadic appearances for the first-team, scoring two goals in seven matches in the 1924–25 season. His final professional appearance came on 7 February 1925, in Nelson's 4–1 win over Tranmere Rovers
Tranmere Rovers F.C.
Tranmere Rovers Football Club are an English team based in Birkenhead, Wirral. The club currently compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system...
at Seedhill
Seedhill Football Ground
The Seedhill Football Ground was a football stadium in Nelson, Lancashire. It was the home of current North West Counties League Division One side Nelson F.C. from 1905 until 1968. Nelson later moved to Victoria Park, before the ground was demolished in 1980 to make way for the M65 motorway...
. After leaving Nelson in the summer of 1925, Wolstenholme had a short spell in non-league football
Non-league football
Non-League football is football in England played at a level below that of the Premier League and The Football League. The term non-League was commonly used well before 1992 when the top football clubs in England all belonged to The Football League; all clubs who were not a part of The Football...
with Colne Town before retiring from football completely in 1926.
Honours
Nelson:- Football League Third Division NorthFootball League Third Division NorthThe Third Division North of The Football League was a tier in the English association football league system from 1921 to 1958. It ran parallel to Third Division South with clubs elected to the League or relegated from a higher division allocated to one or the other according to geographical position...
: 1922–231922–23 Nelson F.C. seasonThe 1922–23 season was the 42nd season in the history of Nelson F.C. and their second as a professional club in the Football League. After finishing 16th in their inaugural Third Division North campaign in 1921–22, the team performed well above expectations under the guidance of player-manager...