Matches played at Hole-i'th-Wall, Blackburn | Date of match | Type of match | Name of team | Name of team | Score | Attendance | 4th November 1882 | FA Cup 1st round | Blackburn Olympic | Accrington | 6-3 | - | 9th December 1882 | FA Cup 2nd round | Blackburn Olympic | Lower Darwen | 8-1 | - | 16th December 1882 | FA Cup 3rd round | Blackburn Olympic | Darwen Ramblers | 8-0 | - | 3rd February 1883 | FA Cup 4th round | Blackburn Olympic | Church | 2-0 | - | 24th February 1883 | FA Cup quarter-final | Blackburn Olympic | Druids | 4-1 | - | 13th October 1883 | FA Cup 1st round | Blackburn Olympic | Darwen Rambers | 5-1 | - | 19th January 1884 | FA Cup 4th round | Blackburn Olympic | Old Wykehamists | 6-0 | - | 9th February 1884 | FA Cup quarter-final | Blackburn Olympic | Northwich Victoria | 9-1 | - | 11th October 1884 | FA Cup 1st round | Blackburn Olympic | Oswaldtwistle Rovers | 12-0 | - | 31st October 1885 | FA Cup 1st round (match declared void) | Blackburn Olympic | Church | 4-2 | - | 23rd October 1886 | FA Cup 1st round | Blackburn Olympic | Partick Thistle | 1-3 | - | 5th November 1887 | FA Cup 2nd round | Blackburn Olympic | Blackburn Rovers | 1-5 | |
Named after the pub in it's south west corner, the Hole I'th Wall Ground hosted an early women's international in 1881 but more famously is known as being home to the club that caused the greatest upset in football history. That club, Blackburn Olympic. Led by England first working class captian, Jack Hunter, Olympic beat Old Etonians in the 1883 FA Cup final to effectively open up football to the masses and launch the game as a sport for all, not just the upper classes. The site is now occupied mainly by St Mary's College just north of Blackburn centre. The red X on the map indicates the location of the pitch. |
