Mansfield Town F.C.
Mansfield Town was formed under the name of Mansfield Wesleyans in 1897, the name of the club coming from the local Wesleyan church. The club played friendlies up until the 1902–03 season, when it joined the Mansfield and District Amateur League. When the league dropped its amateur tag in 1906, the church abandoned the club, which changed its name to Mansfield Wesley and moved into the Notts and District League.
History of Mansfield Town F.C.
1909–10 was an eventful season. Both the chairman, Fred Abraham, and the club secretary, James Marples, resigned after committing the heinous offence of signing a player on the Sabbath. The pair were later banned for life by the FA, although the club escaped with a two-point deduction. Missing Needham, Mansfield dropped to 17th in the league. Wesley entered the FA Cup for the first time in their history, participating in six matches before losing to the Mechanics (again) in a Second Qualifying Round Replay.