{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox football club | | clubname=Denton | image= | fullname=Denton Football Club | nickname=the Hatters<ref>{{cite journal |title=West Manchester v Denton |journal=Manchester Courier |date=16 November 1891 |page=7}}</ref> | founded=1880 | dissolved=1916 | ground=Chapel House Ground | capacity= | chairman= | mgrtitle= | manager= | league= | season= | position= | website = |pattern_name1=19th century |pattern_la1=|pattern_b1=|pattern_ra1=|pattern_so1=|leftarm1=FF0000|body1=FF0000|rightarm1=FF0000|shorts1=FFFFFF|socks1=FF0000 |pattern_name2=20th century |pattern_la2=_lightblue_stripes|pattern_b2=_lightbluestripes|pattern_ra2=_lightblue_stripes|pattern_sh2=|pattern_so2=_hoops_sky|leftarm2=7B3F00|body2=7B3F00|rightarm2=7B3F00|shorts2=FFFFFF|socks2=7B3F00| }}
'''Denton F.C.''' was an English association football club from Denton, east Manchester.
==History==
Although the club claimed a formation date of 1880,<ref>{{cite book |last1=Alcock |first1=Charles |title=Football Annual |date=1890 |page=166}}</ref> the first recorded match is from the 1883–84 season, a 5–1 defeat to fellow Mancunian club Greenheys.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Greenheys v Denton |journal=Manchester Courier |date=31 December 1883 |page=3}}</ref>
===FA Cup entries===
The club first entered the FA Cup in 1887–88, the last season before the introduction of qualifying rounds. Denton was drawn to play South Shore but could not use two of its best players because they had not met the residency requirements for that year's competition. Rather than play with a weakened side, on the day of the tie, Denton scratched, and played the match as a friendly instead, South Shore winning 2–1.<ref>{{cite journal |title=report |journal=Denton & Houghton Examiner |date=22 October 1887 |page=4}}</ref>
Denton only entered the competition twice more, in 1889–90 and 1890–91, both times losing to Gorton Villa in the first qualifying round.<ref>{{cite web |title=Results Archive |url=https://www.thefa.com/competitions/thefacup/results-archive |website=Football Association |access-date=13 July 2022}}</ref>
===The Combination===
In 1890, the club was a founder member of the second incarnation of the Combination,<ref>{{cite journal |title=New Football Combination |journal=Manchester Evening News |date=7 June 1890 |page=2}}</ref> a league that operated as a regional third-tier competition, after the Football League and Football Alliance. In its first season, Denton came 5th out of 9. However, in 1891–92, Denton finished bottom, with only 2 wins in 22 matches,<ref>{{cite web |title=Denton |url=https://fchd.info/DENTON.HTM |website=Football Club History Database |access-date=13 July 2022}}</ref> and were "rejected" from the competition.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Combination Meeting in Manchester |journal=Manchester Courier |date=23 May 1892 |page=3}}</ref>
===Lower league football===
The club had more success at a lower level. In 1905–06 the Hatters won the Manchester League, but decided not to apply to join the next higher tier, the Lancashire Combination.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Denton FC Annual Meeting |journal=Manchester Evening News |date=30 March 1906 |page=2}}</ref>
In 1906–07, the club won the Manchester Junior Cup and the Healy Charity Cup, but suffered a loss of £20.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Denton FC |journal=Manchester Evening Combination |date=9 August 1907 |page=3}}</ref> The club was showing some ambition by signing more players, including former Glossop player Barlow, and at the end of 1908–09 finally applied to join the Lancashire Combination.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Denton & Lancashire Combination |journal=Manchester Courier |date=24 March 1909 |page=2}}</ref> The Hatters in fact remained in the Manchester League for 1909–10 and only joined the Combination in 1910–11. However the move was not a success, the club only twice finishing in the top half,<ref>{{cite web |title=Denton |url=https://fchd.info/DENTON.HTM |website=Football Club History Database |access-date=13 July 2022}}; the reference to the 1909–10 season is incorrect, the club finishing bottom with that record was Pendlebury, see e.g. Runcorn Guardian, 27 April 2010, p. 7.</ref> and the club did not re-emerge after World War 1. Its last appearance was in the wartime Lancashire League Southern Division in 1915–16; the club finished bottom with 6 points.<ref>{{cite web |title=Lancashire Combination 1909–1925 |url=https://www.nonleaguematters.co.uk/nlmnet/Regs1Df/Lan09.html |website=Non League Matters |access-date=21 November 2024}}</ref>
==Colours==
The earliest club colours were described as red and white, probably referring to the shirts and shorts rather than a pattern.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Alcock |first1=Charles |title=Football Annual |date=1891 |page=171}}</ref> By 1902 the club was wearing chocolate and blue stripes<ref>{{cite journal |title=Answers to correspondents |journal=Athletic News |date=17 November 1902 |page=4}}</ref> and by 1911–12 plain blue,<ref>{{cite journal |title=Another weak exhibition |journal=Heywood Advertiser |date=5 April 1912 |page=3}}</ref> which in 1913 it changed to red and black stripes.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Answers to correspondents |journal=Athletic News |date=17 November 1913 |page=4}}</ref>
==Ground==
The club played at the Chapel House Ground at Chapel Green, near the Chapel House Hotel.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Alcock |first1=Charles |title=Football Annual |date=1891 |page=171}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |title=Denton v Hyde |journal=Manchester Evening News |date=27 December 1915 |page=3}}</ref>
== References == {{Reflist}}
Category:Defunct football clubs in England Category:Association football clubs established in 1880 Category:Football clubs in Manchester Category:Association football clubs disestablished in 1916 Category:Defunct football clubs in Greater Manchester Category:Defunct football clubs in Lancashire Category:Lancashire Combination