OFFICIAL MATCHDAY PROGRAMME
THE STAG
SATURDAY 10 FEBRUARY 2024 NWCFL First Division North vs DARWEN FC KO 3:00PM
FREE
ISSUE #39
WHAT’S
INSIDE?
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JOSH WOODEND PARTNER FOCUS EYES ON THE OPPONENT LEAGUE TABLE SQUADS
Produced and Edited by GR.VISUALS Official Club Photography by Ian Allington and Steve Miller
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To advertisie in this programme please email commercial@hobafc.co.uk All editorial content within this programme is the copyright of Holker Old Boys AFC and can only be used with the club’s permission. The views in this programme don’t necessarily reflect those of Holker Old Boys AFC.
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“EVERYONE HAS STEPPED UP”
JOSH
WOODEND P
ersonally, for me, it’s been a frustrating period being sidelined with injury, but the lads picking up two important results in the last two games has certainly helped. Both have been tricky away fixtures with less-than-ideal footballing surfaces, so to come away from those with 6 points and two clean sheets is a credit to the lads. It’s not been easy with a couple of injuries to the squad recently. Still, everyone has stepped up, the young lads in particular, with Luke and Charlie coming in, as well as Steedo and Davey continuing to perform. We’ve now got two home games, which we’ll look to make the most of and continue recent form, starting with Darwen, who are a strong outfit with plenty of firepower up top. The next two probably come a little too soon for me; physio has been going well, helping me get back to full fitness, and with all going well, I’ll be back to help the lads for the upcoming stretch of away fixtures, which will have a big say in where we finish up this season. 5
GOLD
PARTNERS
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SILVER
PARTNERS
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EYES O
OPPO FACTSHEET COLOURS Red NICKNAME The Salmoners GROUND NAME Anchor Ground CAPACITY 4,000 RECORD ATTENDANCE 842 (vs Hanley Town - 2015) CURRENT POSITION 10th
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ON THE
ONENT THEIR HISTORY
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ormed 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 because the club won the game 3-0 but the experiment of staging a game under floodlights was not repeated 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 a Jimmy Love, who were paid for their services, becoming the first two professional footballers in the English game. Paying players was strictly forbidden then, and the club was 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; finally, a third battle ended 6-2 for 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 to wear different colours, the club switched their traditional Black and White hooped shirts for a Salmon Pink kit, thus giving 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 league change 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 1930s. Darwen’s next famous foray in the FA Cup was in the 193132 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 an 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 its primary colour, and it has never changed since.
Anchor Ground, Darwen
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EYES ON THE
OPPONENT 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 founding 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 its 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 retained the Anchor Ground. AFC Darwen started life in the West Lancashire League. The club regained membership in the North West Counties League one season later.
The Salmoners won the First Division Cup beating Atherton Collieries 3-1, and weeks later won promotion to the Premier Division via the playoffs beating Hanley Town 5-3 in the Playoff Final. Two seasons later, AFC Darwen were relegated back into the NWCFL First Division, and after a series of managers, Kenny Langford took up the reigns for the Fourth time as Manager in 2019. This brought a period of stability to the club. On the 2nd of June 2022, over the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Celebrations, it was announced that AFC Darwen would be changing its name back to its original moniker Darwen FC and a new Era would start for the organisation.
In 2012, Kenny Langford took control of the club and breathed a new lease of life back into the club. The Most memorable season in this era was the 2014-15 season resulting in double success.
Anchor Ground - Main Stand
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LEAGUE
TABLE
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COMMERCIAL
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Joe AMISON Jay BARKER Callum BAYNES Brandon COLLINS Luke DAVEY Tom DAWSON Dylan ELLIS Frankie ELLIS Callum FAWCETT Farryl FOSTER Jamie HODGSON Samuel JOEL Jack LITHERLAND Finley MARTIN Hakan McCRACKEN Joseph McGLADDERY William McGLADDERY Luke MITCHELL Nathan REID Jackson ROUND Gareth SMITH Samuel STEPHENS Tom STEPHENSON Kevin WATKIN Tyler WOOD Joshua WOODEND
Daniel ASHBURNER Joshua ASPINALL Christopher BAILEY Jack BANKS Gary BASTERFIELD Zachary BIGGS Nathan BOND Ashley BRIERLEY Max CANE Ryan CATTERMOLE Paul COOTE Leon CREECH Finley DEVENNEY Jack DOHERTY Lenny FIELDHOUSE Otis GORMAN Stefan HOLDEN Samuel HOLT Vincent HOWELL Sean INCE Ben LANGFORD Bobby LANGFORD Jack LITTLE Charlie LLOYD Kit LLOYD Sam LLOYD Oliver LOMBARD Brandon LONSDALE Christopher LYNCH Jack LYNCH Ryan MCKENNA Martin MIDDLEHURST Alexander MORTIMER Dylan OLIVIER Akim SAMMS Brayden SHAW Christopher SMALLEY Nathan STRONG Enoch TAKPE Mamudu TOURAY TOURAY Henry TURNER Joshua WEARDEN