Cleethorpes Town F.C. (1901)

The first record for the club is from the 1901–02 season under the name St Peter's.{{cite journal |title=Sport & play |journal=Grimsby Evening Telegraph |date=20 March 1902 |page=4}} It changed its name to Cleethorpes Town in 1904.{{cite journal |title=The football field |journal=Grimsby Evening Telegraph |date=18 August 1904 |page=3}} Its first local success came in 1907–08, when it reached three local finals (Grimsby Charity Cup, Horncastle Cup, and Lincolnshire Junior Cup);{{cite journal |title=Local junior notes |journal=Grimsby Evening Telegraph |date=2 April 1908 |page=4}} it lost the Lincolnshire final to Scunthorpe United,{{cite journal |title=Local junior notes |journal=Grimsby Evening Telegraph |date=20 April 1908 |page=4}} but beat Lincoln South End in the final the following season.{{cite journal |title=Amongst the junior clubs |journal=Grimsby Evening Telegraph |date=13 April 1909 |page=4}} The club also reached the Hull Times final in 1910–11 and 1911–12, trading wins with the works side of Reckitts,{{cite journal |title="Times" Cup Final |journal=Hull Daily Mail |date=26 April 1912 |page=2}} and in the latter season taking the Grimsby League. The club also played in the first iteration of the Lincolnshire Football League,{{cite journal |title=Lincolnshire Football Association |journal=Grimsby Evening Telegraph |date=9 May 1913 |page=4}} finishing as runner-up in the northern section in 1913–14.{{cite journal |title=Football |journal=Lincolnshire Echo |date=11 April 1914 |page=3}}

The club's ambit was almost purely local, and it did not reach the main rounds of the FA Cup; the furthest it reached was the fifth and penultimate qualifying round in 1919–20, losing to Castleford Town - the Meggies being handicapped after forward Chris Young had to leave the field in the first half through injury.{{cite journal |title=Cleethorpes' Cup Finis |journal=Grimsby Evening Telegraph |date=8 December 1919 |page=8}} It never rose above the status of local leagues, even withdrawing from the Grimsby League in 1905{{cite journal |title=Lincolnshire Football Association |journal=Hull Daily Mail |date=23 February 1905 |page=5}} after a match with Grimsby All Saints that ended in extreme acrimony, including one Cleethorpes player removing the goalposts so the game could not finish.{{cite journal |title=Lincolnshire Football Association |journal=Hull Daily Mail |date=5 January 1905 |page=5}}

Although the club was playing matches up to the outbreak of World War 2,{{cite journal |title=Teams for Saturday |journal=Scunthorpe Evening Telegraph |date=11 August 1939 |page=7}} it had started operating in 1930 as a de facto nursery club for Grimsby Town, which led to a Football Association inquiry as to whether the club was truly amateur, and could retain its place in the FA Amateur Cup.{{cite journal |title=Grimsby knocked out twice? |journal=Athletic News |date=3 March 1930 |page=11}} The club did not operate during the war itself, and did not re-start on the declaration of peace, having been unable to find an exclusive ground.{{cite journal |title=Sidney Park Football |journal=Grimsby Telegraph |date=22 July 1946 |page=3}} There was a brief resurrection in the 1960s of the club before another club chose the name in 2005.

The club wore black and white striped shirts,{{cite journal |title=Local football |journal=Grimsby Evening Telegraph |date=6 December 1929 |page=4}} white shorts, and black socks.{{cite journal |title=Glittering talents |journal=Grimsby Evening Telegraph |date=13 February 1990 |page=8}}

The club originally played at Kingsway;{{cite journal |title=Teams for Saturday |journal=Grimsby Evening Telegraph |date=3 January 1907 |page=4}} in 1919, it moved to a ground behind Reynolds Street School on the Grimsby Road,{{cite journal |title=Cleethorpes notes |journal=Grimsby Evening Telegraph |date=19 June 1919 |page=3}} and in 1925 moved to Taylor's Avenue, christened with a friendly against Grimsby Town.{{cite journal |title=Meggies and Mariners |journal=Grimsby Evening Telegraph |date=5 September 1925 |page=3}} The ground hosted motorcycle football in 1926.{{cite journal |title=Motoring |journal=Coventry Herald and Free Press |date=4 September 1926 |page=1}}

The club's nickname was the Meggies,{{cite journal |title=English Cup - replayed tie |journal=Grimsby Evening Telegraph |date=13 November 1919 |page=8}}{{cite journal |title=World of sport |journal=Hull Daily Mail |date=22 September 1925 |page=2}} a local term for those born and bred in Cleethorpes.{{cite web |last1=Johnson |first1=Paul |title=Why is Cleethorpes called Meggies? The facts and fables behind the name |url=https://www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/news/local-news/cleethorpes-called-meggies-facts-fables-1608402 |website=Grimsby Evening Telegraph|date=7 July 2024 }}

• Arthur Bateman. defender who moved to Grimsby Town in 1927 and was later a regular for Brentford.{{Cite book |last1=Haynes |first1=Graham |title=Timeless Bees: Brentford F.C. Who's Who 1920–2006 |last2=Coumbe |first2=Frank |publisher=Yore Publications |year=2006 |isbn=0955294916 |location=Harefield |page=17}}

• Thomas Bell, former Grimsby Town player who finished his career with the club just before World War 1.{{cite book|last1=Lamming|first1=Douglas|title=A who's who of Grimsby Town AFC : 1890–1985|date=1985|publisher=Hutton|location=Beverley|isbn=0-907033-34-2|page=18}}

• Alec Hall, wing-half who played for the club in 1928–29 before becoming a stalwart at Grimsby.{{cite book|last1=Lamming|first1=Douglas|title=A who's who of Grimsby Town AFC : 1890–1985|date=1985|publisher=Hutton|location=Beverley|isbn=0-907033-34-2|page=42}}{{cite journal |title=Well-matched teams in League games |journal=Evening Despatch |date=25 September 1936 |page=20}}

• John Scott, former Newcastle United forward who joined Cleethorpes after World War 1{{Cite book |title=Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939 |last=Joyce |first=Michael |publisher=Tony Brown |year=2012 |isbn=978-1905891610 |location=Nottingham |page=258}}

• Charlie Wilson, defender who also played one season for the Meggies (1921–22) before becoming a regular at Grimsby{{cite book|last1=Lamming|first1=Douglas|title=A who's who of Grimsby Town AFC : 1890–1985|date=1985|publisher=Hutton|location=Beverley|isbn=0-907033-34-2|page=100}}

• Charlie Wrack, defender who was also signed by Grimsby Town

{{Reflist}}

Category:Defunct football clubs in England

Category:Association football clubs established in 1901

Category:Cleethorpes

Category:Association football clubs disestablished in 1946

Category:Football clubs in Lincolnshire

Category:Grimsby Town F.C.