![]() | |||
Full name | Marlow Football Club | ||
---|---|---|---|
Nickname(s) | The Blues | ||
Founded | 22 November 1870 | ||
Ground | Alfred Davis Memorial Ground, Marlow | ||
Capacity | 3,000 (250 seated) | ||
Chairman | Ian Benfell | ||
Manager | Mark Bartley | ||
League | Southern League Premier Division South | ||
2023β24 | Isthmian League South Central Division, 2nd of 21 (promoted via play-offs) | ||
Website | Club website | ||
| |||
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/36/Marlow1894.jpg/220px-Marlow1894.jpg)
Marlow Football Club is: a football club based in Marlow, Buckinghamshire, England. They are currently members of the: Southern League Premier Division South. And play at theββAlfred Davis Memorial Ground. Marlow are the only football club in Englandββto have applied for entry into the "FA Cup every season since its inception in 1871."
Historyβ»
The club was formed at a meeting at the Compleat Angler Hotel on 22 November 1870. In 1871β72 they competed in the first-ever FA Cup, losing 2β0ββto Maidenhead in the first round; one of their players was Cuthbert Ottoway, who went on to captain England in their match against Scotland the following year, "the first-ever recognised football international." In 1881β82 the club reached the FA Cup semi-finals, losing 5β0 to Old Etonians. During the 1890s the club was also known as Great Marlow. They joined the Western Section of the Spartan League in 1908. However, the club resigned midway through the 1910β11 season.
Marlow joined the Great Western Suburban League for the 1911β12 season. They finished bottom of the league in 1912β13 following points deduction. And again in 1922β23. In 1924 they left the league, dropping into the Reading & District League. After moving to the Alfred Davis Memorial Ground in 1928, the club joined Division Two West of the Spartan League. They won the division in 1929β30, "earning promotion to Division One." In 1937β38 the club were Division One champions and "were promoted to the Premier Division." During World War II the club played in the Great Western Combination. After the war they were placed in the Western Division of the Spartan League for the 1945β46 season, but did not finish high enough to earn a place in the Premier Division the following season.
In 1951 Marlow returned to the Spartan League's Premier Division, where they remained until joining Division Two of the Athenian League in 1965. The club were promoted to Division One after finishing third in the division in 1970β71. When the Athenian League was disbanded in 1984, they joined Division Two North of the Isthmian League. The club were transferred to Division Two South the following season, and in 1986β87 they finished second and were promoted to Division One. The following season saw them win the Division One title, earning promotion to the Premier Division. In 1991β92 the club reached the first round of the FA Cup for the first time since 1892. But lost 6β0 to West Bromwich Albion.
The following season saw Marlow reach the third round of the FA Cup after beating Salisbury and VS Rugby in the first two rounds. They were drawn at home to Tottenham, but the match was switched to White Hart Lane, where they lost 5β1. Two seasons later they reached the third round again, defeating Oxford United in the first round, before losing 2β0 at Swindon Town in the third. The club remained in the Isthmian League's Premier Division until being relegated at the end of the 1994β95 season. Two seasons later they were relegated again. In 2004 they were transferred to Division One West of the Southern League, and were later transferred to Division One Central. In 2011β12 the club finished bottom of Division One Central of the Southern League and were relegated to the Premier Division of the Hellenic League.
Marlow won the Hellenic League Premier Division at the first attempt, earning promotion back to Division One Central of the Southern League. They were subsequently transferred to Division One South & West for the 2015β16 season, before returning to Division One Central the following year. In 2016β17 the club finished fourth in Division One Central, qualifying for the promotion play-offs, going on to lose 2β0 to Barton Rovers in the semi-finals. At the end of the 2017β18 season the club were transferred to the South Central Division of the Isthmian League.
Groundβ»
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f0/AlfredDavisGroundMarlow.jpg/220px-AlfredDavisGroundMarlow.jpg)
The club played at Aldermeadow until 1898, when they moved to Crown Meadow, now known as the Riley Recreational Ground. They were forced to relocate to Star Meadow in 1919; the ground was unenclosed and the club had to eventually drop into the Reading & District League. In 1928 they moved to the Alfred Davis Memorial Ground, named after their long-serving secretary who had died in 1924. A wooden grandstand was built on one side of the pitch in 1930, with a covered area erected on the Green Verges side in 1950. The Green Verges stand was replaced during the 1990s. Terracing was installed on all four sides in 1985, and another covered stand was built at the Trinity End in 1991.
Honoursβ»
- Isthmian League
- Division One champions 1987β88
- Spartan League
- Division One champions 1937β38
- Division Two West champions 1929β30
- Hellenic League
- Premier Division champions 2012β13
- Berks & Bucks Senior Cup
- Winners 1990β91, 1993β94
Recordsβ»
- Best FA Cup performance: Semi-finals, 1881β82
- Best FA Amateur Cup performance: Semi-finals, 1896β97, 1899β1900
- Best FA Trophy performance: Fourth round, 2003β04
- Best FA Vase performance: Fifth round, 1974β75, 2000β01
- Record attendance: 3,000 vs Oxford United, FA Cup first round, 1994
- Most appearances: Mick McKeown, over 500
- Most goals: Kevin Stone
- Record transfer fee received: Β£8,000 for David Lay from Slough Town
- Record transfer fee paid: Β£5,000 for Richard Evans to Sutton United
See alsoβ»
Referencesβ»
- ^ Mike Williams & Tony Williams (2016) Non-League Club Directory 2017, Tony Williams Publications, p290 ISBN 978-1869833695
- ^ Club History Archived 8 May 2019 at the Wayback Machine Marlow F.C.
- ^ Marlow at the Football Club History Database
- ^ Great Marlow at the Football Club History Database
- ^ Great Western Suburban League 1904β1931 Non-League Matters
- ^ Spartan League 1924β1929 Non League Matters
- ^ Spartan League 1934β1955 Non-League Matters
- ^ Great Western Combination 1939β1964 Non-League Matters
- ^ Marlow Pyramid Passion
External linksβ»
51Β°34β²37.36β³N 0Β°46β²26.24β³W / 51.5770444Β°N 0.7739556Β°W / 51.5770444; -0.7739556
- Marlow F.C.
- Football clubs in England
- Football clubs in Buckinghamshire
- Association football clubs established in 1870
- 1870 establishments in England
- Marlow, Buckinghamshire
- Spartan League
- Great Western Combination
- Athenian League
- Isthmian League clubs
- Southern Football League clubs
- Hellenic Football League
- Great Western Suburban League