In 1921, the club joined the Football League as a founder member of the Third Division North.[1][6] Their first league game, a 2–1 defeat to the now-defunct Wigan Borough attracted a record attendance of 9,000 on 27 August 1921. And their first season in the Football League, 1921–22, ended with a 16th-place finish, although they struggled with comparatively low attendances.[4][6][7]