| Full name | Trawden Forest/Colne | |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 1892 | |
| Dissolved | 1913 | |
| Ground | Alkincoates | |
Trawden Forest Football Club was an English association football club based in the village ofTrawden in Lancashire and playing their matches atCottontree,Colne.
The club was founded in December 1892.[1] It entered theFA Cup, the major English cup competition, for the first time in the 1897–98 season and reached the first qualifying round before being knocked out byStalybridge Rovers. In the following season, Trawden Forest enjoyed their best run in the FA Cup, reaching the second qualifying round before losing away atSouthport Central. In 1899–1900, they were knocked out in the preliminary round byNelson.[2] Trawden Forest never won another match in the FA Cup, and their heaviest defeat in the competition came on 21 September 1901, when they were beaten 0–7 away atOswaldtwistle Rovers.[3]
For the 1902–03 season, the team joined theLancashire Combination, which was the highest level ofnon-league football in the area. Trawden Forest finished 14th out of 18 teams. A record of 9 wins, 8 draws and 17 defeats gave the team a total of 26 points from 34 matches.[4] In the same season, the team entered the preliminary round and heldBacup to a 3–3 draw before losing the replay three days later.[3]
In July 1903, Trawden Forest FC changed its name to Colne FC.[5] Under that name, the club continued to play in the Lancashire Combination until 1913 when it folded.[6]
The club originally wore blue and white striped shirts,[7][8] which it changed in 1905 to green jerseys.[9]
The club played at Alkincoates, in the north-west of Colne, and to the south of the current Alkincoates Park, roughly encompassed by Priestfield Avenue.[10]
Several footballers began their careers at Trawden Forest before moving into professional football;Arthur Dixon went on to play professionally with Burnley,Tottenham Hotspur andBradford Park Avenue, while William Nunnick representedBurnley in the Football League.[11] Others ended their career at the club having retired from the professional game;James Savage,William Watkins andAlfred Sawley all played for Trawden Forest after leaving Burnley.[11]
| Season | Date | Round | Opponents | H/A | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1897–98 | 18 September 1897 | Preliminary Round | South Shore | Home | 4–3 |
| 25 September 1897 | First qualifying round | Stalybridge Rovers | Away | 0–3 | |
| 1898–99 | 24 September 1898 | Preliminary Round | Carlisle City | Away | 3–2 |
| 1 October 1898 | First qualifying round | Black Diamonds | Away | 3–1 | |
| 15 October 1898 | Second qualifying round | Southport Central | Away | 2–3 | |
| 1899–1900 | 23 September 1899 | Preliminary Round | Nelson | Away | 1–2 |
| 1900–01 | 6 October 1900 | First qualifying round | Blackburn Park Road | Away | 1–5 |
| 1901–02 | 21 September 1901 | Preliminary Round | Oswaldtwistle Rovers | Away | 0–7 |
| 1902–03 | 20 September 1902 | Preliminary Round | Bacup | Home | 3–3 |
| 23 September 1902 | Preliminary Round (replay) | Bacup | Away | 3–4 |
