Harrow Borough F.C.
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| Full name | Harrow Borough Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Boro, The Reds | ||
| Founded |
1933 (as Roxonian) | ||
| Ground | Earlsmead Stadium, South Harrow | ||
| Capacity | 3,070 | ||
| Chairman | Peter Rogers | ||
| Manager | Steve Baker | ||
| League | Isthmian League Premier Division | ||
| 2015–16 | Isthmian League Premier Division, 17th | ||
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Harrow Borough Football Club is an English association football club based in the London Borough of Harrow. The club are currently members of the Isthmian League Premier Division and play at Earlsmead Stadium.
History
Early history – Roxonian F.C to Harrow Town F.C
The club was originally formed in 1933 under the name Roxonian F.C. and played their first season in the Harrow and District League finishing runners up. The next season saw the club move into a new ground, Earlsmead Stadium, and a new league.
They started in the Spartan League Division Two West and in 1938 they would finish second. As only the Champions were promoted they would have to wait till the following season when they finished top under their new name of Harrow Town F.C. to progress.
The war years saw Harrow Town compete in the West Middlesex Combination and then the Middlesex Senior League. With the war over in Europe, Harrow Town finally joined the top level of the Spartan League having been promoted six years early.
They remained in the Spartan League until finishing runners up in 1958 and being promoted to the Delphian League. When this league disbanded in 1964 they were accepted into the Athenian League, where they were promoted to Division One at the first attempt having finished runners up and only missing out on the top spot on goal difference.
1967–1979 – Harrow Borough F.C: Survival to success
In 1967 the club changed its name once again to Harrow Borough F.C. but in the same year were relegated to Athenian League Division Two. This period would see the club facing extinction but the eventual sale of their second pitch to the local council enabled the club to redevelop the ground.
Having survived off the pitch they started to make progress on it when in 1975 when they were elected to the Isthmian League, initially in Division Two.
In 1979 they were promoted, having finished second, to what was now called the Premier Division where they have played ever since.
1979–2004 – Success and stability
Their first few seasons in the Premier Division saw steady progress. In 1982–83 the club finished third in the league and won the Middlesex Senior Cup. Harrow also had its furthest ever run in the FA Trophy reaching the semi finals only to lose in the second leg to the eventual winners Telford United.
In 1983–84 the club won the Isthmian League championship by seventeen points. The same year saw Harrow have its greatest ever FA Cup run reaching the 2nd round proper to play Newport County who were then in Division Three (now League One).
During this period the importance of ensuring the long term security of the club led to Harrow turning down the financially risky promotion to the Football Conference twice. 1985 saw manager Micky Tomkys retire and a steady decline in the club's fortunes followed, having finished fifth and sixth in the following seasons.
Under manager Harry Manoe 1993 would see Harrow do the double winning both the Middlesex Senior and Charity Cup beating Chelsea 4–1 in the semi finals of the latter. The early Nineties also saw an improvement in the league after the several disappointing seasons previously.
Since then the club have failed to match earlier league successes, finding themselves often drawn into a relegation struggle. In 2000 they avoided relegation by one goal, earning them the nickname "Houdini Boro".
In 2003 David Howell was appointed as the new boss and in 2004 Borough missed out on the opportunity to join the newly formed Conference South, losing on penalties in a play-off.
2005–2010 – Cup finals and success
Having missed out in the finals of the Middlesex Senior Cup in 2001, Harrow would finally bring home silverware in the form of the Middlesex Charity Cup in 2006, beating Enfield 2–0 in the final. Harrow retained this cup in 2007 beating Brook House in the final on penalties.
Having won the competition in 2006 and 2007, Boro were entered in the Middlesex Super Cup, a cup which faces off the winners of the Middlesex Senior Charity Cup and the Middlesex Senior Cup. It is formally known as the George Ruffell Memorial Shield. Boro lost 2–0 in 2006 to Hampton & Richmond but won the cup the following year in 2007 beating Northwood 3–0.
In the 2008–09 season, Boro managed to reach the final of the Isthmian League Cup. Boro beat Hendon, Godalming Town, Harlow, Horsham and Ashford Town (Middx) to reach the final before losing to Ryman League Division One side Tilbury.
The 2009–10 season saw the introduction of the Harrow Borough youth team, playing their football in the Isthmian Youth League West Division. Their first season youth football led them to finishing in 6th place.
2010–11 – League improvement
Harrow Borough finished the 2009–10 season in 14th place in the Isthmian League Premier Division. In the summer and pre-season following, Borough managed to reduce debts. After starting the season slowly, the 2010–11 season saw the club qualify for the first round of the FA Cup for only the third time in their history.[1] Borough bowed out to eventual League Two champions Chesterfield 2–0 at Earlsmead.
After being knocked out of the FA Cup in November, Harrow Borough sparked an unbeaten run into January before losing to Folkestone Invicta.[2] Following this, Borough sold young striker Troy Hewitt to Queens Park Rangers.[3] Borough managed to end the 2010–11 season strongly despite losing Troy Hewitt and finished on a good run of form. A 1–1 draw on the final day of the season against Cray Wanderers was enough to secure a play-off spot away to Tonbridge Angels. Harrow Borough lost 3–2 after extra time in the semi-finals to Tonbridge. After going 2–0 down early on, veteran striker Rocky Baptiste scored two goals to force extra time, but Tonbridge scored a late winner. In June 2011, long serving manager David Howell left Borough, along with assistant Ken Charlery, to join St Albans City.
2011–12 – New manager
In June 2011, David Howells successor was announced. Dave Anderson was chosen as the man to lead Boro into the 2011–12 season and help to continue with the clubs non league plan.[4] He led Boro to safety in his first season, with the club finishing 17th in the Isthmian Premier Division. A massive 53 different players were used in the first team as Dave Anderson had to rebuild a squad from scratch. The club could not match the exploits in the FA Cup from the previous season, going out in the 2nd Qualifying Round to Dartford. Boro went out in the 2nd Qualifying Round of the FA Trophy, to AFC Hornchurch in a replay. Boro also lost out in the league cup, losing to Cheshunt at home in the 3rd round, Middlesex Senior Cup losing to North Greenford United in the 2nd round and London Senior cup, losing to Hendon in the quarter finals.
Anderson stepped down in January 2015 following three-and-a-half years in the job, citing the poor run of form as the reason for leaving.
2015– A change in management, survival and double cup success
With Harrow struggling in the relegation zone, Anderson resigned in January 2015. After 30 applications for the job, a shortlist of 8 was drawn up by the board.[5] On 25 January 2015, Harrow confirmed the appointment of Steve Baker as the club's new manager, arriving from Isthmian League Division One South side Chipstead having beaten off competition from Kevin Gallen and Rufus Brevett for the job.[6] Despite taking the job with the club deep in relegation trouble, a tremendous run of form saw Baker steer Harrow Borough to safety as the club ended the 2014/15 season in 16th place, as well as progressing to two cup finals in both Middlesex competitions – the Middlesex Senior Cup and Middlesex Charity Cup. Baker steered Harrow Borough to victory in the Middlesex Senior Cup final, with a 1–0 win over Hanwell Town on 9 May 2015 and then led Harrow Borough to victory in the Middlesex Charity Cup final on 1 August 2015 with a 3–0 win over Cockfosters to complete the 'Middlesex double'. Success in the Charity Cup final was Harrow's first since 2007 and their fifth all time.
Notable former players
The following Harrow Borough players went on to play for/used to play for football league teams:
- Albert Adomah – Barnet, Bristol City and now Middlesbrough
- Danny Blanchett – Peterborough United, Crewe, Burton Albion and York
- Dave Bassett – Wimbledon; later managed Wimbledon, Watford, Sheffield United
- Jack Bonham – had a spell on loan from Watford, now at Brentford
- Steve Claridge – Leicester City
- Mick Doherty – Reading, Wycombe Wanderers
- Troy Hewitt – Queens Park Rangers, Walsall
- Chris Hutchings – Chelsea, managed Wigan Athletic, managed Walsall
- David Kemp – Crystal Palace, Portsmouth
- John Kerr – Portsmouth, Millwall, United States national team
- Nick Pope – had a spell on loan from Charlton Athletic in 2011.
- Robert Rosario – Norwich City, Coventry City, Nottingham Forest
- Dennis Russell – Arsenal
- James Shea – AFC Wimbledon
- Robin Shroot – Birmingham City, Stevenage
- David Speedie – Chelsea, Coventry City, Liverpool, Blackburn Rovers and Scotland[7]
- Eddie Stein – Barnet
- Graham Westley – Queens Park Rangers, Gillingham, Barnet, Wycombe Wanderers, managed Stevenage and Preston North End
- Rob Wolleaston – former Chelsea, Bradford City and Oxford United player
Honours
League
- Isthmian League
- Premier Division – Winners 1983–84
- Division One – Runners up 1978–79
- Premier Division – Playoff Semi-finalists 2010–11
- Athenian League
- Division Two- Runners up 1964
- Spartan League
- Runners Up 1958
- Division Two West – Winners 1939, Runners up 1938
- Harrow & District League
- Division One – Runners up 1934
Cup
- FA Cup – 2nd Round Proper 1984, 1st Round Proper 2001 and 2010.
- FA Trophy – Semi Finalists 1983
- Middlesex Senior Cup – Winners 1983, 1993, 2015, Finalists 2001
- Middlesex Charity Cup – Winners 1980, 1993, 2006, 2007, 2015, Finalists 1979
- Harrow Senior Cup – Winners 1996, 1998
- NW Middlesex Invitation Cup Finalists – 1957, 1958, 1960
- George Ruffell Memorial Shield Winners 2007/08
- Isthmian League Cup Finalists 2009
Ground
Harrow Borough play their home games at Earlsmead, Carlyon Avenue, South Harrow, HA2 8SS.
Earlsmead Stadium has been home to Harrow Borough since 1934, a year after they formed. It has a capacity of 3070 including seating for 350 and is situated in South Harrow.
Club crest and motto
The club crest is the coat of arms of Harrow London Borough Council. The motto reads as "Salus Populi Suprema Lex" which translates from Latin as "The well-being of the people is the highest law."
Current squad
As of 17 August 2015 Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Managers
- D.J. Canney 1900–1934
- F.S. Green 1935–36
- Teddy Thompson 1936-9
- J. High 1939–41
- F.J. Hinch 1941–42
- J. High 1942–43
- W. Saunders 1942–46
- Eric Boden 1946–50
- G.H. Blacklee 1950–51
- F.W. King 1951–1952
- A. Bridges 1952
- D. Russell 1952–53
- H. Clancy 1953–1955
- Tom Loftus-Tottenham 1955–59
- Bernie Reeves 1959–65
- R. Clark 1965–67
- F. Avery 1967–68
- T. Williams 1968
- R. Churchill 1968–72
- D. Richards 1972–74
- M. Boreham 1974–75 (Caretaker)
- G Taylor 1975–77
- Micky Tomkys 1977–85
- Keith Chamberlain 1985–90
- Tom McAlister 1990–91
- Peter Lawrence 1991–92
- George Borg 1992–93
- Harry Manoe 1993–96
- Bob Dowie 1996–98
- Alan Paris 1998–99
- Edwin Stein 2000–03
- David Howell 2003–11
- Dave Anderson 2011–15
- Steve Baker 2015–
Club records
- Biggest victory: 13–0 v Handley Page (A), 18 October 1941
- Biggest defeat: 0–8 (on five occasions)
- Largest attendance: 3,000 v Wealdstone, F.A. Cup, 1946
References
- ↑ "Five Potential Giant Killings". ITV.com. 5 November 2010. Retrieved 8 April 2011.
|first1=missing|last1=in Authors list (help) - ↑ "Folkestone Invicta 1–0 Harrow". harrowboro.com. 22 January 2011.
- ↑ "R's Tie Up Hewitt Deal". qpr.co.uk. 14 March 2011.
- ↑ "New Manager Announced". harrowboro.com. 2011-06-23. Retrieved 2011-06-23.
- ↑ http://www.harrowtimes.co.uk/sport/11744614.Harrow_Borough_hope_to_make_managerial_appointment_next_week/
- ↑ http://www.pitchero.com/clubs/harrowborough/news/harrow-borough-reveal-new-manager-1367296.html
- ↑ Interview: David Speedie, former Chelsea and Liverpool player, The Scotsman, 5 May 2012
Sources
- Harrow Borough at the Football Club History Database
- Harrow Town at the Football Club History Database
External links
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