There have been many clubs representing Staveley over the years but where did the current one Staveley Miners Welfare (not the first to bear the name by the way) originate?
The “blurb” on the home page of this archive thing reads…
“Initially playing under the name of "Nags Head FC" in nearby Barrowhill they were accepted into the Mansfield League and in 1965 they transferred to the newly created Chesterfield Sunday League. Where in 1989 they decided to form a Saturday side and the rest as they say is history....”
Which is kind of true but the last line of that requires a bit of explanation…
The parish once had a thriving industry in Coal, Iron and latterly chemicals and employed lot of local people and out of that grew various sports clubs, made up initially by works employees who donated part of their wages to help run them.
One of these - Staveley Works Football Club proved to be very successful in own right finishing the 1981 / 1982 season as Midland League Champions and were founder members of the Northern Counties East League in 1982 when the Midland and Yorkshire Leagues merged.
Where they stayed until 1987/1988 before resigning to drop down to the Central Midlands Supreme Division… for reasons explained below in the first home programme of that season a 3-2 win v Lincoln United
They would go on to finish 9th that season but sadly it would be their last… the sports grounds new Owner apparently wasn’t wholeheartedly committed to continuing, and indeed furthering sporting activities – or at least at a reasonable cost to its participants he wasn’t…
So with not being able to afford the new fees, football ended at the Works site …but not for its players it would seem who did no more than walk 2 miles up the road and began playing the very next season at a different venue under the new name of Staveley Miners Welfare!
As technically a new side they were forced to start the climb back up the ladder at the very bottom rung...
The Chesterfield Amateur League
As you go through the various seasons on this there'll be more in the way of match reports photos videos and that but unfortunately all we've got (so far) of this first season is the actual results and appearances but thats better than nothing so...
Results
| Date | Venue | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| September | |||
| Sat 2/9 | A | Coalite | 2-2 D |
| Sat 9/9 | A | Poolsbrook | 2-0 W |
| Sat 16/9 | A | Industry | 1-4 W |
| Sat 23/9 | A | Marsh Lane | 0-3 W |
| Sat 30/9 | A | Holymoorside | ?-3 W |
| October | |||
| Sat 21/10 | A | Unstone | 2-0 L |
| Sat 28/10 | H | Holymoorside | 2-2 D |
| November | |||
| Sat 4/11 | H | Poolsbrook(Byron Cup1) | 2-1 W |
| Sat 11/11 | H | Coalite | 0-1 L |
| Sat 18/11 | H | Industry | 3-0 W |
| Sat 25/11 | H | Newbold Nags Head(Graham Cup1) | 7-0 W |
| December | |||
| Sat 2/12 | H | Unstone | 1-4 L |
| Sat 9/12 | H | Bridge | 2-2 D |
| Sat 30/12 | H | Badger (GC2) | 4-1 W |
| January | |||
| Sat 6/1 | A | Sheepbridge(Byron Cup 3) | 1-3 W |
| Fri 12/1 | A | Bridge | 0-1 W |
| Sat 20/1 | H | Sheepbridge (GC3) | 2-3 L |
| Sat 27/1 | H | Mastin Moor Royal Oak | 3-1 W |
| February | |||
| Sat 3/2 | H | Marsh Lane(HC1) | 2-1 W |
| Sat 10/2 | H | Queens | 1-2 L |
| Sat 17/2 | H | Marsh Lane | 1-1 D |
| March | |||
| Sat 3/3 | H | Poolsbrook | 5-1 W |
| Sat 10/3 | A | Queens | 1-3 W |
| Sat 17/3 | H | Sheepbridge | 1-1 D |
| Sat 24/3 | H | Broad Oaks | 2-1 W |
| April | |||
| Sat 7/4 | H | Holymoorside(HC2) | 8-1 W |
| Sat 14/4 | A | Mastin Moor Royal Oak | 3-1 L |
| Mon 16/4 | N(Coalite) | Marsh Lane(BCSF) | 2-1 W |
| Sat 21/4 | A | Broad Oaks | 2-4 W |
| Fri 27/4 | N(Tubeworks) | Coalite (HCSF) | 2-1 L |
| May | |||
| Sat 5/5 | A | Sheepbridge | 2-2 D |
| Thur 17/5 | N(Saltergate) | Unstone(BCF) | 2-0 W |
Appearances
