Statistics

Match Summary
Biggest Home Win	3-0	02/09/23 v Nelson (First Division North)
Biggest Away Win	3-0	19/08/23 v AFC Blackpool (First Division North)
Biggest Home Defeat	4-5	09/09/23 v Runcorn Town (First Division North)
Biggest Away Defeat	2-6	28/08/23 v Ashton Town (First Division North)
Highest Drawn Game	3-3	26/08/23 v Shelley (H) (First Division North)
Highest Aggregate Scoreline	9	09/09/23 4-5 v Runcorn Town (H) (First Division North)

 

Season at a Glance
	Home		Away		Total
	#	%	#	%	#	%
Played	6		7		13
Won	1	16.67%	2	28.57%	3	23.08%
Drawn	3	50.00%	0	0.00%	3	23.08%
Lost	2	33.33%	5	71.43%	7	53.85%
Scored	15	2.50	14	2.00	29	2.23
Conceded	14	2.33	17	2.43	31	2.38

 

Progression in Cup Competitions
The Isuzu FA Vase	1st Round	v	Heaton Stannington	(A)
	To be played on Sat 21/10/23
The Macron Cup	1st Round	v	Padiham	(H)
	To be played on Wed 18/10/23
The Edward Case Cup	1st Round	v	FC St Helens	(H)
	To be played on Wed 11/10/23

 

Home Attendance Summary
Highest Attendance	216	02/08/23 v Ilkley Town (First Division North)
Lowest Attendance	124	26/08/23 v Shelley (First Division North)
Average Attendance	6 games	163

 

Number of Games Since
Last Win	3 games
Last Defeat	1 game
Goalless Draw	13 games
Score Draw	0 games
Scored A Goal	0 games
Fail To Score	13 games
Clean Sheet	3 games

 

Scored / Conceded This Season
	Scored		Conceded
	#	%	#	%
None	0	0.00%	2	15.38%
One	5	38.46%	0	0.00%
Two	3	23.08%	7	53.85%
Three	3	23.08%	2	15.38%
Four	1	7.69%	0	0.00%
Five or more	1	7.69%	2	15.38%

 

When the Goals Went In
	For		Against		Total
	#	%	#	%	#	%
0-15	4	13.79%	3	0%	7	11.67%
16-30	6	20.69%	8	0%	14	23.33%
31-45	8	27.59%	6	0%	14	23.33%
46-60	1	3.45%	8	0%	9	15.00%
61-75	3	10.34%	4	0%	7	11.67%
76-90	7	24.14%	2	0%	9	15.00%
90-105	0	0.00%	0	0%	0	0.00%
105-120	0	0.00%	0	0%	0	0.00%

 

History

THE FORMATION OF DARWEN F.C.

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 a Jimmy Love who were paid for their services becoming the first two professional footballers in the English Game. 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.
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. 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 it’s original moniker Darwen FC and a new Era would start for the organisation.