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The Oldest Records in Football History

It is easy to think that football records began with colour television and mobile phones. Most people out there probably think that no record before 1980 is still standing.

And whilst the likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have hoovered up many records during the past 20 years, they are not the only ones to hold some impressive records.

Here at Football Park, we count down the five oldest football records of all time.

From scorelines so lopsided they came before the light bulb, to goalscoring streaks set in an age when players travelled to matches by train, some of the game's oldest records will be set in stone for the foreseeable future.

Most Goals in a Club Football Season - 1931

Recognise the name Fred Roberts? Well, we won't hold it against you if you don’t. Roberts was born in 1905 and played his entire career in his home country of Northern Ireland.

Roberts also holds the title of most goals for a club in a single football season. Not Lionel Messi, not Cristiano Ronaldo, not even Pele! The Northern Ireland native scored a whopping 96 goals in the 1930/31 season for Glentoran. In that season, they also won the Irish Football League and the County Antrim Shield.

Due to Roberts playing so long ago in a league that has never been covered in immense detail, we cannot say for certain how many goals he scored throughout his entire career.

The RSSF has it locked down at 613+, making him the 24th top scorer of all time, according to their rankings. That is more than players such as Karim Benzema, Alfredo Di Stefano and Luis Suarez!

The 1st visit of @larne to Shamrock Park was 100 years ago on 5 Feb 1925. @Portadownfc won 6-2 with Andy Cochrane scoring our 1st hat-trick in senior football. His brother John scored one, the other two were scored by a man who would become a legend with @Glentoran Fred Roberts pic.twitter.com/LcjONrRPW0
— Portadown FC History (@Portsmedia) February 13, 2025

Most Domestic League Goals in a Season - 1925

Just like last time, if you do not recognise the name Archie Stark, we at Football Park will not hold it against you.

I personally came across his name a few years back when my American friends were researching the history of American footballers.

Stark was originally born in Glasgow, Scotland; he and his family moved to the United States at the age of 13 in 1910. Within a year of being in America, Stark was already playing for Kearny Scots. But not as an attacker, rather as a defender.

It would not be until after World War One—which Stark fought in—that Stark transitioned from a defender to an attacker, and it was the best choice of his entire career.

In the 1924/25 season, Stark played 44 times in the American Soccer League—not missing a single game—and scored an emphatic 67 goals, more than a couple off second place.

Shockingly, Stark’s side, Bethlehem Steel, missed out on the league title by three points, with Fall River F.C. pipping them to the title.

#16. Archie Stark (1).
Archie Stark scored five goals in a 6-1 win against Canada in a friendly on November 8th, 1925. pic.twitter.com/7ifLu4ubAs
— Marcos (@Marcos_Saez_) January 3, 2025

Oldest Goalscorer in an International Match - 1919

Finally, we have a name that I am sure quite a few of you out there may recognise. Billy Meredith was a footballer who played his trade in England, predominantly for both Manchester City and Manchester United.

Meredith’s career is something like that out of a movie. In 1905, he was banned from the league for the 1905/06 season for attempting to bribe Aston Villa player Alex Leake. He would later reveal how Manchester City circumvented the maximum wage rule, paying players far above the legal limit to lure new signings.

He would later then move to Manchester United—a final stab in the back to City.

But Meredith is on this list due to the record he broke back in 1919. In a British Home Championship match against England, the Welsh international scored his final goal for his home nation at the age of 45.

Meredith also holds the record for the oldest scorer in a top-tier league—age of 47—and in a domestic cup match—age of 49.

When Manchester turned Red — the forgotten 1905 British bribery scandal

120 years ago today, the foundations were laid for Manchester United to become not only the dominant force in Manchester, but a powerhouse across all of England.

Give it a read herehttps://t.co/NrsTw7pLJA
— Joe Ryan (@JoeRyan1203) April 29, 2025

Heaviest Footballer of All Time - 1908

The heaviest footballer of all time. I bet you were not expecting to read that today!

William ‘Fatty’ Foulke was born in 1874 and played for Sheffield United, Chelsea and Bradford between 1894-1908. Large by nature, he stood at 6ft 4 and towered over other players. During his career, he won a league title in 1897/98 and two FA Cups in 1898/99 and 1901/02.

And although Foulke was a talented goalkeeper, he is remembered for another reason.

His weight.

By the end of his career, Foulke weighed a staggering 165 kg. According to the free-to-use BMI calculator on the NHS website, which puts his BMI at 44.3, anything above 30 means obese.

It should come as no surprise that Foulke died at the age of 42 in 1916.

Surprisingly, Foulke’s impact on the game stretches further than just his weight. When players would practise during training, he made young kids stand behind the goal to grab the balls due to his large size, making it impractical. This shows us the first time ball boys were ever used.

Random Goalkeeper Fact of the Day (80): The first recorded stoppage due to the woodwork breaking came during the 1896-97 season when William "Fatty" Foulke brought a First Division game to a halt by snapping the crossbar after he decided to hang off it to relieve his boredom. pic.twitter.com/88rn5fFZzq
— GoaliesAreDifferent (@goalkeepersdiff) October 2, 2023

Highest Score in a Professional Match - 1885

And holding the record for the oldest record in football history is the highest score in a professional football match.

The highest score in a non-professional match is 149-0, but due to the fact the match in question was purposely lost, it cannot be counted.

So the record goes to Arbroath F.C. 36–0 Bon Accord F.C..

Played on the 12th September 1885, the two sides faced each other in the Scottish Cup.

The match was set up for disaster before it even started. Not only did Bon Accord show up without a kit, but their keeper, Jimmie Grant, declared himself injured, which forced half-back, an olden-day midfielder, Andrew Lornie, in goal.

By halftime, Arbroath had already put the game to rest, as they were 15-0 up.

The Scottish Athletic Journal commented on the match, stating, “The leather was landed between the posts 41 times, but five of the times were disallowed. Here and there, enthusiasts would be seen scoring sheet and pencil in hand, taking note of the goals as one would score runs at a cricket match.”

But what makes this story even more interesting is that just 18 miles away, Dundee Harp were playing Aberdeen Rovers at the same time. The score of that match? 35-0.