Darwen FC Club History

Formed in 1870, fully concentrating on Association Football in 1875, Darwen FC would become early pioneers of Professional Football in Northern England.

In October 1878, Darwen became the first club in Lancashire to stage a game under floodlights at our old Barley Bank Ground against a Blackburn and District’ side. This game was a huge success, not only as the club won the game 3-0 but the experiment of staging a game under floodlights was not repeated again in this era of football in the area.

Darwen were the first working class, Northern ‘Mill Town’ club to have any success in the FA Cup, reaching the Quarter Finals of the competition in 1879. Darwen’s run in the tournament would cause controversy by signing two players, Fergus Suter and Jimmy Love who were paid for their services becoming the first two professional footballers in the English Game.

The Netflix series “The English Game” tells the true story of the birth of modern football and is a large part of our club history

Paying players was strictly forbidden at this time and the club were threatened with expulsion from all Football Association competitions. The Motion to throw Darwen out of the competition was defeated Three Times leading to Three famous FA Quarter Final showdowns with the Old Etonians.

The first leg finished 5-5 with the hosts refusing to play extra time. Darwen travelled back to the Capital for the second leg drawing 2-2 and finally a third battle ended 6-2 to the Old Etonians.

Two Years later, the club went one better by reaching the FA Cup Semi Final by beating Romford 15-0 in the Quarters but lost out 4-1 to eventual winners Old Carthusians.

This remains the furthest the club have gone in the competition.

In 1891, the club was elected into the Football League as it was expanded to Fourteen teams. To comply with a Football League rule demanding all member clubs had to wear different colours the club switched their traditional Black and White hooped shirts for a Salmon Pink kit, thus giving the name the nickname ‘The Salmoners’.

After finishing bottom in their inaugural season and a further expansion of the Football League, in 1892 Darwen FC became founder members of Division Two. After a short-lived promotion in 1893 the club found themselves a season later back in Division Two and in 1899 resigned from the Football League and signed up to participate in the Lancashire League. This change of league coincided with a move from Barley Bank to our current home, The Anchor Ground and the club have played at the venue ever since.

In 1902, the club won the Lancashire League title and later Lancashire League triumphs followed in the 1930’s.

Darwen’s next famous foray in the FA Cup was in the 1931-32 season. In front of 10,000 spectators (a record at the Anchor Ground) they beat Chester and were rewarded with an away trip to Highbury to face Arsenal. This game ended in a 11-1 defeat for the Salmoners, but the hosts were so impressed with Darwen’s spirit and sportsmanship that they presented the East Lancashire side with a Red Kit. This gesture resulted in Darwen adopting Red as it’s primary colour and it has never changed since.

In the 1974/75 season Darwen completed the double in the Lancashire (Combination) League winning the Division and the Cup. The Cup Final resulted in ‘The Darreners’ beating Bootle 5-3 on aggregate.

After decades in the Lancashire League the club moved into the Cheshire League in 1976 and later became founder members of the North West Counties League in 1982. After a multitude of financial issues and a fire that ravaged the Anchor Ground in 1990, the club never got back onto it’s feet. After many battles, Darwen FC were wound up in May 2009, but the club would never die.

In the same month a group of local townspeople and fans resurrected ‘the Town’s Team’ as AFC Darwen and also retained the Anchor Ground. AFC Darwen started life in the West Lancashire League. One Season later the club regained membership to play in the North West Counties League.