The History Behind St Austell AFC

On Friday September the 12th 1890 the following notice appeared in the St Austell Star newspaper -
" All lovers of football are requested to attend a meeting at the Queens Head Hotel on Wednesday evening next at 8.00pm for the purpose of electing Officers for the rugby club and if possible to form an Association club, it is hoped that a large number will atrtend "
At that meeting, on the 17th September 1890, ST Austell AFC was formed.
It was further announced in the paper on October 3rd, that a field had been obtained for the season at Hillhead opposite Rocky Park. This location was the Club's home for the first few years before moving to the present ground at the turn of the 20th century.
The first trophy to be won by St Austell was the Cornwall Charity cup in 1908. This was followed by successful seasons prior to the First World War with the Club winning the Senior Cup for three consecutive yearsas well as the Charity Cup, for the second time in 1914.
After the war the Team got into its stride and reached the final of the Senior Cup in 1921loosing to Looe 2-1. The teams from Looe and Torpoint were dominant in the 1920's, with Looe reaching the final five times and Torpoint three.
The eleven seasons between1928/29 and 1938/39 saw the Club achieve great success. The Senior Cup Final was contested by St Austell six times, who won twice. The Cornwall Charity Cup was won in 1932 and in 1939 the Team won the Cornwall Senior Cup.
Following the Second World War the Club's success continued. During these times the crowds flocked to Poltair Park, with 15,000 present to see the team victorious over Penzance in the 1949 Senior Cup final.
The decision to join the newly formed South Western League in the 1951/52 season was perhaps the most important move ever made by the Club. The formation of this new 'professional league' tempted six Cornish clubs away from the amateur county competitions. Unlike the County competitions the new league did not include the radius rule which meant that players living more tha\n 10 miles from Poltair Park could now play for the Lilywhites.
Modest success was achieved during the 1950's, however the eleven seasons between 1962/63 and 72/73 were arguably the best for the Club. One of the best remembered players of this era was Mike Bickle who smashed the South Western League scoring records with 65 goals in one season. He followed this with a total of 89 goals in all competitions the following season, including 9 in one match against Nanpean. Not surprisingly these feats attracted the attention of the bigger clubs and in 1965 Mike signed for Plymouth Argyle.