# 1928–29 Nelson F.C. season

During the 1928–29 season, Nelson Football Club played as a professional team in the Football League for the eighth time. After playing without a team manager during the previous season, Jack English was appointed to the post in the summer of 1928 following the club's successful re-election application. A record of 17 wins, 5 draws and 20 defeats, giving a total of 39 points, helped Nelson to a 15th-placed finish in the Third Division North, above Rotherham United on goal average. The team was inconsistent throughout the season, as they had been in the previous campaign, although significant improvements in the defense meant that 46 fewer goals were conceded. Nelson's attack was also improved, and the team scored at least once in 36 of their 42 league matches.
Nelson did not compete in the 1928–29 FA Cup, as they did not submit their application by the deadline. The club used a total of 26 different players during the season, but only six of these had been retained from the previous campaign. Yorkshire-born forward Bernard Radford was the top goalscorer for the second consecutive season, with a tally of 24 in 35 matches. With 11 goals, Gerry Kelly, a new signing from Sunderland, was the only other player to reach double figures. Half-back Jim Metcalfe made the most appearances for Nelson, missing only the final game of the season, the 4–4 draw away at Accrington Stanley. The highest attendance at Nelson's Seedhill ground was a record 14,979 for the visit of Bradford City on 27 April 1929, which stood until the stadium was demolished in 1980. Conversely, the lowest gate of the season was 2,749 for the victory against Stockport County on 22 January 1929.

## Football League Third Division North
### Key

* H = Home match
* A = Away match
* In Result column, Nelson's score shown first

### Match results

| Date | Opponents | Result | Goalscorers | Attendance |
| 25 August 1928 | Hartlepools United (A) | 2–2 | Radford, Ridley | 5,524 |
| 1 September 1928 | Darlington (H) | 2–1 | Sharp, Wilkinson | 7,337 |
| 8 September 1928 | Southport (A) | 1–5 | Kelly | 4,188 |
| 12 September 1928 | South Shields (H) | 1–0 | Kelly | 5,843 |
| 15 September 1928 | Rochdale (H) | 3–0 | Radford, Wilkinson, Wilson | 6,715 |
| 22 September 1928 | New Brighton (A) | 1–0 | Radford | 4,882 |
| 25 September 1928 | Lincoln City (H) | 3–4 | Radford (2), Wilkinson | 4,970 |
| 29 September 1928 | Wrexham (H) | 1–3 | Ridley | 6,280 |
| 2 October 1928 | Doncaster Rovers (H) | 2–4 | Radford, Suttie | 3,297 |
| 6 October 1928 | Chesterfield (A) | 2–3 | Kelly (2) | 5,247 |
| 13 October 1928 | Barrow (H) | 3–4 | Radford (2), Wilson | 4,616 |
| 20 October 1928 | Carlisle United (A) | 0–4 | | 2,321 |
| 27 October 1928 | Rotherham United (H) | 4–2 | Buchanan, Kelly, Radford, Wilkinson | 3,795 |
| 3 November 1928 | Wigan Borough (A) | 0–1 | | 6,928 |
| 10 November 1928 | Crewe Alexandra (H) | 4–1 | Radford (2), Ridley, Wilson | 7,445 |
| 17 November 1928 | Tranmere Rovers (A) | 1–6 | Radford | 4,393 |
| 1 December 1928 | Halifax Town (A) | 2–1 | Halliwell, Suttie | 5,988 |
| 8 December 1928 | Ashington (H) | 5–0 | Kelly (2), Radford (2), Wilkinson | 2,915 |
| 15 December 1928 | Bradford City (A) | 2–0 | Buchanan, Halliwell | 13,236 |
| 22 December 1928 | Accrington Stanley (H) | 0–2 | | 4,791 |
| 26 December 1928 | Doncaster Rovers (A) | 2–2 | Halliwell, Kelly | 7,369 |
| 28 December 1928 | Hartlepools United (H) | 1–0 | Halliwell | 3,507 |
| 1 January 1929 | Ashington (A) | 2–3 | Radford, Ridley | 1,344 |
| 5 January 1929 | Darlington (A) | 2–3 | Radford (2) | 3,273 |
| 19 January 1929 | Southport (H) | 1–1 | Carmedy | 3,035 |
| 22 January 1929 | Stockport County (H) | 4–1 | Kelly, Morton (2), Ridley | 2,749 |
| 26 January 1929 | Rochdale (A) | 1–2 | Halliwell | 4,902 |
| 2 February 1929 | New Brighton (H) | 3–0 | Buchanan, Kelly (2) | 3,168 |
| 9 February 1929 | Wrexham (A) | 1–3 | Halliwell | 5,534 |
| 16 February 1929 | Chesterfield (H) | 1–0 | Radford | 2,943 |
| 23 February 1929 | Barrow (A) | 2–7 | Radford (2) | 5,368 |
| 2 March 1929 | Carlisle United (H) | 1–0 | Ridley | 4,107 |
| 9 March 1929 | Rotherham United (A) | 0–4 | | 3,939 |
| 16 March 1929 | Wigan Borough (H) | 2–1 | Radford (2) | 3,903 |
| 23 March 1929 | Crewe Alexandra (A) | 1–1 | Halliwell | 2,976 |
| 30 March 1929 | Tranmere Rovers (H) | 4–2 | Buchanan, Radford (2), Wilson | 4,245 |
| 1 April 1929 | South Shields (A) | 2–3 | Buchanan, Halliwell | 4,334 |
| 6 April 1929 | Stockport County (A) | 0–3 | | 7,916 |
| 13 April 1929 | Halifax Town (H) | 3–1 | Carmedy, Fletcher, Morton | 3,182 |
| 20 April 1929 | Lincoln City (A) | 1–5 | Carmedy | 4,036 |
| 27 April 1929 | Bradford City (H) | 0–1 | | 14,979 |
| 4 May 1929 | Accrington Stanley (A) | 4–4 | Buchanan, Halliwell, Ridley, Wilson | 2,671 |

### Final league position

| Pos | Team v t e | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GAv | Pts |
| 13 | Halifax Town | 42 | 13 | 13 | 16 | 63 | 62 | 1.016 | 39 |
| 14 | New Brighton | 42 | 15 | 9 | 18 | 64 | 71 | 0.901 | 39 |
| 15 | Nelson | 42 | 17 | 5 | 20 | 77 | 90 | 0.856 | 39 |
| 16 | Rotherham United | 42 | 15 | 9 | 18 | 60 | 77 | 0.779 | 39 |
| 17 | Rochdale | 42 | 13 | 10 | 19 | 79 | 96 | 0.823 | 36 |