Brodsworth Main Football Club is a football club based in Woodlands, Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. They are currently members of the and play at the Welfare Ground.
History Brodsworth Main FC (as they were first known) were founded in 1908 by Brodsworth Main Colliery Sports and Pastimes Club which existed 1909-1923. Entering the South Yorkshire football league for their inaugural season on 1909-10 season then moving ont the Sheffield Association League for their campaign in 1910–11. They joined the Yorkshire League in 1921 and won the title in 1924–25, but left the league in 1935.
After the Second World War the club returned to the league for a third spell. In 1950–51 they were relegated to Division Two after finishing second from bottom of Division One. They withdrew from the league at the end of the 1956–57 season, but returned in 1961. Two years later they were renamed Brodsworth Miners Welfare.
In their first season under the new name the club finished fourth in Division Two and were promoted to Division One, but were relegated back again after just a single season. After finishing bottom of Division Two in 1972 the club was relegated to Division Three, where they remained until withdrawing in 1976.
Brodsworth Miners Welfare played in the Doncaster Senior League throughout the 1980s and won the league title in 1985. In 1988 they joined the Northern Counties East League (NCEL), entering Division Two. They were promoted to Division One when the league restructured in 1991 (despite finishing second bottom of Division Two) and floundered at the foot of the NCEL for several years, until winning promotion to the Premier Division in 1999.
In 2006 they were renamed Brodsworth Welfare AFC, and despite finishing bottom again in 2006–07 they again avoided being demoted. They were finally relegated at the end of the 2009–10 season after again finishing bottom, and they resigned from the NCEL in the summer of 2011 after finishing bottom of Division One.
In 2010, the club fielded its first women’s team in the Sheffield and Hallamshire county women’s league, unfortunately the team folded a few season later.
Since 2011, the club has had four spells back in the Doncaster Senior League (2011–12, 2016–17, 2018–19 and 2022/23 to present day) and two spells in the Central Midlands League (2012–13 to 2015–16 and 2017–18). The club was dissolved at the end of the 2019-20 season. The club was once again resurrected for the 2022/23 season, entering teams to play in the Doncaster Rovers Saturday and Sunday league. Ahead of the 2025/26 season, the club merged with Hatfield Town F.C. to form a new club, Brodsworth Main FC.
Season-by-season record Season Division Level Position FA Cup FA Amateur Cup FA Vase NotesFormed as Brodsworth Main Colliery1908-09South Yorkshire Football League1909-10South Yorkshire Football League 1910–11 Sheffield Association League - 14th/14 - - - 1911–12 Sheffield Association League - 15th/16 - - - 1912–13 Sheffield Association League - 13th/15 PR - - 1913–14 Sheffield Association League - 2QR - - 1914–15 Sheffield Association League - PR - - 1919–20 Sheffield Association League - 1QR - - 1920–21 Doncaster & District League - 1st/11 3QR - - 1921–22 Yorkshire League - 3rd/17 2QR - - 1922–23 Yorkshire League - 9th/16 PR - - 1923–24 Yorkshire League - 7th/18 PR - - 1924–25 Yorkshire League - 1st/16 PR - - 1925–26 Yorkshire League - 6th/15 EPR - - 1926–27 Yorkshire League - 9th/16 4QR - - 1927–28 Yorkshire League - 7th/13 2QR - - 1928–29 Yorkshire League - 15th/16 - - - 1929–30 Yorkshire League - 11th/14 3QR - - 1930–31 Yorkshire League - 11th/12 1QR - - 1931–32 Doncaster & District Senior League - 1QR - - 1932–33 Yorkshire League - 7th/10 PR - - 1933–34 Yorkshire League - 13th/13 PR - - 1934–35 Yorkshire League - 17th/18 EPR - - 1938–39 Sheffield Association League - PR - - 1945–46 Sheffield Association League - 2QR - - 1946–47 Sheffield Association League - 2QR - - 1947–48 Yorkshire League - 18th/20 PR - - 1948–49 Yorkshire League - 18th/20 EPR - - 1949–50 Yorkshire League Division 1 - 13th/18 3QR - - 1950–51 Yorkshire League Division 1 - 17th/18 PR - Relegated 1951–52 Yorkshire League Division 2 - 10th/13 1QR - - 1952–53 Yorkshire League Division 2 - 12th/14 1QR - - 1953–54 Yorkshire League Division 2 - 15th/16 1QR - - 1954–55 Yorkshire League Division 2 - 13th/16 1QR - - 1955–56 Yorkshire League Division 2 - 12th/16 1QR - - 1956–57 Yorkshire League Division 2 - 12th/17 - EPR - 1957–58 Doncaster & District Senior League Division 1 - - 3QR - 1958–59 Doncaster & District Senior League Division 1 - 5th/13 - PR - 1959–60 Doncaster & District Senior League Division 1 - 3rd/13 - - 1960–61 Doncaster & District Senior League Division 1 - 4th/12 - - 1961–62 Yorkshire League Division 2 - 11th/14 - - - 1962–63 Yorkshire League Division 2 - 11th/15 - - - Changed name to Brodsworth Miners Welfare (1963) 1963–64 Yorkshire League Division 2 - 4th/15 - - - Promoted 1964–65 Yorkshire League Division 1 - 16th/16 - - - Relegated 1965–66 Yorkshire League Division 2 - 15th/15 - - - 1966–67 Yorkshire League Division 2 - 17th/17 - - - 1967–68 Yorkshire League Division 2 - 15th/17 - - - 1968–69 Yorkshire League Division 2 - 11th/15 - - - 1969–70 Yorkshire League Division 2 - 7th/18 - - - 1970–71 Yorkshire League Division 2 - 13th/14 - - - 1971–72 Yorkshire League Division 2 - 15th/15 - - - Relegated 1972–73 Yorkshire League Division 3 - 14th/16 - - - 1973–74 Yorkshire League Division 3 - 13th/16 - - - 1974–75 Yorkshire League Division 3 - 15th/16 - - - 1975–76 Yorkshire League Division 3 - 16th/16 - - - 1976–77 Doncaster & District Senior League Division 3 - - - - 1977–78 Doncaster & District Senior League Division 3 - 4th/14 - - - Promoted 1978–79 Doncaster & District Senior League Division 2 - 1st/14 - - - Promoted 1979–80 Doncaster & District Senior League Division 1 - - - - 1980–81 Doncaster & District Senior League Division 1 - 9th/16 - - - 1981–82 Doncaster & District Senior League Division 1 - 8th/14 - - - 1982–83 Doncaster & District Senior League Division 1 - 2nd/14 - - - 1983–84 Doncaster & District Senior League Division 1 - 1st/15 - - - Promoted 1984–85 Doncaster & District Senior League Premier Division - 1st/15 - - - 1985–86 Doncaster & District Senior League Premier Division - 3rd/16 - - - 1986–87 Doncaster & District Senior League Premier Division - 2nd/14 - - - 1987–88 Doncaster & District Senior League Premier Division - 8th/11 - - - 1988–89 Northern Counties East League Division 2 - 12th/14 - - - 1989–90 Northern Counties East League Division 2 - 9th/14 - - - 1990–91 Northern Counties East League Division 2 - 12th/13 - - EPR 1991–92 Northern Counties East League Division 1 - 15th/16 - - EPR 1992–93 Northern Counties East League Division 1 - 13th/14 - - - 1993–94 Northern Counties East League Division 1 - 15th/15 - - - 1994–95 Northern Counties East League Division 1 - 16th/16 - - - 1995–96 Northern Counties East League Division 1 - 16th/16 - - - 1996–97 Northern Counties East League Division 1 - 14th/15 - - 1QR 1997–98 Northern Counties East League Division 1 - 12th/15 PR - 2R 1998–99 Northern Counties East League Division 1 - 2nd/13 1QR - 1R Promoted 1999–00 Northern Counties East League Premier Division - 6th/20 1QR - 2QR 2000–01 Northern Counties East League Premier Division - 18th/20 PR - 2QR 2001–02 Northern Counties East League Premier Division - 15th/20 PR - 2QR 2002–03 Northern Counties East League Premier Division - 14th/20 PR - 1R 2003–04 Northern Counties East League Premier Division - 20th/20 EPR - 1QR 2004–05 Northern Counties East League Premier Division 9 17th/20 EPR - 2QR 2005–06 Northern Counties East League Premier Division 9 20th/20 PR - 1RChanged name to Brodsworth Welfare (2006) 2006–07 Northern Counties East League Premier Division 9 20th/20 PR - 2QR 2007–08 Northern Counties East League Premier Division 9 13th/20 EPR - 2QR 2008–09 Northern Counties East League Premier Division 9 19th/20 PR - 2R 2009–10 Northern Counties East League Premier Division 9 20th/20 - - - Relegated 2010–11 Northern Counties East League Division 1 10 20th/20 - - 1QR Relegated 2011–12 Doncaster & District Senior League Premier Division 14 7th/14 - - - Transferred 2012–13 Central Midlands League North Division 11 12th/17 - - - 2013–14 Central Midlands League North Division 11 13th/17 - - - 2014–15 Central Midlands League North Division 11 11th/18 - - - 2015–16 Central Midlands League North Division 11 9th/15 - - - Transferred 2016–17 Doncaster & District Senior League Division 1 15 2nd/8 - - - Transferred 2017–18 Central Midlands League North Division 11 16th/18 - - - TransferredChanged name to Brodsworth Main (2018) 2018–19 Doncaster & District Senior League Division 1 15 1st/5 - - - Reformed as Brodsworth Welfare (2022) 2022–23 Doncaster & District Senior League Premier Division 14 8th/11 - - - 2023–24 Doncaster & District Senior League Premier Division 14 10th/10 - - - Relegated 2024–25 Doncaster & District Senior League Division One 15 3rd/9 - - - Transferred Changed name to Brodsworth Main (2025) 2025–26 Central Midlands League North Division 11 4th/16 - - - Season Division Level Position FA Cup FA Amateur Cup FA Vase NotesSource: Football Club History Database
Notable former players Players that have played in the Football League either before or after playing for Brodsworth Welfare –
Mick Carmody Craig Nelthorpe Danny Schofield David Speedie Fred Thompson Harry Wainwright Colin Bishop
Notable managers
Alan Radford Joe Yorke Colin Bishop – Managed the club in a Sheffield & Hallamshire Senior Cup final at Hillsborough against Stocksbridge
Key Milestones and Legacy Over the course of its long timeline, Brodsworth Welfare AFC has accumulated many milestones:
1908 – Founding year: Brodsworth starts its story in the South Yorkshire Football League 1910 - Brodsworth Main plays its first matches in the Sheffield League. 1924–25 – First major honor: Yorkshire League Champions. 1927 – Historic cup run: Reaches the 4th Qualifying Round of the FA Cup (just one round short of the FA Cup proper). 1935 – Hiatus: Withdraws from Yorkshire League; focuses on local competition until after WWII. 1947 – Post-war revival: Re-enters Yorkshire League for a third spell. 1963 – Name change: Becomes Brodsworth Miners Welfare to reflect the Miners Welfare support. 1976 – Yorkshire League exit: Leaves the Yorkshire League, ending an era in that competition. 1985 – Local triumph: Wins the Doncaster Senior League Premier Division (first local league title since pre-war). 1988 – Joins NCEL: Steps up to Northern Counties East League, marking a return to higher-tier football. 1999 – Promotion: Finishes 2nd in NCEL Division One and earns promotion to the NCEL Premier Division. 2006 – Name update: Changes name to Brodsworth Welfare AFC, dropping “Miners”. 2006 – Record attendance: 1,251 fans attend an FA Vase match vs FC United of Manchester at the Welfare Ground. 2008–09 – Cup final: Reaches the Sheffield & Hallamshire Senior Cup final (runners-up). 2010 – Relegation: Relegated from NCEL Premier Division after years of near-misses. 2011 – Resignation: Club resigns from NCEL and folds due to financial difficulties and lack of wins. 2012 – Reformation: Adwick Park Rangers assumes the Brodsworth Welfare name; club joins Central Midlands League to restart climb. 2015 – Facility upgrade: refurbished Changingrooms opened at Welfare Ground, funded by grants (Olympic legacy). 2016 – Eviction: Club loses access to Welfare Ground; merges with Bentley Colliery’s setup and is renamed AFC Bentley. 2017 – Cup victory: Brodsworth (as a junior-based team) wins Doncaster League Division One Cup, keeping the name alive. 2018 – Return of “Main”: Club is re-launched as Brodsworth Main FC, hinting at a fresh start yet rooted in tradition. 2020 – COVID setback: Brodsworth Main’s season abandoned; club dissolves again amidst the pandemic disruptions.