Harlow Town F.C.
 | |||
| Full name | Harlow Town FC | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Hawks | ||
| Founded | 1879 | ||
| Ground | Barrows Farm, Harlow | ||
| Capacity | 3,500 (500 seated) | ||
| Owner | John Barnett and Tommy Cunningham | ||
| Manager | Danny Chapman | ||
| League | Isthmian League Division One North | ||
| 2012–13 | Isthmian League Division One North, 21st | ||
| |||
Harlow Town Football Club are an English football club based in Harlow, Essex. The club are members of Division One North of the Isthmian League, and play at Barrows Farm.
The club is best known for its exploits in the 1979–80 FA Cup, in which it reached the fourth round, eliminating two Football League sides Southend United and Leicester City before losing to Watford at Vicarage Road.
History
The club's date of formation is unknown, but the first match was played on 18 October 1879 against Saffron Walden. In 1896 the club joined Division One of the East Herts League, but left at the end of the 1896–97 season. In 1898 the club merged with Netteswell and Burnt Mill and were renamed Harlow and Burnt Mill F.C. and rejoined the East Herts League. The merger was reversed in 1902.
In 1907 the club joined the new Stansted & District League. In 1910 they also began entering a team into the East Herts League. In 1911–12 they won Division One of the East Herts League,[1] but were relegated to Division Two the following season. They also finished bottom of the Stansted & District League, withdrawing their team at the end of the season.
After World War I the club rejoined both leagues in 1919, being placed in Division One in the East Herts League. They won Division One of the East Herts League in 1922–23 and the Stansted & District League in both of the following two seasons.[1] In 1925 the club withdrew their team from the East Herts League and entered the Herts & Essex Border League, before returning to the East Herts League in 1927.
In 1927–28 the club won its third Stansted & District League title, and the following season won both the Stansted & District League and Division One of the East Herts League. After withdrawing from the Stansted & District League, they won Division One of the East Herts League and the League Challenge Cup in 1929–30, retaining the League Cup for the following two seasons.[1] In 1932 the club joined Division Two East of the Spartan League.
In 1954 the club joined the Premier Division of the London League. In 1960 they won the League Cup,[1] and moved to the Sportscentre from the Green Man playing fields, where they had played since 1879. In 1961 they switched to the Delphian League. In 1963 it merged into the Athenian League and the club were placed in Division Two. After finishing third in 1963–64 they were promoted to Division One.[2] Due to Harlow's facilities at the Sportcentre, the club attracted well-known teams to the area during the mid- and late 1960s. In July 1966 Harlow Town arranged a friendly match against Uruguay, who were staying nearby in preparation for the World Cup (held in England that summer). Uruguay defeated Harlow, 6–1. In 1968, Benfica reached the European Cup final against Manchester United at Wembley. Benfica prepared for the final at Harlow's Sportcentre; their team included the top scorer from the 1966 World Cup, Eusébio.
In 1971–72 the club won Division One, and were promoted to the Premier Division of the Athenian League. In 1973 the club switched to Division Two of the Isthmian League, renamed Division One in 1977. In 1978–79 they won Division One and were promoted to the Premier Division.
The 1979–80 season saw the club make its best-ever run in the FA Cup. They reached the first round proper for the first time, where they defeated Leytonstone/Ilford 2–1. In the next round they drew 1–1 at Southend United before winning the replay at the Sportscentre 1–0 in front of 5,000 spectators. The club were then drawn away at Second Division leaders Leicester City. After a 1–1 draw at Filbert Street with Harlow scoring a last minute equaliser, Harlow won the replay at the Sportscentre 1–0, with a record attendance of 9,723 set by the game. In the fourth round the club were drawn away to Watford, but lost 4–3.[2]
In 1981–82 the club were relegated, but returned to the Premier Division after a single season in Division One. However, two consecutive relegations in 1984–85 and 1985–86 saw the club drop into Division Two North. In 1988–89 they won the division and returned to Division One.
The club's plans to leave the Sportcentre for a new stadium on Roydon Road collapsed during the 1991–92 season, and the Isthmian League closed down the Sportcentre after it no longer met league requirements. The team played the rest of their home games at local venues including Sawbridgeworth, Bishop's Stortford, Ware and Aveley. The club dropped out of football for the 1992–93 season.
When they were voted back into the league for the 1993–94 season after upgrading the Sportscentre, the club were forced to drop into Division Three. In 1997–98 they were promoted to Division Two, and the following season were promoted to Division One. In 2004 the club were transferred to Division One East of the Southern League, but returned to the Isthmian League in 2006. In October 2006 the club moved to its new ground at Barrow's Farm. After finishing as runners-up in Division One North in 2006–07 they won the promotion play-offs and were promoted to the Premier Division after defeating AFC Sudbury in the play-off final. However, they were relegated back to Division One North at the end of the 2008–09 season.[2]
Club officials
| Role | Name |
|---|---|
| Manager | Danny Chapman |
| Assistant Manager | Paul West-Hook |
| Club Secretary | Ray Dyer |
| President | Ron Bruce |
Managerial history
| Years | Manager |
|---|---|
| 1879–1957 | Selection Committee |
| 1957–1958 | Rick Barrett |
| 1958–1959 | Dennis Bow |
| 1959–1964 | Jack Kavanagh |
| 1964–1966 | Ralph Wetton |
| 1966–1967 | Ken Driver |
| 1967–1969 | Bryan Atkinson |
| 1969–1971 | Brian Somers |
| 1971–1973 | Roy Thomas |
| 1973–1974 | Jack Price |
| 1974–1975 | Gordon Sedgley |
| 1975–1976 | Len Gamblin |
| 1976–1982 | Ian Wolstenholme |
| 1982–1985 | Gwyn Walters |
| 1985–1994 | Dave Edwards |
| 1994–1995 | Len Glover |
| 1995–1997 | Dave Greene |
| 1997–1999 | Eddie McCluskey |
| 1999–2002 | Ian Allinson |
| 2002–2003 | John Kendall |
| 2003–2006 | Tommy Cunningham |
| 2006–2008 | Ryan Kirby |
| 2008–2009 | Glen Alzapiedi |
| 2009 | Anthony Anstead |
| 2009–2010 | Marvin Samuel |
| 2010 | Tommy Cunningham (Temporary) |
| 2010–2011 | Kevin Warren |
| 2011–Present | Danny Chapman |
- Despite being founded in 1879, Harlow Town did not have their first manager until 1957, as they had a Selection Committee for the first 77 years of their history.
- Dave Edwards lost his job as manager in 1992 after the club went into administration, but was instantly re-instated in 1993 when the club returned to the Isthmian League.
Stadium
| Years | Ground |
|---|---|
| 1879–1960 | Green Man Playing Fields |
| 1960–2006 | Harlow Sportcentre |
| 2006–present | Barrows Farm |
In their long history, Harlow Town have only ever had 3 home venues. From the club's formation right up until 1960, the club played their home games at the Green Man Playing Fields, with its first competitive game coming against Bishop's Stortford Nonconformist Grammar School. Harlow Town's last game at its original home was against East Ham United on 30 April 1960, with Harlow winning the game 2–1. For the start of the 1960–1961 season,
Harlow had moved to a new home on Hammarskjold Road, to the newly built Harlow Sportcentre, the first Sports Centre in England. The Town's first competitive game in their new home was against Epping Town in the London League on 27 August 1960, with the game finishing in a 1–1 draw. The Sportcentre hosted some of Harlow's greatest moments, most notably the FA Cup giant-killings of Southend United and Leicester City in the 1979–1980 season. Harlow's final season at the Sportcentre came in 2005–06, with their last scheduled game their against Spalding United in the 2006 East Anglian Cup final, but due to delays at their new ground, their final game at the Sportcentre was on 2 September 2006 in an FA Cup Preliminary Round match against Saffron Walden Town, ironically the team Harlow faced in their first ever match.
Honours
- Isthmian League
- Division One Champions 1978–79
- Division One North Play Off Winners 2006–07
- Division Two North Champions 1988–89
- Athenian League
- Division One champions 1971–72
- Essex Senior Cup
- Winners 1978–79
- East Anglian Cup
- Winners 1989–90, 2001–02, 2005–06
- London League Cup
- Champions 1959–60
- West Essex Border Charity Cup
- Winners 1923–24
- Spartan League
- Division One Cup winners 1952–53
- East Herts League
- Division One champions 1911–12, 1922–23, 1928–29, 1929–30
- Challenge Cup winners 1929–30, 1930–31, 1931–32
- Stansted & District League
- Division One champions 1923–24, 1924–25, 1927–28, 1928–29
- Rolleston Cup
- Winners 1924–25
- Epping Hospital Shield
- Winners 1938–39, 1946–47, 1947–48, 1948–49
Records
- Record Victory: 14–0 vs Bishop's Stortford, 11 April 1925
- Record Defeat: 0–11 vs Ware, 6 March 1948
- High-Scoring Draw: 5–5 vs Southall, 1 February 1975
- Highest Attendance (Sportcentre): 9,723 vs Leicester City, 8 January 1980
- Highest Attendance (Barrow's Farm): 2,149 vs Macclesfield Town, 8 November 2008
- Most Appearances: Norman Gladwin (639), 1951–1970
- Most Goals in a Season: Dick Marshall (64), 1928–1929
- Most Goals in a Season (Post-War): Jeff Wood (44), 1988–1989
- Consecutive League Wins: 11 (19 August 1978 – 28 October 1978)
- Consecutive League Defeats: 11 (1 January 1977 – 5 March 1977)
- Most Wins in a Season: 31 out of 42 (1978–1979)
- Most Draws in a Season: 16 out of 42 (1987–1988, 2000–2001, 2005–2006)
- Most Defeats in a Season: 29 out of 42 (2009–2010)