Loughborough F.C.

Loughborough Athletic and Football Club were an English football club based in Loughborough, Leicestershire, that played in the Football League at the end of the 19th century. History The club started life as Loughborough Football Club in 1886 from a merger of Victoria and Athletic, the two senior sides in the town, using the latter's ground then called Bromhead or Hubbard Cricket Ground. November 1887 saw merger with the local athletics club to form Loughborough Athletic and Football Club. The club is often incorrectly referred to as Loughborough Town at this time although there is no documented evidence for the name. In 1891 the club joined the Midland League. After winning the league title in 1894–95, Loughborough were elected to the Football League Second Division after Millwall Athletic turned down an invitation to join. The club struggled in the Second Division, never finishing higher than 12th (out of 16). In 1900 the club finished bottom of the League, conceding 100 goals in 34 games, winning only a single game and collecting only 8 points of a possible 68, arguably the worst record in the history of the League—only Doncaster Rovers have an equally low points record, set in 1904–05, but they had a somewhat better goal average. This season saw their record League defeat, 12–0 at Woolwich Arsenal; due to financial constraints the team consisted of four professionals and seven amateurs and their travelling expenses were paid for by Arsenal.