12 teams took part in the inaugural season of the Football League in 1888/89. Which stadiums that hosted games that season still stand and what has become of those that no longer exist?
Accrington – Thorneyholme Road
The home of Accrington FC, the only team on this list that no longer exists. Thorneyholme Road was opened as a cricket ground in 1878 when Accrington Cricket Club moved to the site. Accrington FC was founded in the same year and also became based at the ground. The football pitch was located at the western end of the ground, with a covered stand and some uncovered seating built on the western touchline and more uncovered seating installed behind both goals. It was their home until 1896 when they dissolved. Today the stadium is still in use as a cricket ground for Accrington Cricket Club and the area where the football pitch was is now tennis courts.
Aston Villa – Wellington Road
Wellington Road in the Perry Barr area of Birmingham was the home of Aston Villa who acquired the ground in 1876. Initially, there were no spectator facilities and players changed in a nearby blacksmith’s shed. However, the ground was gradually improved, with a grandstand built on the eastern touchline and two pavilions built on the western touchline and behind the southern goal line. Wellington Road hosted 2 FA Cup semi-finals and an England international, but the pitch was poor and the crowds grew. The last league match was played at Wellington Road on 22nd March 1897, after that Villa moved to Villa Park. The land was built over for housing and today no trace of the stadium remains.
Blackburn Rovers – Leamington Road
Leamington Road was Blackburn’s third ground between 1881 and 1890. The ground had a 600-seat stand on the north-eastern touchline and a pavilion in the eastern corner of the ground. The perimeter of the pitch was surrounded with duckboards. Leamington Road hosted two England internationals. The last League game played there was on 4th January 1890, after which the club moved to Ewood Park. The site was built over for housing shortly after.
Bolton Wanderers – Pike’s Lane
Pikes Lane was Bolton’s first regular home venue. The club moved into Pikes Lane in 1880 and remained there until 1895. The stadium opened in 1880 and initially had embankments on both sides of the pitch. Later developments included a grandstand on the northern touchline and wooden terracing behind the eastern goal. On the 8 September 1888, the first goal in the Football League was scored at Pikes Lane, when Bolton’s Kenny Davenport scored after two minutes. A week later the first Football League hat-trick was also scored at Pike’s Lane by Burnley’s William Tait. The last match at the ground was being played on 13th April 1895, after that Bolton moved to Burnden Park. Pike’s Lane was unpopular with players and supporters due to a poor pitch and inadequate spectator facilities. It is now the site of terraced housing.
Burnley – Turf Moor
Burnley moved into Turf Moor when it opened in 1883. Spectators had to congregate around the pitch or watch from the hill at the back of Turf Moor, so in 1885 the club built an 800-seater wooden grandstand and installed uncovered standing areas for 5,000 people at each end of the pitch. Burnley still plays at Turf Moor today, with the stadium having a current capacity of 21,944.
Derby County – The County Ground
The County Cricket Ground also known as Racecourse Ground opened in 1863 as a cricket ground. It was the home of Derby County between 1884 and 1895 when they moved to the Baseball Ground. In 1886 it staged the first ever FA Cup Final played outside of London and also staged an England International against Ireland in 1895. Today the ground is named Incora County Ground and is used for cricket. It is the home of Derbyshire County Cricket Club and has a capacity of 9,500.
Everton – Anfield
Anfield was the home of Everton from 1884 until 1892. Opened in 1884, Anfield was originally owned by John Orrell, a minor land owner who was a friend of Everton FC member John Houlding. Everton, who previously played at Priory Road, needed a new venue and Orrell lent the pitch to the club in exchange for a small rent. During Everton’s tenure at the stadium, stands were erected for some of the 8,000-plus spectators regularly attending matches, although the ground was capable of holding around 20,000 spectators. The ground was considered of international standard. In 1892, negotiations to purchase the land at Anfield from Orrell escalated into a dispute between Houlding and the Everton F.C. committee over how the club was run. Events culminated in Everton’s move to Goodison Park. Houlding was left with an empty stadium, and decided to form a new club to occupy it – Liverpool FC. Today Anfield has a capacity of 60,725 and is still the home of Liverpool FC.
Notts County – Trent Bridge
Another cricket ground, Trent Bridge was first used for cricket in the 1830s and hosted important Notts County matches from the 1860s, but it was the primary venue for Nottingham Forest until 1883 when they moved out and Notts County moved in permanently. However, some games early and late in the season had to be played elsewhere due to the cricket. In 1910 Notts County moved to their current home Meadow Lane. Today the ground is still used for cricket and is the headquarters of Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club.
Preston North End – Deepdale
The champions of the inaugural season, Preston was originally a cricket club and had been based at Deepdale since 1875. The land on which the stadium stands was originally Deepdale Farm. The club first took up football in 1878 as a winter fitness activity and decided to focus on it in 1880, when the football club was officially founded. Preston North End won the league that season without a defeat commulating 18 wins and 4 draws. Today Deepdale has a capacity of 23,408 and is still the home of Preston North End Football Club.
Stoke – Victoria Ground
Victoria Ground opened in 1878 when Stoke moved in. The ground took its name from the nearby Victoria Hotel and was part of the Stoke Victoria Athletic Club’s ground. The stadium was initially oval-shaped; comprising a large running track with a fair-sized playing area in the center on which the primary sport played was cricket. There was an open grass bank at each end, and a small but compact wooden stand on the east side capable of housing 1,000 people. Opposite this stand was another bank which could hold 4,000.Victoria Ground was the home of Stoke until 1997 when they moved to Britannia Stadium. It was demolished in 1997 and the site stood empty for over 20 years until a housing development was built in 2019 named Victoria Park with the streets named after former Stoke players and managers.
West Bromwich Albion – Stoney Lane
Stoney Lane opened in 1885 and was the home of West Bromwich until 1900. West Brom moved in from their Four Acres ground in 1885. A 600-seat grandstand was built on the southern touchline, with open wooden stands on each side of the grandstand. Banking was raised on the northern touchline. In 1900 the club moved to the Hawthorns, taking the wooden grandstand with them. The last match at Stoney Lane was played on 16 April 1900, with West Brom beating Nottingham Forest 8–0. The stadium was demolished shortly after. Today there is a housing estate in its place.
Wolverhampton Wanderers – Dudley Road
Dudley Road was the home ground of Wolverhampton Wanderers between 1881 and 1889. It had sparse facilities, consisting of only a lean-to shelter on the southern touchline and a small standing area with duckboards. The last match played at Dudley Road was an FA Cup game against The Wednesday on 2 March 1889. After that Wolves moved to Molineux Stadium. Now the site is a housing estate, with the main road through the estate named “Wanderers Avenue”.
