Cleethorpes Town F.C. (1884)
{{distinguish|Cleethorpes Town F.C.}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox football club |
| clubname=Cleethorpes Town
| image=
| fullname=Cleethorpes Town Football Club
| nickname=the Donkey Drivers{{cite journal |title=Cleethorpes v Grimsby Town |journal=Athletic News |date=18 October 1887}}
| founded=1884
| dissolved=1893
| ground=Highgate
| capacity=
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| website =
|pattern_la1=|pattern_b1=|pattern_ra1=|pattern_so1=|leftarm1=C41E3A|body1=C41E3A|rightarm1=C41E3A|shorts1=|socks1=C41E3A
|}}
Cleethorpes Town F.C. was an English association football club from the town of Cleethorpes in Lincolnshire.
History
The club was founded in 1884. It first entered the Lincolnshire Senior Cup in 1885–86, losing 4–1 in the first round at Gainsborough Trinity.{{cite journal |title=Protests against Professionalism |journal=Athletic News |date=22 September 1885 |page=2}}
Its first entry to the FA Cup was in 1886–87, the club recovering from conceding an early goal to beat Mellors 2–1.{{cite journal |title=report |journal=Nottingham Journal |date=1 November 1886 |page=6}} In the second round the club was well beaten by Lockwood Brothers at home.
The following season the club drew the professional side Grimsby Town at home. The Mariners offered £7 to switch the tie to Grimsby, but Cleethorpes refused. Grimsby therefore arranged a home match for the reserves on the same day, against Kiveton Park, and sent the first team to Cleethorpes.{{cite journal |title=Cleethorpes v Grimsby Town |journal=Athletic News |date=18 October 1887}} The crowd was only a couple of hundred and Grimsby won both matches 4–0, so the Cleethorpes gamble of a big home gate did not come off.{{cite journal |title=Cleethorpes v Grimsby Town |journal=Sheffield Independent |date=17 October 1887|page=6}}
One of the club's players, Charles Colbeck, was present at the Grimsby Town against Staveley F.C. match in which William Cropper of Staveley died of injuries after a collision with Daniel Doyle, and gave evidence at the inquest.{{cite journal |title=Fatal football accident in Lincolnshire |journal=Leeds Mercury |date=15 January 1889 |page=8}}
The last record for the club is of a defeat to Grimsby Town reserves in the Grimsby League in 1893,{{cite journal |title=League competition at Grimsby |journal=Hull Daily Mail |date=3 May 1893 |page=4}} and the name was revived in 1904 when St Peter's F.C. changed its name.{{cite journal |title=The football field |journal=Grimsby Evening Telegraph |date=18 August 1904 |page=3}}
Colours
The club's colours were cardinal shirts and white shorts.{{cite book |last1=Alcock |first1=Charles |title=Football Yearbook |date=1887 |page=185}}{{cite journal |title=Mystery on the football pitch |journal=Grimsby Evening Telegraph |date=20 July 1998 |page=17}}
Ground
The club's original home ground was Highgate,{{cite book |last1=Alcock |first1=Charles |title=Football Yearbook |date=1887 |page=185}} on Cleethorpes High Street.