Darwen FC hangs up its boots!

The FA has been notified that Darwen FC will cease to exist after the 2008/09 season.

However, Darwen WILL still have a football club but it will need to be renamed in order to free the club of debts. A brand new football club is planned for the town called AFC Darwen which will need to start life in a league lower than Darwen FC.

The following statement was issued on behalf of the Vodkat League Committee on Thursday:

"The Football Association has been notified by Kevin Henry, owner of Darwen Sports and Social Club, that he intends to withdraw the company from football related activities at the end of the current season 2008-09. As this company controls Darwen Football Club, this effectively means that Darwen Football Club will cease to exist at the end of this season.

As a result, the Football Association has informed the Vodkat League Management Committee that they should make preparations for season 2009-10 on the assumption that Darwen Football Club will not be members of the League, and will not be participating in the League’s competitions."

Darwen FC was one of the oldest football clubs in the UK, taking up association rules way back in 1875. The club also boasts being the first club to play under floodlights and the first club to pay a professional footballer.

One record which the town doesn't like to boast about is the 18 consecutive defeats suffered in the 1898-99 season, a record which still stands today! It was in 1899 when the club moved to the Anchor Ground where it remained until its final season.

Despite an early and glorious start to footballing life - including an FA Cup Semi Final appearance in 1881 things quickly deteriorated for the club whilst other local teams flourished, including Blackburn Rovers. Darwen FC were relegated through the football tiers and most recently played in the North West Counties League Division Two after being relegated from Division One in 1998 due to ground regulations despite having secured enough points to avoid the drop.

Football in Darwen now face a similar fate after achieving a points haul of 40 and finishing 13th in the league the town will now have to start football life in a tier lower, albeit as a new club.