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| Full name | Harrow Borough Football Club | ||
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| Nickname(s) | The Boro, The Reds | ||
| Founded | 1933 (as Roxonian) | ||
| Ground | Earlsmead Stadium, Carlyon Avenue, South Harrow (Capacity: 3,070) |
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| Chairman | Peter Rogers | ||
| Manager |  David Howell |
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| League | Isthmian League Premier Division | ||
| 2008–09 | Isthmian League Premier Division, 14th | ||
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Harrow Borough Football Club is a semi-professional English association football club based in the London Borough of Harrow, London, England, currently playing in the Isthmian League Premier Division.
Contents |
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 - 2007 - 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 2004 Harrow missed out on the opportunity to join the newly formed Conference South, losing on penalties in a play-off.
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.
Former players
- Albert Adomah - Barnet
- Danny Blanchett - Peterborough United
- Dave Bassett - Wimbledon, managed Watford, Sheffield United
- Steve Claridge - Leicester City
- Mick Doherty - Reading, Wycombe Wanderers
- Chris Hutchings - Chelsea, managed Wigan Athletic, manages Walsall
- David Kemp - Crystal Palace, Portsmouth
- John Kerr - Portsmouth, Millwall, United States national team
- Robert Rosario - Norwich City, Coventry City, Nottingham Forest
- Dennis Russell - Arsenal
- Robin Shroot - Birmingham City
- Eddie Stein - Barnet
- Graham Westley - Queens Park Rangers, Gillingham, Barnet, Wycombe Wanderers
Honours
League
- Isthmian League
- Premier Division - Winners 1984
- Division One - Runners up 1979
- 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
- FA Trophy - Semi Finalists 1983
- Middlesex Senior Cup – Winners 1983, 1993, Finalists 2001
- Middlesex Charity Cup – Winners 1980, 1993, 2006, 2007 Finalists 1979
- Harrow Senior Cup - Winners 1996, 1998
- NW Middlesex Invitation Cup Finalists - 1957, 1958, 1960
- George Ruffell Memorial Shield Winners 2007/08
Ground
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."
Squad
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Managers
- Micky Tomkys ? - 1985
- Keith Chamberlain 1985 - ?
- George Borg Early 90's
- Harry Manoe 1993 - 1996
- Bob Dowie 1996 - 1998
- Alan Paris 1998 -1999
- Edwin Stein 2000 - 2003
- David Howell 2003 -
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
Sources
- Harrow Borough at the Football Club History Database
- Harrow Town at the Football Club History Database
External links
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AFC Hornchurch | Ashford Town (Middx) | Aveley | Billericay Town | Bognor Regis Town | Boreham Wood | Canvey Island | Carshalton Athletic | Cray Wanderers | Dartford | Harrow Borough | Hastings United | Hendon | Horsham | Kingstonian | Maidstone United | Margate | Sutton United | Tonbridge Angels | Tooting & Mitcham United | Waltham Abbey | Wealdstone |
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