Wolstenholme Arthur Image 2 Nelson 1924

Description

Bolton, Lancashire born inside forward Arthur Wolstenholme began his football career with Tonge in 1907 before joining Second Division Oldham Athletic in March 1908, making his Football League debut at Grimsby Town the same month, one of two appearances he made before the end of the season. He scored 10 goals in Oldham’s 1908-09 season, second top scoring for the club, but lost his place at the start of 1909-10 and joined Blackpool in December 1909 after 10 goals in 31 appearances for The Latics.

He stayed two and a half seasons at Bloomfield Road, scoring 16 goals in 82 appearances for The Tangerines before a move to Southern League New Brompton (now Gillingham) in the 1912 close season. After 4 goals in 24 appearances for New Brompton he joined Norwich City in the summer of 1913, where he scored 15 goals in 36 appearances, again staying only a season, before returning to Football League action with Lincoln City in July 1914. His career was substantially interrupted by the First World War, and he only played a season of League football for Lincoln, scoring 10 goals in 32 appearances, and after the War had concluded he re-joined by now First Division Oldham Athletic in May 1919.

In his only top flight season in his career he added a further two goals and 23 appearances to his previous totals for The Latics, before joining new Football League entrant Newport County in June 1920, playing in their inaugural League fixture against Reading that August and scoring 8 goals in 31 appearances, again staying only one season at Somerton Park. In June 1921 he moved to new League entrant Darlington, where he played in their inaugural League fixture against Halifax Town and then scored 4 goals in their third fixture as they beat Chesterfield 7-0. His 17 goals in 32 appearances was a career best return and saw him as Darlington’s second top scorer.

Once again he moved on, joining Nelson in May 1922, and he scored 13 goals including a hat-trick against former club Darlington in December 1922 as they won the Third Division (North) Championship, He stayed three more seasons at Nelson, although 1924 he was increasingly a fringe player, before joining non league Colne Town in 1926 ahead of his eventual retirement.