Boston F.C. was an English

association football Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is t ...

club from

Lincolnshire Lincolnshire (abbreviated Lincs.) is a county in the East Midlands of England, with a long coastline on the North Sea to the east. It borders Norfolk to the south-east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south-west, Leicestershir ...

History

The club claimed a foundation date in 1878 and first entered the

FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competit ...

in 1887–88, losing 7–0 in the first round to

Gainsborough Trinity Gainsborough Trinity Football Club is a football club based in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, England. Established in 1873, the club became members of the Football League in 1893 and remained members of the Second Division until 1912, making Gains ...

. The tie was one of the first in which a substitute was used, Trinity's right-winger Williamson broke his arm after about ten minutes, with the score goalless, and Boston captain Shannon proposing that Trinity bring in a replacement; one of the reserves, Watkin, came on in place of Williamson. The club continued to enter the qualifying rounds, but, although it could beat other amateur sides, it lost 9–0 to Lincoln City and 10–0 to

Grimsby Town Grimsby Town Football Club is a professional football club based in Cleethorpes, North East Lincolnshire, England, that in the 2022–23 season will compete in , the fourth tier of the English football league system, following the victory in t ...

in 1890-91 and 1891–92. Its best run in the local competition was reaching the semi-finals in 1890–91, losing 3–2 to

Grantham Town Grantham Town Football Club is a football club, based in Grantham, Lincolnshire, England. They are currently members of the and play at the South Kesteven Sports Stadium. History The club was established in 1874 as Grantham Football Club.

. In 1887, the club had a new stand built, but, given the rise in professionalism in the game, the debts caused the club financial difficulties, which in 1889 saw the club committee resign after members voted against the club secretary. In early 1892 the club was "broken up". A new Boston club, Boston Town, was founded in 1894, and it in turn was replaced by

Boston United Boston United Football Club is a semi-professional association football club based in Boston, Lincolnshire, England. The club participates in the National League North, at the sixth tier of the English football league system. The club is know ...

on its insolvency.

Colours

The club played in gold and black.

Ground

The club originally played at Mrs Oldrid's Park, and by 1888 had moved to the Lord Nelson Ground on Liquorpond Lane.

Notable players

Ambrose Langley Ambrose Langley (10 March 1870 – 29 January 1937) was an English football player and manager. He was the manager of Hull City from 1905 until 1913. He was born in 6 South Street, Horncastle and played over 300 games for Sheffield Wednesday. ...

, later

Sheffield Wednesday Sheffield Wednesday Football Club is a professional association football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. The team competes in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. Formed in 1867 as an offshoot ...

William Gresham William Lindsay Gresham (; August 20, 1909 – September 14, 1962) was an American novelist and non-fiction author particularly well-regarded among readers of noir. His best-known work is '' Nightmare Alley'' (1946), which was adapted to film i ...

, later Lincoln City

References

Defunct football clubs in England Football clubs in Lincolnshire Association football clubs established in 1878 Association football clubs disestablished in 1892 Defunct football clubs in Lincolnshire {{England-footyclub-defunct-stub