Football was played in the town of Kidsgrove before the outbreak of World War II saw the team disband. Football was resurrected in when Kidsgrove United was formed which brought a number of players from further afield. Local young men unhappy with this structure formed their own club in 1952 under the name Kidsgrove Athletic. The club joined the amateur Burslem and Tunstall League. They played on the Vickers and Goodwin pitch next to the A50 before deciding not to play football in 1961 to develop a ground on Hollinwood Road, Clough Hall. The club won the Burslem and Tunstall League in 1962 and joined the Staffordshire County League in 1963.