Glossop North End - A Brief History
Take this nugget of information with you next time you head to a sports trivia quiz; the smallest town ever to be the home of a Football League top division club is Glossop, albeit at the turn of the 19th century.
Admitted to the two-division
League for the 1898/99 season after a 3rd application, North End won promotion
at the first attempt when they finished second to Manchester City in Division
2 (and finishing above Newton Heath, who of course went on to become Manchester
United). Sadly, the glory would only last for one season, as The Hillsmen
were relegated after just the one season. They struggled to just 4 victories
and propped up the division, however they did manage a 1-0 victory at home
to then Champions Aston Villa and beat another future European Champion side
when they thrashed Notts Forest 3-0. 
In
1908/09, the club recorded their best FA Cup performance when they reached
the quarter finals before losing in a replay at Bristol City. However, the
adventure had been financed by cotton magnate Samuel Hill-Wood, and with that
industry in terminal decline (at least as far as Glossop and surrounding area
was concerned) he upped sticks to London, and Glossop lost their position
in the league when they failed to be re-elected after the first world war.
At the same time, Arsenal were elected to the top division from which they
have never been relegated; ironic given that it was to the London club that
Hill-Wood turned his attention, investing in the Gunners. Indeed, his great
grandson, Peter Hill-Wood, is still chairman their.
Although no longer in the illustrious big league, Glossop North endured, thanks to a former captain, Oswald Partington MP, who reformed the club after the Great War. Between the wars they played in the Manchester league, winning the Gilgryst Cup on three occasions and winning the Championship in 1927/28. The 2005/2006 season sees the Hillmen mark 50 years at their current home, The Arthur Goldthorpe Stadium, better known as Surrey Street. Goldthorpe was a local Estate Agent who made a donation of £700 to build the stadium - over half of the cost. A crowd of 2000 attended the official opening of the ground, and the improved facilities meant that the club were accepted into the Lancashire Combination. In 1982/83, the club were founder members of the North West Counties league, where they have remained ever since, but the time has not been without drama.
In 1990/1991 the club almost folded when the then Chairman sold the ground to the local council and left the club with huge debts thanks to criminal activity. In January 1991 the club was reconstituted reverting back to its original North End name that it had abandoned in 1898. (The name incidentally, was homage to Preston, who the Chairman greatly admired). In the summer of 1992, the local community rallied around the club to ensure that the ground was up to first division standards. Floodlights were erected by volunteer supporters with many of the materials being donated. There has been some silverware too. IN 1997 Syd White took the side to a Manchester Premier Cup triumph, defeating Trafford FC at Old Trafford, and then retained the title a year later at Maine Road with victory over Radcliffe Borough. They also took the Derbyshire Senior Cup for the first time in their history with victory over Glapwell in 2001. Current boss Chris Nicholson took over in the summer of 2001 and has instilled a superb spirit at the club again. The 2004/2005 season was the best for 7 years, finishing 13th, reaching a semi-final and producing the league's highest scorer with 40 goals, Garry Kharas. Kharas's achievement was the best total for a season in all the clubs available records.
