Darwen

Darwen FC is a non-league football club from the market town of the same name, located a few miles south of Blackburn in East Lancashire which was formed in 2009 as a successor to Darwen FC that was liquidated while in debt.

Darwen FC was formed in 1870, originally playing rugby union and cricket before turning to football in 1875. In October 1878 Darwen played against a representative team from Blackburn under floodlights, in one of the first ever instances of a game under lights at their Barley Bank ground.

 

They became the first northern club to feature heavily in the FA Cup, reaching the quarter finals of 1878-79, causing great controversy along the way by signing what were believed to be the first ever two professional players from Partick Thistle.

In 1880-81 ‘The Salmoners’ reached the FA Cup semi-final, losing 4-1 to Old Carthusians at The Oval, prior to becoming members of the Football League a decade later. The team was relegated after their debut 1892-93 campaign.

The 1886-87 season saw the team fall in the quarter finals of the FA Cup to Aston Villa before going out in a derby to Blackburn Rovers in a fifth round clash in 1887-88.

Darwen were elected to the Football League for the 1891-92 season but were demoted to the newly formed Division Two after just one season. One game had ended in a joint record top flight score of 12-0 to West Bromwich Albion.

The following season saw Darwen regain their First Division spot by beating Notts County in a ‘Test Match’ play-off, but again their spell lasted just one season, dropping down to Division Two.

The club subsequently resigned from the League in 1899 to join the Lancashire League moving into The Anchor Ground. Having won the title in their new surroundings in 1901-02 and then end as runners-up twelve months later, Darwen moved to the Lancashire Combination in 1904.

 

A runners-up place came in their new league in 1905-06 prior to being relegated in 1908-09. The club left the competition in 1914 before returning in 1920-21 and going on to be crowned as champions in 1930-31 before retaining the title the following season.

The 1931-32 season also saw the team reach the third round of the FA Cup following victories against Peterborough & Fletton United and Chester before Darwen bowed out 11-1 to Arsenal at Highbury.

Success dried up as Darwen were relegated to the Second Division of the Lancashire Combination in 1962-63 before winning promotion back to Division One in 1965-66. A further demotion followed twelve months later, but the Salmoners squad regrouped to win promotion once again in 1967-68.

A third league title arrived at the Anchor Ground in 1971-72. After finishing as runners-up in 1973-74, Darwen won the league again in 1974-75 before the club made the switch to the Cheshire League for the 1975-76 campaign.

Darwen became founder members of the North West Counties League in 1982-83, from where they were relegated to Division Two of the competition in 1983-84. Promotion back to Division One was achieved in 1986-87 where they remained before dropping back down in 1998 as the Anchor Ground failed the required regulations.

In 2002 the Carlsberg Tetley brewery attempted to wind up the football and social club but were thwarted. In 2008 more companies filed for liquidation over unpaid bills. The club tried to make an offer through a CVA but this was rejected, so the club was wound up on the 14th May 2009 in the High Court as a side in the second tier Division One.

Almost immediately the club was reformed as AFC Darwen and entered the West Lancashire League, where they spent the 2009-10 season before returning to Division One of the North West Counties League.

The team grew into its new surroundings under manager Kenny Langford before he was forced to resign before Darwen were promoted via the play-offs in 2014-15 after defeating Chadderton and then Hanley Town.

After three seasons of struggle the Salmoners were relegated in 2017-18. The Anchor Ground benefited from investment as a new artificial pitch was laid and the clubhouse refurbished as the team competed in Division One North.

 

Luke Evans had a spell as manager, in sole charge and alongside the returning Langford before his departure to leave Langford back in charge as the team ended in mid table when the 2019-20 campaign ended early owing to the outbreak of Coronavirus.

Plans were given permission for a new South Stand and clubhouse at the ground, which was being shared by Blackburn Rovers Ladies, in January 2021. A return to action after an enforced break caused by Covid-19 almost saw the team relegated in 2021-22.

A better season followed, prior to the club changing its name to Darwen FC in the summer of 2023, prior to a ninth place ending to the 2023-24 campaign

Darwen FC will compete in the North West Counties League Division One North in the 2024-25 season.

My visit

Wednesday 14th September 2011

I was in East Lancashire for the day after attending the Accrington Stanley v Rotherham United match the previous evening. I had visited a few clubs earlier in the day, with my most recent being Blackburn Rovers.

Elaine, my guide at Ewood Park had given me a good time scale of how long I'd need to get to the Anchor Ground and thankfully a bus had soon arrived to take me down Bolton Road and under the M65 motorway to a stop outside The Anchor pub. The ground was a hundred metres or so up Anchor Road by the side of the Crown Paints factory.

The gates of the ground were open and shouting could be heard from within. There was a match being played between two colleges and the clubhouse door was open so I popped in and asked for permission to take my photos. Three chaps were decorating the rooms and I was told I was more than welcome to grab a brush!

The Anchor Ground was one of the better ones I'd seen at this level. The changing rooms were in the corner by the turnstiles with the clubhouse by the touchline. The rest of this side was filled with a long stand with red plastic seats and room for fans to stand under cover. The remaining three sides all had three steps of terracing, with grass coming through down the far touchline. At least there were raised areas on all sides for spectators to gain a decent view.

I went back down the road and saw a bus whizzing past. The timetable said another was due, so I waited. It turned out to be an error as I ended up missing my intended train to Manchester because the next bus was so late in arriving. However, not all was lost as I stayed on the bus to Bolton, rather than being tempted to the Alexandra Hotel which was once a minute away from the original Barley Bank home and where the club signed their players. 

From Bolton I caught a connecting train which dropped me virtually outside my hotel by Salford Central station to complete a lovely day in the extremely hospitable East Lancashire cotton belt.