# Matlock Town F.C.

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**Matlock Town Football Club** is a [football](/source/Association_football) club based in [Matlock](/source/Matlock,_Derbyshire), [Derbyshire](/source/Derbyshire), England. Nicknamed 'the Gladiators', they are currently members of the and play at Causeway Lane.

## History

The club was established in 1878 as Matlock Football Club.[2] They began entering the [FA Cup](/source/FA_Cup) in 1885, but did not win a match in the competition until 1890.[2] In that year the club were founder members of the Derbyshire Senior League and went on to win the title in the league's inaugural season.[3] After winning the league again the following season,[3] they joined the Midland Amateur Alliance in 1892. However, the league was disbanded at the end of the 1892–93 season and Matlock returned to the Derbyshire Senior League.[4][3] They subsequently joined the [Midland League](/source/Midland_Football_League_(1889)) in 1894; after finishing bottom of the league in their first season, the club lost all 28 league matches in 1895–96 and left the league,[4] again returning to the Derbyshire Senior League.[3] They finished bottom of the league in 1897–98.[3]

After [World War I](/source/World_War_I) the club was renamed Matlock Town. They joined the [Central Alliance](/source/Central_Alliance) in 1924, but the league folded at the end of the 1924–25 season and the club rejoined the Derbyshire Senior League,[5] in which they were runners-up in 1926–27.[3] In 1933 they joined the new [Central Combination](/source/Central_Combination), but left after two season.[6] After [World War II](/source/World_War_II) the club played in the Chesterfield & District League for the 1946–47 season,[7] before the Central Alliance was re-established in 1947, with Matlock becoming members again.[8] When the league gained a second division in 1950, they became members of Division One. Despite finishing bottom of the division in 1951–52, the club were not relegated.[8]

In 1955–56 Matlock finished bottom of Division One again.[8] The league was then reorganised, with the club placed in Division One North.[8] They won the division in 1959–60, also reaching the first round of the [FA Cup](/source/1959%E2%80%9360_FA_Cup), losing 1–0 to [Crook Town](/source/Crook_Town_A.F.C.) in a replay.[9] After retaining the league title the following season,[8] the club moved up to the reformed [Midland League](/source/Midland_Football_League_(1889)), which they won at the first attempt. They were Midland League champions again in 1968–69, subsequently joining the [Northern Premier League](/source/Northern_Premier_League).[9] They reached the first round of the FA Cup again in [1974–75](/source/1974%E2%80%9375_FA_Cup), losing 4–1 at home to Blackburn. In the [FA Trophy](/source/1974%E2%80%9375_FA_Trophy) the club reached the final at [Wembley Stadium](/source/Wembley_Stadium_(1923)), in which they defeated [Scarborough](/source/Scarborough_F.C.) 4–0 to win the trophy;[9] three Matlock players in the final were brothers, the only occasion on which three brothers have played for the same team in a Wembley final.[10] The [following season](/source/1975%E2%80%9376_FA_Cup) saw them automatically qualify for the first round, but they lost 4–1 at [Wigan Athletic](/source/Wigan_Athletic_F.C.).[9]

Matlock were drawn against Wigan in the first round of the FA Cup again in [1976–77](/source/1976%E2%80%9377_FA_Cup), this time winning 2–0. They went on to beat eventual [Third Division](/source/Football_League_Third_Division) champions [Mansfield Town](/source/Mansfield_Town_F.C.) in an incredible 5–2 away from home, marking the first time the club had defeated Football League opposition.[2] In the third round they lost 5–1 at [Carlisle United](/source/Carlisle_United_F.C.).[9] The club won the Northern Premier League's Challenge Cup and the Peter Swales Shield in [1977–78](/source/1977%E2%80%9378_Northern_Premier_League). In 1979 they entered the [Anglo-Italian Cup](/source/Anglo-Italian_Cup), finishing second in the English section.[11] The [1983–84 season](/source/1983%E2%80%9384_Northern_Premier_League) saw them finish as runners-up in the Northern Premier League. When the league gained a second division in 1987 the club became members of the Premier Division. Another FA Cup first round appearance in [1989–90](/source/1989%E2%80%9390_FA_Cup) ended in a 4–1 defeat at [Scunthorpe United](/source/Scunthorpe_United_F.C.). After finishing bottom of the division in [1995–96](/source/1995%E2%80%9396_Northern_Premier_League), they were relegated to Division One.[9]

In [2003–04](/source/2003%E2%80%9304_Northern_Premier_League) Matlock were Division One runners-up, earning promotion to the Premier Division. They won the league's Challenge Cup the following season. A fifth-place finish in the Premier Division in [2007–08](/source/2007%E2%80%9308_Northern_Premier_League) led to the club qualifying for the promotion playoffs, in which they lost 4–2 to [Witton Albion](/source/Witton_Albion_F.C.) in the semi-finals. They finished fourth in [2021–22](/source/2021%E2%80%9322_Northern_Premier_League), going on to lose 2–1 to [Scarborough Athletic](/source/Scarborough_Athletic_F.C.) in the play-off semi-finals. The [following season](/source/2022%E2%80%9323_Northern_Premier_League) ended with a fifth-placed finish and a 4–1 play-off semi-final defeat by [Warrington Town](/source/Warrington_Town_F.C.). In [2024–25](/source/2024%E2%80%9325_Northern_Premier_League) the club finished fourth-from-bottom of the Premier Division and were relegated to Division One East.[12]

The [2025–26 season](/source/2025%E2%80%9326_Northern_Premier_League) saw Matlock finished as runners-up in Division One East, going on to lose 2–1 to [Bradford (Park Avenue)](/source/Bradford_(Park_Avenue)_A.F.C.) in the play-off semi-finals.[13]

## Ground

The club originally played at Hall Leys, before moving to Causeway Lane, which is shared with the local [cricket](/source/Cricket) club, with temporary railing installed on one side of the pitch at the end of the cricket season.[10] A wooden stand was built on one side of the pitch in 1920 and was later named the Cyril Harrison Stand.[10] Another wooden stand was built on the other side of the pitch in 1959, with seats installed in the late 1960s.[10]

Floodlights were erected in 1970 and a new terrace installed next to one of the stands prior to the FA Cup first round match against Blackburn in 1974, which attracted a then-record attendance of 5,123.[9] More seats were installed in 1975 and that year saw a new record attendance of 5,123 set for an [FA Trophy](/source/FA_Trophy) semi-final match against [Burton Albion](/source/Burton_Albion_F.C.).[10] A covered terrace was built at the Town End of the ground in the 1980s.[10]

## Current squad

[14]

## Honours

- **FA Trophy** - Winners 1974–75
- **Northern Premier League** - Challenge Cup winners 1977–78, 2004–05 - Shield winners 1978–79
- **Midland League** - Champions 1961–62, 1968–69
- **Central Alliance** - North Division champions 1959–60, 1960–61
- **Derbyshire Senior League** - Champions 1890–91, 1891–92
- **[Derbyshire Senior Cup](/source/Derbyshire_Senior_Cup)** - Winners 1974–75, 1976–77, 1977–78, 1983–84, 1984–85, 1991–92, 2003–04, 2009–10, 2014–15, 2016–17[15]
- **Evans Halshaw Floodlit Cup** - Winners 1988–89, 1990–91[15]

## Records

- Best [FA Cup](/source/FA_Cup) performance: Third round, 1976–77[9]
- Best [FA Trophy](/source/FA_Trophy) performance: Winners, 1974–75[9]
- Biggest win: 10–0 vs [Lancaster City](/source/Lancaster_City_F.C.), 1974[7]
- Heaviest defeat: 8–0 vs [Chorley](/source/Chorley_F.C.), 1971[7]
- Record attendance: 5,123 vs [Burton Albion](/source/Burton_Albion_F.C.), FA Trophy semi-final, 1975[10]
- Most appearances: Mick Fenoughty[7]
- Most goals: Peter Scott[7]
- Record transfer fee paid: £2,000 for Kenny Clark, 1996[7]
- Record transfer fee received: £10,000 for [Ian Helliwell](/source/Ian_Helliwell) from [York City](/source/York_City_F.C.), 1987[7]

## See also

- Matlock Town F.C. players
- Matlock Town F.C. managers

## References

1. [Beginners Guide To MTFC](https://web.archive.org/web/20190607003512/https://www.matlocktownfc.co.uk/beginners-guide-to-mtfc.asp) Matlock Town F.C.

1. [History boys – Matlock Town and their run to FA Cup third round in 1977](http://www.matlocktownfc.co.uk/history-boys-matlock-town-and-their-run-to-fa-cup-third-round-in-1977/) Matlock Town F.C.

1. [Derbyshire Senior League 1890–1938](http://nonleaguematters.co.uk/nlmnet/Aaregs4/DSenL90.html) Non-League Matters

1. [Central Alliance 1911–1925](http://nonleaguematters.co.uk/nlmnet/Aarg3EB/CA11.html) Non-League Matters

1. [Central Combination 1933–1937](http://nonleaguematters.co.uk/nlmnet/Aarg3EC/CenCom33.html) Non-League Matters

1. Mike Williams & Tony Williams (2016) *Non-League Club Directory 2017*, Tony Williams Publications, p184 ISBN 978-1869833695

1. [The Central Alliance 1947–1962](http://nonleaguematters.co.uk/nlmnet/Aarg3EB/CA48.html) Non-League Matters

1. [Matlock Town](http://pyramidpassion.co.uk/html/matlock_town.html) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20160917230126/http://www.pyramidpassion.co.uk/html/matlock_town.html) 17 September 2016 at the Wayback Machine Pyramid Passion

1. [Anglo-Italian Cup 1979](https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/angloit79.html) RSSSF

1. Duffy, Mark (22 April 2025). ["Matlock Town suffer relegation after results and points deduction seal their fate"](https://www.derbyshiretimes.co.uk/sport/football/matlock-town-suffer-relegation-after-results-and-points-deduction-seal-their-fate-5093336). *Derbyshire Times*. Retrieved 27 December 2025.

1. ["Matlock Town 1 Bradford (Park Avenue) 2"](https://matlocktownfc.co.uk/matches/2025-26/2284/matlock-town-vs-bradford-park-avenue/). *Matlock Town*. Retrieved 2 May 2026.

1. ["First Team"](https://matlocktownfc.co.uk/teams/first-team/). *Matlock Town*

1. [Club History](https://web.archive.org/web/20180106075634/http://www.matlocktownfc.co.uk/clubinfo/club-history/) Matlock Town F.C.

## External links

- [Official website](http://www.matlocktownfc.co.uk)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Matlock Town F.C.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matlock_Town_F.C.) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matlock_Town_F.C.?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.