FA Cup surprises

The club first entered the FA Cup in 1880–81, beating Spilsby F.C. 5–1 in the first round, in front of over one thousand spectators.^[6] Staveley took the much bigger Sheffield Wednesday club to two replays in the third round, losing at the Lockwood Brothers F.C. ground at the third time of asking.^[7]

Staveley's two best runs in the Cup were both ended by the professionals of Blackburn Rovers. In 1883–84, the club beat Middlesbrough and gained revenge on Wednesday, helped by Wednesday's Mosforth injuring himself on the railway line before the match,^[8] and then beating Lockwood Brothers in the third round before a 2,000 crowd said to be the biggest ever at the Recreation Ground.^[9] In the fourth round at Cup holders Blackburn, Staveley took the lead, before Rovers turned the game around.^[10]

In 1885–86, the club had a tough first round tie with Mexborough, which went to a replay; however Mexborough scratched from the competition on the morning of the match, because the Sheffield Football Association demanded a local cup tie with Owlerton F.C. take place on the same day, requiring Staveley to arrange a friendly against a local side (Lowgates F.C.) at short notice.^[11] The club unexpectedly beat both Long Eaton Rangers F.C. and Nottingham Forest – in the latter game, relying on time-wasting to run the clock down, "repeatedly kicking out, and the ball was carried into neighbouring streets by the strong wind".^[12] Forest protested against the Staveley tactics but the Football Association dismissed the protest.^[13] The tactic was so notorious that supporters in the region would shout "Play up, Staveley!" whenever another team adopted the same stratagem.^[14]

Staveley had gone over 30 matches in the season without defeat^[15] before meeting Blackburn Rovers again in the fifth round, but the repeat holders proved too strong for the club.

Local success and tragedy

The club was the most successful in Derbyshire in the 1880s, reaching five consecutive Derbyshire Cup finals, albeit helped by Derby County boycotting the competition for part of the period. However Staveley was not considered for Football League membership, given the small size of the village and the low crowds that were likely.

While playing for Staveley, on 12 January 1889 against Grimsby Town at Clee Park, Lincolnshire, William Cropper collided with Dan Doyle, the Grimsby rightback, after fifteen minutes. He was badly injured by Doyle's knee in his abdomen and left the field in obvious distress. The collision resulted in a ruptured bowel and he died in the dressing room at Grimsby in the arms of his Staveley and Derbyshire County Cricket Club teammate George Hay.^[16]

Midland League

The club was a founder member of the Midland Counties League, but the club did not survive three seasons, given the difficulties of a village side in the professional era. Staveley finished mid-table in 1889–90, but was bottom in 1890–91, in part because of the resignation of Warwick County F.C. and Kidderminster F.C., who would both have finished below the club.^[17]

Despite the balance sheet at the end of the 1890–91 season being in a "satisfactory condition",^[18] the club went bust in 1891 and its fixtures were expunged from the league;^[19] at the time the club was bottom of the table, with 1 win and 1 draw from 8 fixtures,^[20] the final match being an 8–0 defeat at Burton Wanderers on 5 December.^[21]

The club intended to complete its Cup fixtures,^[22] and played its Derbyshire Senior Cup semi-final at Derby County reserves on 2 January 1892, but lost 10–0, with many of its regular players declining to play,^[23] and George Hay watching from the pavilion.^[24] The club's debts of over £30 were cleared by a benefit match played at Bramall Lane,^[25] but the club remained in abeyance for the rest of the season, the club secretary Captain Turner attending the Derbyshire FA end of season meeting to bemoan the rise of professionalism that had been "the ruin of the Staveley club".^[26] The club did not renew its membership of the Derbyshire FA for the 1892–93 season and was therefore defunct.^[27]

A club of the same name briefly re-emerged later in the decade, playing junior football only, but again involving the Hay family.^[28]