FULL, HALF OR NO NELSON AT ALL

Nelson, New Zealand is certainly named after Horatio and is a "city" on the northern end of the South Island, Marlborough Sounds, New Zealand. It has many serious claims to fame and inevitably, it is about football history that I stumbled across today.

The FULL Nelson FC must be reference to the Lancashire, England based club that has been part of the English Football League. Founded in 1881 and playing in the Lancashire League, Nelson became founder members of the Football League Division Three North in 1921, from which they were promoted to Division 2 in 1923-4. They then slipped back to Div 3 North, but by consolation had scored against the high flying Blackpool, beaten Leeds Utd and Manchester Utd in their relegation season. They then had financial issues, the Second World War and at one point had to withdraw from playing all together.
In 1946 they went to the Lancashire Combination, became more stable and were founder members of the North-West Counties League. The club is  now playing in Div 1 having recently been relegated from the NWCL Premier Division.
By the way Nelson was called Nelson to distinguish it from Marsden in Yorkshire!!?? What?? The town was originally known as Marsden but chose the "Hero's" name to avoid confusion. Believe me!!


The HALF Nelson FC is actually known as FC Nelson NZ, founded in 2011, following the demise of other local clubs, now playing in the regional senior and junior leagues with boys and girls, men and women, in the Marlborough District of South Island. Definitely at half cock.


The "LORD" Nelson FC, was once a National League side in NZ.
Nelson United FC played as Nelson Rangers from 1924 and had spells in the National League (1978-80, 1983-88 when I was in NZ for a year and 1991-92).  I fear has lost its finance and facilities and is unfortunately "no more". If you get my drift, rather like Horatio, who lost a few faculties.

On entering the town's museum this afternoon, avoiding the latest down pouring, I discovered that Nelson Football Club was founded on May 30th 1868. I did get excited but the only history I could find, with the help of the lad on the desk, was indeed that of the rugby football club, the oldest in New Zealand.

Robert Tennent, an immigrant with his widowed mother, brought the game from England in 1865 and in a proper game of "football" Nelson Rugby Club beat Nelson College (a school) 2-0. I don't have details of this score line although the match was a hybrid of Association Football and Melbourne Rules (the origins of Aussie Rules). It is thought that the aim for a team was get the ball across an end line. Having done that the successful player could have a "TRY" at kicking the ball over the goalposts. Hence the chance to score and the format that we see today in Australia Rules and rugby.
Read this to get the development of rugger in Nelson!
http://www.nelsonrugbyfootballclub.co.nz/history/the-beginning/