Rossendale

Rossendale FC is a non-league football club that represents the district of the same name in East Lancashire. The Rossendale Valley is a former industrial heartland now transformed into an extremely attractive area consisting of several towns and villages, with Rawtenstall being the largest of them.

The current Rossendale FC was founded in 1937 as Old Rossendalians, by former pupils of the Bacup & Rawtenstall Grammar School, becoming members of the Lancashire Amateur League in 1947. They form just part of an interesting local football history.

The original Rossendale FC

Another club called Myrtle Grove FC, was formed in 1877, playing in Cloughfold. For the 1881–82 season, the club moved to Dark Lane in Newchurch and renamed themselves Rossendale FC, soon becoming regular entrants in the FA Cup, with their debut an 11-0 thumping by Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park.

The Lancashire League was formed in 1889-90 and Rossendale became founder members. Life was tough against semi-pro and professional clubs. After finishing bottom of the table in 1896-97 the club was wound up.

Rossendale United

In 1898 a new club was formed wearing the same colours as their predecessors, also playing at Dark Lane. Their first honours came when becoming Lancashire Combination champions in 1926-27, where the also lifted the Division Two crown in 1956-57. 

‘The Stags’ joined the Cheshire League in 1970-71, winning the title in their first season. The team had a magnificent FA Cup run in 1971-72 getting through the qualifying stages and then defeating Altrincham before bowing out to Bolton Wanderers in the second round tie moved to Gigg Lane, Bury.

Two runners-up places quickly ensued prior another FA Cup first round appearance in 1975-76 which ended in defeat to Shrewsbury Town prior to becoming founder members of North West Counties League in 1982-83.

The main stand at Dark Lane
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After finishing runners-up in the competition, the league title was secured in 1988-89 leading to a short spell in the Northern Premier League. A further championship was collected in 2000-01, which saw a return to Division One of the NPL.

The team was relegated in 2009-10 before finishing second from bottom in the NWCL Premier Division in 2010-11. The club was put up for sale, with no buyer being found. The club folded and on the 15th January 2012, firefighters were called to deal with a fire in the main stand at Dark Lane. 

Covered terracing at Dark Lane
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There had been an attempt by the supporters’ trust to form a new club which would be owned by fans and governed as a community or co-operative society. Rossendale FC was chosen as the preferred name and all plans were in place until they were abandoned because of no suitable ground being available, with the fire putting pay to hopes.

It may have been a coincidence, but the derelict Dark Lane site received outline planning permission for 100 new family homes.

The current Rossendale FC

Meanwhile, while history was being played out at Dark Lane, Old Rossendalians continued along in the Lancashire Amateur League before joining the Bacup Amateur League in 1954, owing to the cost of previous travelling issues. 

A couple of Bury Amateur League in 1964, before returning to the Lancashire Amateur League in 1967. The club used Marl Pits as their home ground, sharing the facility with Rossendale Rugby Club, as a clubhouse was added.

The football club changed their title to Rossendale Amateurs, who went on to become champions of the Lancashire Amateur League in 1981-82, adding a second triumph in 1983-84. A brief spell in the second tier of the competition followed before a third league title was secured in 2007-08. 

In 2010 the club became Rossendale FC, ending as league runners-up in 2011-12 before dropping down a level at the end of the 2013-14 campaign. In 2016-17 the team regained their higher playing status, where continued good form saw the club progress to Division Two of the West Lancashire League in 2019-20.

After a couple of abandoned seasons owing to Covid-19, Rossendale gained promotion to Division One after winning the Division Two title in 2021-22. Further promotion was achieved in 2022-23 as the side ended up league runners-up under manager Ray Davis. 

He resigned in the summer of 2023 to be replaced by the trio of Jonathan Heap, Simon Nangle and Scott Wylie.

Rossendale FC will play in the West Lancashire League Premier Division in the 2023-24 season.

My visit

Sunday 29^th August 2021

It was a pleasant Bank Holiday morning when I awoke at the home of my friends Keith and Julie Roscoe in Rawtenstall. We’d enjoyed a lovely evening after I’d earlier managed a wonderful double of seeing England complete a Test win against India at Headingley and then seen Scarborough Athletic win away at Radcliffe.

I was visiting the area to watch the Lancashire League local derby cricket between Rawtenstall and Haslingden, which would be followed up on the Monday by watching my pal play in his band, the Riflemen of War, at the Bury Glastonburybury Festival.

With time to kill before the first ball at the splendid Worswick Memorial Ground, I decided to go for a walk and build a thirst and appetite. The small atmospheric town centre was just coming to life as I headed along Bank Street before my walk along Newchurch Road. 

It was good to see plenty of junior football action taking place at Marls Pit, the home of the Stags on an artificial surface up on the banking above the main pitch, which had a shale running track running around it for local athletes along with training lights.

It was all part of Marls Pit leisure Centre, which also had some smaller sized 3G pitches, a gym, swimming pool, and a clubhouse for the football and rugby clubs. Spectators would be limited to a view by the buildings if they wanted shelter. 

While it was a relatively basic venue, I'm sure the views from inside the clubhouse and in front of it would be enough for the crowds the team attracted and keep them warm on what looked like it could be an exposed location in winter.

Once I’d taken my snaps, I continued my recreation as far as the village of Waterfoots where I went down the hill and started making my way back to Rawtenstall along Bacup Road. I passed the turning to Dark Lane, former home of football in the area, which is remembered as a road where the housing is located on the old ground is called Stag Lane. 

Cricket at the magnificent Rawtenstall CC

The weekend continued in fine style. There was a steam railway festival on the East Lancashire Line, so I went to film a loco arriving into Rawtenstall, and on my return to the cricket I got to meet comedian and actor Ted Robbins.

He starred as the evil Den Perry, in Phoenix Nights, one of my favourite comedies, and he was a lovely man to boot who took time put for a chat. Apparantly he used to play rugby at Marls Pit with my pal Kes, whose team came out second best in their encounter out in the middle.

Fun with Den Perry

A wonderful time was had in an area I had grown to like a lot. Maybe, a match at Marl Pits or nearby Bacup Borough might be arranged on a future visit.