A Long Established Club
08 May 2011

The Peterborough Sports Parkway club is believed to have been founded in 1908 and were initially known as Brotherhoods Engineering Works a factory side for the company that was founded by Peter Brotherhood in 1867 that was famed for designing and manufacturing the first steam turbine engine in the world. The club were called Bearings Direct in the 1990's and then changed to the current Peterborough Sports all at the same Lincoln Road ground.
The club started life in the Northants League (which became the UCL in 1934) in 1919 winning the title in the first season before joining the Peterborough League in 1923. Whilst some of the early records are somewhat patchy, the club is thought to have once entertained Tottenham Hotspur at Lincoln Road before the 2nd World War in front of a crowd of 4,000 at a time when a stand went down the whole length of the ground and drew over 3,000 for the visit of local rivals Peterborough & Fletton United (now Peterborough United). During the 2nd world war the club benefited from a number of professional footballers being sent to work at the factory including QPR right back Jack Rose
The clubs most successful year came in the 2006/07 season when both the Peterborough Premier Division and Northants Junior Cup were secured for the only time in the clubs history and in season 2010/11 the club secured its first ever PFA trophy when lifting the Challenge Cup as were promoted back to the Peterborough League Premier Division
Full Honours are as follows: -
Northants Junior Cup - Winners 2007
Northants Lower Junior Cup - Winners 1994 & 1995
Peterborough League Premier Division - Champions 2006/07
PFA Challenge Cup – Winners 2010/11
Peterborough League Division 1 - Runners Up 1987/88 & 2010/11
Peterborough League Division 2 - Champions 1945/46 (Reserves)
Peterborough League Division 2 - Runners Up 1931/32
Peterborough League Division 3 - Champions 1925/26 & 1980/81
Peterborough League Division 3 South - Champions 1975/76
Peterborough League Division 3 North – Runners Up 1935/36
PFA Minor Cup - Finalists 2008 (Reserves)
Peterborough League Division 4 - Champions 1995/96 (Reserves)
Peterborough League Division 5 - Runners Up 1993/94 (Reserves)
Peterborough League Division 6 - Champions 1995/96 (A Team) & 1999/2000 (Reserves)
A number of ex Peterborough United stalwarts in the shape of Noel Luke, Dave Robinson, Tommy Robson & Jack Carmichael all turned out for the club in a golden period of mid 1990's, however...
Most Famous Player

Victor Watson
Without doubt the clubs most famous ex-player was Victor Watson, born in Chesterton on November 10th 1897; Watson was signed by Brotherhood Engineering Works from Peterborough & Fletton United shortly before the first world war. He played in the Northants League title winning team of 1919/20 before moving onto West Ham United for £50 in March 1920. He remains the hammers record goal scorer with 326 goals from 505 appearances. Watson was in the West Ham team pictured below (Victor is in the middle at the front with the ball in the team picture) that lost 2-0 to Bolton Wanderers in the first ever FA Cup Final at Wembley in front of an estimated 200,000 in a game made famous by the white horse called Billy that controlled the crowd as it spilled over the touchline. Watson went onto to play 5 times for England scoring 4 times between 1923 & 1930 including a brace against Scotland in 1930. In 1929 he scored 6 goals in an 8-2 home win against Leeds United and eventually retired from the game in 1936 having spent his last season as a player at Southampton. Victor moved back to Girton in Cambridgeshire after his playing days to become a market gardener and passed away in August 1988 at the age of 88 – in June 2010 a plaque was unveiled honouring his career in Girton.
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/WHwatsonPHO.htm - Link for picture above & below
Full Record of the First Team
Northants League
1919-20 Division 1 – Played 20 – 31 Points – CHAMPIONS
1920-21 Division 1 – Played 24 – 22 Points – Finished 8th
1921-22 Division 1 – Played 30 – 17 Points – Finished 14th
1922-23 Division 1 – Played 32 – 32 Points – Finished 8th
Joined the Peterborough League
1923-24 Division 3 - Played 20 - 15 Points - Finished 9th
1924-25 Division 3 - Played 17 - 21 Points - Finished 4th
1925-26 Division 3 - Played 22 - 37 Points - CHAMPIONS
1926-27 Division 2 - Played 20 - 18 Points - Finished 5th
1927-28 Division 2 - Played 19 - 25 Points - Finished 5th
1928-29 Division 2 - Played 23 - 17 Points - Finished 9th
1929-30 Did not participate
1930-31 Division 2 - Played 21 - 16 Points - Finished 7th
1931-32 Division 2 - Played 24 - 38 Points - RUNNERS UP
1932-33 Did not participate
1933-34 - Division 3 North - Played 22 - 33 Points - Finished 5th
1934-35 - Division 3 North - Played 29 - 22 Points - Finished 11th
1935-36 - Division 3 North - Played 20 - 32 Points - RUNNERS UP
1936-37 - Division 3 North - Played 24 - 14 Points - Finished 11th
1937-38 - Division 2 - Played 22 - 19 Points - Finished 9th
1938-39 - Division 2 - Played 18 - 20 Points - Finished 4th
1939 to 1945 No League
1945-46 - Division 1 - Played 16 - 13 Points - Finished 8th
1946-47 - Division 1 - Played 25 - 22 Points - Finished 8th
1947-48 - Division 1 - Played 29 - 22 Points - Finished 12th
1948-49 - Division 1 - Played 31 - 12 Points - Finished 17th & Bottom
1949-50 - Division 2 - Played 26 - 18 Points - Finished 10th
1950-51 - Division 2 - Played 28 - 26 Points - Finished 8th
1951-52 - Division 2 - Played 24 - 23 Points - Finished 8th
1952-53 - Division 1 (There was now a Premier) - Played 30 - 16 Points - Finished 15th
1953-54 - Division 2 - Played 28 - 27 Points - Finished 9th
1954-55 - Division 2 - Played 25 - 33 Points - Finished 4th
1955-56 - Division 2 - Played 30 - 43 Points - Finished 4th
1956-57 - Division 2 - Played 30 - 37 Points - Finished 4th
1957-58 - Division 2 - Played 28 - 21 Points - Finished 13th
1958-59 - Division 2 - Played 28 - 14 Points - Finished 14th
1959-60 - Division 2 - Played 30 - 24 Points - Finished 10th
1960-61 - Division 2 - Played 28 - 19 Points - Finished 11th
1961-62 - Division 2 - Played 28 - 31 Points - Finished 7th
1962-63 - Division 2 - Played 32 - 39 Points - Finished 6th
1963-64 - Division 2 - Played 34 - 5 Points - Finished 18th & Bottom (Relegated)
1964-65 - Division 3 South - Played 30 - 33 Points - Finished 8th
1965-66 - Division 2 - Played 34 - 36 Points - Finished 6th
1966-67 - Division 2 - Played 34 - 48 Points - Finished 4th
1967-68 - Division 2 - Played 34 - 36 Points - Finished 6th
1968-69 - Division 2 - Played 34 - 30 Points - Finished 9th
1969-70 - Division 2 - Played 33 - 32 Points - Finished 9th
1970-71 - Division 2 - Played 34 - 24 Points - Finished 15th
1971-72 - Division 2 - Played 32 - 43 Points - Finished 3rd
1972-73 - Division 2 - Played 34 - 31 Points - Finished 12th
1973-74 - Division 2 - Played 32 - 15 Points - Finished 16th (Relegated)
1974-75 - Division 3 South - Played 28 - 42 Points - Finished 3rd
1975-76 - Division 3 South - Played 31 - 56 Points - Finished CHAMPIONS
1976-77 - Division 2 - Played 34 - 45 Points - Finished 4th
1977-78 - Division 2 - Played 34 - 25 Points - Finished 15th
1978-79 - Division 2 - Played 31 - 15 Points - Finished 16th
1979-80 - Division 2 - Played 32 - 24 Points - Finished 15th & Relegated
1980-81 - Division 3 - Played 32 - 48 Points - Finished CHAMPIONS
1981-82 - Division 2 - Played 30 - 34 Points - Finished 6th
1982-83 - Division 2 - Played 28 - 36 Points - Finished 3rd & Promoted
1983-84 - Division 1 - Played 30 - 26 Points - Finished 11th
1984-85 - Division 1 - Played 28 - 29 Points - Finished 8th
1985-86 - Division 1 - Played 29 - 21 Points - Finished 13th
1986-87 - Division 1 - Played 30 - 29 Points - Finished 10th
1987-88 - Division 1 - Played 30 - 43 Points - Finished RUNNERS UP & Promoted as League restructured and moved to 3 points for a win
1988-89 - Premier Division - Played 34 - 32 Points - Finished 12th
1989-90 - Premier Division - Played 34 - 49 Points - Finished 9th
1990-91 - Premier Division - Played 34 - 47 Points - Finished 8th
1991-92 - Premier Division - Played 34 - 37 Points - Finished 12th
1992-93 - Premier Division - Played 34 - 14 Points - Finished 18th (Bottom) & Relegated
1993-94 - Division 1 - Played 30 - 52 Points - Finished 5th and won Northants Lower Junior Cup
1994-95 - Division 1 - Played 30 - 55 Points - Finished 4th promoted and retained Northants Lower Junior Cup
1995-96 - Premier Division - Played 30 - 37 Points - Finished 9th
1996-97 - Premier Division - Played 30 - 29 Points - Finished 12th
1997-98 - Premier Division - Played 30 - 27 Points - Finished 13th
1998-99 - Premier Division - Played 30 - 26 Points - Finished 13th
CLUB NAME CHANGED TO BEARINGS DIRECT
1999-00 - Premier Division - Played 30 - 29 Points - Finished 12th
2000-01 - Premier Division - Played 30 - 30 Points - Finished 11th
CLUB NAME CHANGED TO PETERBOROUGH SPORTS
2001-02 - Premier Division - Played 30 - 16 Points - Finished 15th
2002-03 - Premier Division - Played 30 -31 Points - Finished 12th
2003-04 - Premier Division - Played 30 - 47 Points - Finished 7th
2004-05 - Premier Division - Played 30 - 38 Points - Finished 10th
2005-06 - Premier Division - Played 30 - 34 Points - Finished 11th
2006-07 - Premier Division - Played 30 - Points 73 - Finished CHAMPIONS and won Northants Junior Cup
2007/8 – Premier Division – Played 30 – Points 34 – Finished 12th
2008/9 – Premier Division – Played 29 – 9 Points – Finished 16th (Bottom) & RELEGATED
2009/10 – Division 1 – Played 22 – 17 Points – Finished 10th
2010/11 – Division 1 – Played 20 – 47 Points – Finished 2nd & PROMOTED and won PFA Challenge Cup