Issue #08 - v Darwen FC (15/11/2022)

“THERE IS NEVER AN EASY GAME IN THE NWCFL”

THOUGHTS FROM THE DUGOUT

Good evening, and welcome again to Rakesmoor Lane for tonight’s North West Counties Football League fixture against Darwen FC.

The games are coming thick and fast due to our run in the FA Vase. Still, we are happy with the quick turnaround between games as we are starting to return to the levels we showed throughout last season, standards that we expect from each other. Momentum can be a significant factor in football, with winning becoming a healthy addictive habit, so motivation is high.

Darwen FC will pose a tough test, as they always do. There is never an easy game in the NWCFL, so we need to approach this the same as any other, start the game quickly, put them under pressure early, and try to put ourselves in a commanding position that we can then build on to extend our winning run.

Unfortunately, we have lost Joe Amison tonight through injury, but we have the strength in the squad to adapt, along with the bonus of welcoming Tommy Dawson back. We will keep our eye on Joe for Saturday as we aim to take 6 points from the back-to-back games with Darwen FC to start to put some pressure on teams above us.

KEVIN WATKIN

“THE BOYS SHOULD BE CONFIDENT GOING INTO THIS GAME”

THOUGHTS FROM THE DUGOUT

Good evening and welcome to Rakemsoor Lane. Reflecting on Saturday’s game, we’re proud to have come away with the victory from our FA Vase tie against FC Isle Of Man. From minute one, I thought the lads gave their all, and they didn’t let up. It was a deserved win, and I’m looking forward to welcoming Squires Gate on 3rd December for the Third Round.

Considering our league fixture tonight with Darwen, the boys should be confident going into this game. We’ve been playing our best football of the season and are defensively solid as a team, with Jay Barker putting in some great performances of late. We know it’s going to be another challenging game tonight. Hopefully, our run can continue with Nathan Reid, Will McGladdery and Luke Mitchell in great form. All the lads from 1 to 16 have been great, having the best spell of our season.

Thank you for supporting us as the nights get darker and colder. Your attendance does not go unrecognised and helps spur the lads on.

GOLD PARTNERS

SILVER PARTNERS

SAM STEPHENS

Tonight we entertain Darwen, who are currently placed 17th in the Division. We come to this game off the back of a 3-1 win against FC Isle Of Man on Saturday and a good solid team performance.

The season has been a tough test, even more so with losing two top-quality centre-halves, but the first 11 league games are a good indication of this squad’s character. Sitting just outside the playoffs, we are undoubtedly favourites; however, over the past few seasons, Darwen have always proven a tough test!

As the club moves forward on the pitch with some great results, it also has developed behind the scenes, with Maurice ensuring the club is in prime condition every week.

In my many years at Holker Old Boys, it has undoubtedly transformed as a club for the better both on and off the pitch. #UpTheStags

“SITTING JUST OUTSIDE THE PLAYOFFS, WE ARE UNDOUBTEDLY FAVOURITES”

A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE

ON THE OPPONENT

THEIR 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 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

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.

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.

EYES ON OPPONENT

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.

ON THE OPPONENT

Anchor Ground - Main Stand

Darwen Celebrate!

Darwen FC in 1879

2022/23

PLAYER SPONSORS

JAMIE HODGSON

JOE AMISON

SAM JOEL

JAY BARKER HAKAN MCCRACKEN

BRANDON COLLINS

SEAN PATERSON

TOM DAWSON

NATHAN REID

CALLUM FAWCETT

GARETH SMITH

ELLIOT MOORE

SPONSORS

KEVIN WATKIN

SAM STEPHENS

JASON WALKER

TYLER WOOD

JOSH WOODEND