Bell's Temperance F.C.

{{short description|Former association football club in Lancashire}}

{{ infobox football club

| clubname = Bell's Temperance

| fullname = Bell's Temperance Football Club

| caption =

| nickname = Bell's, the Abstainers, the Watermen{{cite web |last1=Onslow |first1=Tony |title=Well Qualified to Keep Goal for Everton |url=https://www.evertonia.com/archives/28767.html |website=Evertonia |access-date=8 March 2025}}

| motto =

| shortname =

| founded = 1884

| dissolved = 1895

| ground = Bell's Temperance Field

| chairman = E. J. Holden

| mgrtitle = Secretary

| manager = A. Tattersall

|owner =

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| pattern_la1 = _blue_stripes4

| pattern_b1 = _bluestripes4

| pattern_ra1 = _blue_stripes4

|pattern_so1=

| leftarm1 = FFFFFF

| body1 = FFFFFF

| rightarm1 = FFFFFF

| shorts1 = FFFFFF

| socks1 = 0000FF

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}}

Bell's Temperance F.C. was an association football club from Accrington, Lancashire, active in the 1880s and 1890s.

History

File:1886–87 Lancashire Junior Cup 2nd Round, Everton 2–3 Bell's Temperance, Liverpool Daily Post, 8 November 1886.png

The club was founded in 1884, from a working men's club in Nuttall Street{{cite journal |title=Bell's Temperance Club |journal=Preston Herald |date=21 January 1885 |page=3}} named in honour of William Bell, a promoter of the Temperance Movement, and which did not serve alcohol.{{cite web |title=Lancashire Challenge Trophy |url=https://nwcfl.com/news-articles.php?id=7837 |website=North-west Counties Football League |access-date=14 March 2024}} Its earliest recorded match was a 4–3 win over West End of Burnley in September.{{cite journal |title=West End v Accrington Bell Temperance |journal=Burnley Express |date=27 September 1884 |page=3}} Bell's entered the Lancashire Senior Cup in 1884–85, losing 4–3 at Darcy Lever.{{cite journal |title=report |journal=Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News |date=11 October 1884 |page=14}} The club was ambitious enough to attend the early meetings of the proposed British Football Association.{{cite journal |title=British Football Association |journal=Sportsman |date=31 October 1884 |page=4}}

Bell's won the first Lancashire Junior Cup in 1885–86, beating Darwen Rovers 6–2 in front of 4,000 spectators at the Fleetwood Rangers ground, with goals from Holgate (2), Parkinson, Heaton, Sprone, and Entwistle - the score was 1–1 at half-time but Bell's had played into the wind in the first half.{{cite journal |title=Bell's Temperance v Darwen Rovers |journal=Blackpool Gazette |date=9 April 1886 |page=3}} It retained the trophy in 1886–87, having originally been knocked out by Lostock Hall in a fifth replay but successfully appealing the defeat on the basis that Lostock had fielded professionals.{{cite journal |title=The Bells [sic] Temperance Football Club |journal=Sporting Life |date=21 January 1887 |page=4}} En route to the final Bell's beat Everton 3–2 at Anfield.

It was unable to defend its Junior trophy in 1887–88 as the competition regulations forbade a two-time winner from entering, so that season it could only play in the Senior; it lost 10–1 at Bolton Wanderers in the first round.{{cite book |last1=Sutcliffe |first1=C. E. |last2=Hargreaves |first2=J. |title=History of the Lancashire Football Association |date=1928 |publisher=Geo. Toulmin & Sons |location=Blackburn |page=74}} The one consolation for the club was its treasurer, Richard Watson, successfully appealed against some of the expenses Bolton Wanderers were claiming in order to reduce the gate share due to Bell's, his advocacy being so persuasive that he was invited onto the Lancashire FA committee.{{cite journal |title=Accrington's next mayor |journal=Accrington Observer |date=29 September 1928 |page=7}} The club also reached the East Lancashire Charity Cup final, but lost 4–3 to Blackburn Park Road at Blackburn Rovers' Leamington ground.{{cite journal |title=The East Lancashire Charity Shield - Final |journal=Blackburn Standard |date=9 June 1888 |page=8}}

In March 1889, the club proposed the foundation of a Junior football league, with clubs such as Burnley Union Star, Higher Walton, Nelson, and Blackburn Park Road as members.{{cite journal |title=The proposed Junior football league |journal=Burnley Express |date=13 March 1889 |page=2}} The competition - the North-East Lancashire League - was taken over by the Lancashire Combination in 1894–95,{{cite journal |title=Football prospects |journal=Athletic News |date=27 August 1894 |page=5}} but this new higher standard was too much for Bell's. The club had been a mid-table outfit in the North-East Lancashire League,{{cite journal |title=The North-East Lancashire League |journal=Burnley Express |date=26 March 1890 |page=4}} but it finished bottom of the 1894–95 Combination table, with only 3 wins in 24 matches - even worse for the club it had two points deducted for fielding an ineligible player,{{cite web |title=Lancashire Combination 1891–1909 |url=https://www.nonleaguematters.co.uk/nlmnet/Regs1Df/Lan91.html |website=Non League Matters |access-date=14 March 2024}} and was ordered to pay a 30s fine for not paying a season deposit;{{cite journal |title=Notes on sport |journal=Burnley Express |date=16 March 1895 |page=6}} the club was so financially strapped that the money had to come from Bolton Wanderers.{{cite journal |title=Football |journal=Burnley Express |date=11 May 1895 |page=8}}

Despite this poor season, the club was exempted from the Junior Cup qualifying stages in 1895–96,{{cite journal |title=Lancashire Cup competition |journal=Wigan Observer |date=24 August 1895 |page=3}} but the club lost 7–0 at Turton in the first round, and does not seem to have played again;{{cite journal |title=Lancashire Junior Cup |journal=Lancaster Standard |date=17 January 1896 |page=2}} it was certainly defunct by 1899.{{cite journal |title=N-E. Lancashire Combination |journal=Lancashire Evening Post |date=14 October 1899 |page=7}}

Colours

The club wore narrow blue and white striped shirts, white shorts, and blue stockings.{{cite book |last1=Sutcliffe |first1=C. E. |last2=Hargreaves |first2=J. |title=History of the Lancashire Football Association |date=1928 |publisher=Geo. Toulmin & Sons |location=Blackburn |page=74}}

Ground

The club played at the Bell's Temperance Football Field at Woodnook, which became Accrington Stanley's ground until 1901.{{cite journal |title=New football ground |journal=Preston Herald |date=6 April 1901 |page=3}}

Notable players

James Hardman, who became captain of Accrington Stanley{{cite journal |title=N-E. Lancashire Combination |journal=Lancashire Evening Post |date=14 October 1899 |page=7}}