Jonathon Entwistle

Jonathon ( Jonty ) was born in Darwen in 1866. A left winger Jonty signed for Darwen in 1886 from Darwen Rovers, He was a plumber by trade. When Darwen failed to gain election to the newly formed Football league in 1888 he signed on with the "Owd Reds" Accrington.
He was a member of the Accrington team that played in the first ever league games, when on the 8th September 1888 the first five fixtures kicked off. Accrington were away to Everton that day and the game was played at Anfield the home then of Everton, the game ended 2-1 to Everton. the attendance that day at Anfield was 10,000.
One week later he was a member of the Accrington team that drew 5-5 with Blackburn Rovers in the Rovers first ever Football League game ( Rovers and Notts County did not play in the first set of games )
Jonty returned to the Salmoners in 1891 and was a member of the Salmoners team that played Bolton Wanderers on the 5th September in front of 7,100 spectators ( Their first ever Football League game )
He was a member of the Lancashire Cup final team of 1891 that was beaten by Bolton Wanderers 3-1 and was the man of the match in what is widely regarded has the Salmoners "Greatest hour" when on the 21st January 1893 Darwen beat Aston Villa 5-4 in a FA cup tie at Barley Bank Jonty getting three of the Salmoners goals that day, Aston Villa that season were the favorites to win both the league and Cup and were leading 1-3 at half-time. Speaking to the Darwen News some 35 years after the game with the Villa Jonathon said "Aston Villa were the best team we ever played, with such great players as Devey Athersmith and Cowans in their side knowbody gave us a chance, but the Darwen team of 1893 was a very very good team the best team I had ever played with, and had we not been cruelly hit with sickness and injuries myself included for the quarter-final game with Wolverhampton I am sure we could have gone on and won the Football Association cup that year"
Jonty continued to play with the Salmoners until 1895 before returning to Accrington, when Accrington Football club disbanded in 1896 Jonathon moved to Nelson then Padiham before retiring from the game in 1901.
Jonty won four caps for Lancashire between 1890 - 94.