LOUGHBOROUGH GUNNED AND DODDY

On a day when the death of Ken Dodd, aged 90, is announced I did look him up to see if he was big footy fan. I think he spent Saturday afternoons in Diddy Land because the best I could find was a comment he made which went like this; "I don't care who beats Manchester United", yes he was a scouser, as if you didn't know. It is hard to believe that he didn't have a big love of one of the Liverpool clubs but then it is difficult to believe that Arsenal (well Woolwich Arsenal) once played Loughborough Town FC in the Second Division.

 Woolwich Arsenal, once known as Royal Arsenal joined the Football League from the Southern League in 1893. On December 12th 1896 Loughborough thumped the Arsenal 8-0 in the league, the Gunners' greatest defeat. This is the match report:
http://www.footballsite.co.uk/Statistics/Articles/ArsenalRecordDefeat.htm

The Gunners eventually appointed a new manager, Harry Bradshaw, who took over in August 1899 and then began Arsenal's rise to glory. Bradshaw's boys  took on Loughborough twice in March 1900, winning 3-2 away on the 9th and then won 12-0 away on Monday 12th.
The match was played at the Arsenal home Manor Ground at Plumstead (below) and is Arsenal's greatest league win. This proved to be Loughborough's last season in the league as financial issues led to the club dissolving.

Loughborough Town won one match against Burton Swifts that season. They drew 6 matches and lost 27 scoring 18 goals and conceded exactly 100. Points 8 (6 x 1 for a draw and 1 x 2 for a win).
Woolwich Arsenal came 8th with Wednesday and Bolton getting promotion the First Division.