As we now build up to the first all-Manchester FA Cup final and at a time when Manchester will, regardless of who wins, sweep up all the major domestic trophies, I think it’s worth pausing to think about the city’s earliest clubs. I’ve done lots of research over the years on Manchester’s football origins and published both books and articles about it. Some of these are free to download. So why not take a look at the following article which briefly tells the story of Hulme Athenaeum – the earliest known association football club in Manchester (and Lancashire for that matter!):
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17460263.2013.873075
The article also talks about other Manchester clubs, most significantly Manchester AFC who paved the way for City & United.
Worth noting the stuff about John Nall – the Hulme secretary and a founder of Manchester AFC. That man is often forgotten but he remained involved with football from Hulme’s formation through to his death in the late 1890s. He was present at several key moments in the formative years of Manchester City and was a key figure behind the Manchester FA. His story needs to be remembered.
Some have suggested that Hulme played rugby not football and it is fair to say that as the rules of football were developing there were many variations across the country. However, both Nall and others I’ve researched believed they were playing association football and his direct and active involvement with both the Manchester FA & the Lancashire FA proves he knew what ‘football’ was. Hulme played association football.
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Gary James' Football Archive 