Wikipedia - Mossley A.F.C.

Mossley Association Football Club is a football club in Mossley, Greater Manchester, England. Nicknamed the Lilywhites after the white shirts adopted in 1912, they are currently members of the Northern Premier League Division One West and play at Seel Park.

History

The club was established as Park Villa. After a season of playing friendlies and cup matches, they were renamed Mossley Juniors in 1904 and joined the Stalybridge & District League. In their first competitive league match the club lost 9–1 to Dunham Villa, but they recovered to beat Mossley Volunteers 2–1 the following week. The club transferred to the Ashton, Dunkinfield & District League in 1907, and then the Oldham & District League in 1907 and the West End Amateur League in 1908. In 1909 they were renamed Mossley Association Football Club and joined Division Two of the Ashton & District League. They finished joint top of the table in 1909–10 before losing a championship play-off match 3–2 to Ashton St Peter's reserves. However, they did win the Ashton Junior Cup. The league was reduced to a single division the following season, with Mossley continuing as members. They won the league in 1911–12 and were runners-up in the next two seasons, also winning the Lady Aitken League Cup in 1913–14, beating Droylsden in a second replay.

Mossley were Ashton & District League champions again in 1914–15, also winning the League Cup and the Manchester Junior Cup. In 1915 they joined the South East Lancashire League. However, despite leading the league in January, club officials decided to disband due to the war. They reformed for the 1916–17 and joined the Manchester Amateur League, but disbanded again in January 1917. The club was resurrected again in December 1918 and joined the Manchester Section of the Lancashire Combination for the truncated 1919 season, going on to finish as runners-up. Later in 1919 Mossley were founder members of the Cheshire County League, finishing as runners-up in the league and losing the League Cup final in the 1919–20 season. They won the League Cup the following season. In 1933–34 the club won the Manchester Junior Cup for a second time. They subsequently won Manchester Shield in 1937–38.

Following World War II Mossley finished bottom of the league in 1945–46. The 1949–50 season saw the club reach the first round of the FA Cup for the first time. After beating Witton Albion 1–0, they lost 3–0 to Nuneaton Borough in a second round replay. In 1960–61 the club won the League Cup and the Manchester Intermediate Cup, winning the latter trophy again in 1966–67 and 1967–68. They reached the first round of the FA Cup again in 1969–70, losing 1–0 to Stockport County in a replay, before going on to finish as runners-up in the league. After winning the Manchester Senior Cup in 1971–72, they moved up to the Northern Premier League. The club won the Senior Cup for a second time in 1976–77. Another appearance in the FA Cup first round in 1977–78 saw them lose 3–0 to Rotherham United. However, the season ended with the club winning the Northern Premier League title and the League Cup. However, they were unable to be promoted to the Alliance Premier League as their ground did not meet the requirements. The club were subsequently invited to play in a Non League Champion of Champions Cup match at the start of the following season, but were beaten by Southern League champions Worcester City over two legs.

Mossley retained their league title in 1979–80. They also reached the FA Cup first round again, losing 5–2 to York City, as well as reaching the final of the FA Trophy, in which they were beaten 2–1 by Dagenham at Wembley Stadium. The club defeated Football League opposition in the FA Cup for the first time the following season, beating Crewe Alexandra 1–0 before losing 3–1 at home to Mansfield Town in the second round. They went on to finish as runners-up in the league, which they repeated in each of the next two seasons, as well as making further FA Cup first round appearances which ended in defeat by Stockport and Huddersfield Town. Although the club reached the FA Cup first round again in 1983–84 (losing to 5–0 Darlington), they also finished bottom of the Northern Premier League, marking the end of their period of success.

The Northern Premier League gained a second division in 1987, with Mossley becoming members of the Premier Division. They won the League Cup and the Manchester Premier Cup in 1988–89, before winning the league's Challenge Shield in 1989–90 and the Manchester Premier Cup in 1990–91. However, the club were relegated to Division One at the end of the 1992–93 season, and then finished bottom of Division One in 1994–95, resulting in relegation to Division One of the North West Counties League (which had been formed by merger of the Cheshire County League and the Lancashire Combination in 1982). They were Division One runners-up in 1998–99 and won the League Cup in 2002–03, before finishing as runners-up in Division One again the following season, earning promotion back to Division One of the Northern Premier League.

Mossley were Division One champions in 2005–06 and were promoted to the Premier Division. However, they were relegated at the end of the following season, at which point the club were placed in Division One North. The club won the Manchester Premier Cup in 2011–12, and retained it the following season, which also saw the club finish fifth in the league, qualifying for the promotion play-offs. However, they were beaten 1–0 by Cammell Laird in the semi-finals. The club won the Premier Cup again in 2014–15 and 2015–16.

Mossley Football Club is a semi-professional soccer team based in Mossley, Greater Manchester, England. The team was founded in 1903 and currently competes in the Northern Premier League Division One North West.

Known for their passionate fan base and rich history, Mossley FC has a strong tradition of developing young talent and playing an attractive style of football. The team's colors are black and white, and they play their home matches at Seel Park, a historic stadium with a capacity of around 2,000 spectators.

Mossley FC has a proud record of success in regional competitions and has a reputation for being a tough opponent for any team they face. With a dedicated coaching staff and a committed group of players, Mossley FC continues to strive for success and aims to bring glory to their community and fans.