Great Harwood Town F.C.

Great Harwood Town F.C. was a football club based in Great Harwood, Lancashire, England. They joined the Lancashire Combination in 1979 and made their way up to the Northern Premier League Division One during the early 1990s. However, after spending most of the decade in the league they were ultimately relegated down to the North West Counties League Division Two. Despite being promoted to Division One for the 2004–05 season, the team were relegated back down to Division Two for the 2005–06 season, and folded at the end of the season. The folding was mainly attributed to a fire at their home ground. History They were founded in 1966, and were originally known as Harwood Wellington, being named after the Duke Of Wellington pub in the town. In 1978 they took on their present name, also taking over as residents of the Showground. They joined the Lancashire Combination in 1979, and in 1982 the team joined the North West Counties Football League. In the 1990–91 season reached the Quarter-Finals of the FA Vase. At the same time the club had success in the league, being promoted in successive seasons to the Northern Premier League Division One. After almost a decade in this league, the team was relegated back down to the NWCFL. After a fire at the Showground, they were forced to play some of their home games at Accrington Stanley's Interlink Express Stadium. Great Harwood Town resigned from the North West Counties League in June 2006, when it became clear that the club would be unable to raise the money to buy back the Showground and repair its dressing rooms, which had been destroyed in the fire 18 months earlier. They officially folded in July 2006, but chairman Bill Holden did not rule out the possibility that the club could be re-launched in the future. The Showmen's record home attendance was 5,397 for a match vs Manchester United in 1980. However, 6,023 watched them play at Gigg Lane, Bury in an away match against FC United of Manchester on 22 April 2006. Striker Matt Derbyshire started his career with Great Harwood Town, before moving to the Blackburn Rovers, and playing for the England U21s.