Club History

Pool St.Wilfreds football club was attached to church and played in the Leeds Churches League between the two World Wars. The pitch in those days was at the Leathley Lane junction with the Harrogate Road in the north side field. Following the second world war Ken Wilkinson and Fred Midgley got together to re-establish Pool St.Wilfred’s.

This time entering the Harrogate and District League. During this period, they moved the pitch from Leathley Lane to Arthington Lane onto the field where Pool School now stands. These pitches were also farmers’ fields with the first job each match day being to shift the copious amounts of cow muck. Then to mark out with sawdust or shavings. Pool St. Wilfred’s continued up to the severe winter of 1962-63 when a meeting was called on 7th February 1963, present at the meeting were: W.Swales, J.Swales, M.Keddle, J.Keddle, W.Batty, S.Duckworth, G.Godley, D.Fletcher, A.Marriott and J.Boothroyd. Due to shortage of funds, shortage of players, and a large fixture backlog due to the snow, a vote was taken on whether to continue, only 3 voted in favour so Pool St. Wilfred’s was disbanded. Although there was then a period with no senior league football in Pool, Steve Sayer often reminded us that friendly matches at that time, and there was also some junior football.

Then on July 12th 1968, a meeting was called, the purpose of the meeting to try to form a football club to be known as Pool AFC, present at this meeting were: W.Swales, E.Hardcastle, F.Midgley, T.Whiteley, B.Kelly, K.Ridealgh, A.Marriott, M.Keddle, R.Pickard, G.Holliday, F.Marriott, and S.Wilkinson. Others there at the start of Pool AFC were K.Wilkinson, C.Bell, N.Midgley, and P.Johnson. A team was entered into the Harrogate and District League in 1968 with a 2nd team them in 1969.

The pitch remained at Arthington Lane until the land was sold to the West Riding County Council by the Whiteley family for the building of the school, a pitch was provided for use by the football club, this pitch is still being used today. During the building of the school a pitch was marked out behind Oakdale Park (now part of the Redrow Housing Development), this pitch being used for several years due to poor drainage on the new pitch. Hilton Grange Children’s Home pitch was also used during the interim years.

In 1992 the field near Pool bridge became available allowing us to put a football pitch onto it. This second pitch enabled us to look at a 3rd team and in ‘1993 the A team was formed.