Harborough Town F.C.

Association football club in England

Football club

Harborough Town

Full name| Harborough Town Football Club
Nickname(s)| The Bees
Founded| 1975
Ground| Bowden Park, Market Harborough
Capacity| 1,000
Chairman| Peter Dougan & Greg Tickner
Manager| Mitch Austin
League| Southern League Premier Division Central
2024–25| Southern League Premier Division Central, 5th of 22
Website| harboroughtownfc.org

Home colours

Away colours

|

Bowden Park Clubhouse end and clubhouse Main stand side

Harborough Town Football Club is a football club based in Market Harborough, Leicestershire, England. They are currently members of the Southern League Premier Division Central and plays at Bowden Park.

Since 2025 they have a partneship agreement with Spanish Youtube channel La Media Inglesa, broadcasting their home matches for members.[1] As a result of this partnership, the team has become the only in non-league football to receive over 100 Spaniards as audience in some of their home matches.[2][3]

## History

[edit]

The club was established in 1975 as a youth team under the name Harborough Town Juniors,[4] with the modern club formed by a merger with adult team Spencer United in 2008.[5] Spencer United joined Division Five of the Leicester & District Mutual League in 1976.[6] They were Division Five champions in 1977–78 and were promoted to Division Two.[6] A third-place finish the following season saw them promoted to Division One. Although the club were relegated back to Division Two three seasons later, they were Division Two runners-up in 1987–88 and promoted to the Premier Division.[6] In 1996 they joined Division One of the Northamptonshire Combination.[6]

Spencer United were Northamptonshire Combination Division One champions in 1997–98,[7] earning promotion to the Premier Division. In 2002 the club were renamed Harborough Spencer United.[6] They were relegated back to Division One after finishing bottom of the Premier Division in 2004–05, and were subsequently renamed Harborough Town Spencers in 2006.[6] During the 2007–08 season, the club were amalgamated into Harborough Town, adopting their name. They ended the season as Division One runners-up, earning promotion to the Premier Division.[8]

In 2009–10 Harborough were Premier Division champions,[8] earning promotion to Division One of the United Counties League.[9] Although they finished bottom of Division One in their first season in the league, the club were Division One runners-up in 2011–12 and were promoted to the Premier Division.[9] In 2021–22 they were Premier Division South champions, earning promotion to Division One Midlands of the Northern Premier League. The 2023–24 season saw the club finish third in Division One Midlands, qualifying for the promotion play-offs. After beating Hinckley Leicester Road on penalties in the semi-finals, they defeated Anstey Nomads 2–0 in the final to earn promotion to the Premier Division Central of the Southern League.

In 2024–25 Harborough qualified for the first round of the FA Cup for the first time.[10] After defeating Tonbridge Angels 4–1 in the first round,[11] they were beaten 5–3 by Reading after extra time in the second round.[12]

## Ground

[edit]

The club play at Bowden Park. In 2024 the club was granted planning permission to expand the ground, including a new 154-seater stand.[13]

## Honours

[edit]

* United Counties League
* Premier Division South champions 2021–22
* Northamptonshire Combination
* Premier Division champions 2009–10
* Leicester & District Mutual League
* Division Five champions 1977–78

## Records

[edit]

* Best FA Cup performance: Second round, 2024–25[9]
* Best FA Trophy performance: Second round, 2023–24[9]
* Best FA Vase performance: Fourth round, 2021–22[9]
* Record attendance: 1,600 vs Bury, FA Cup fourth qualifying round, 12 October 2024[14][15]

## See also

[edit]

* Harborough Town F.C. players

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Rozo, Sebastián Vargas (11 February 2025). "La Media Inglesa firma una histórica asociación con el Harborough Town". Diario Sport (in Spanish). Retrieved 11 February 2025.
2. ^ Lavelle, Daniel (19 April 2025). "Harborough FC 'surprised' as 100 Spanish fans turn up to watch game". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 4 June 2025.
3. ^ "Surprise as 100 Spaniards turn up at non-league football match". www.bbc.com. 18 April 2025. Retrieved 4 June 2025.
4. ^ About Us Archived 22 December 2016 at the Wayback Machine Harborough Town F.C.
5. ^ Harborough Town United Counties League
6. ^ a b c d e f Harborough Town Spencer Leics Football
7. ^ Season 1997-1998 Archived 26 August 2016 at the Wayback Machine Northamptonshire Combination
8. ^ a b Northamptonshire Combination 2003–2012 Non-League Matters
9. ^ a b c d e Harborough Town at the Football Club History Database
10. ^ "Harborough reach FA Cup first round for first time - qualifying round-up". BBC Sport. 12 October 2024.
11. ^ "Tonbridge Angels 1-4 Harborough Town: FA Cup". BBC Sport. 2 November 2024. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
12. ^ "Reading 5–3 Harborough Town". BBC Sport. 1 December 2024.
13. ^ "FA Cup heroes given green light for stadium revamp". BBC News. 16 October 2024.
14. ^ "Harborough Town Secure Historic FA Cup Win". Harborough FM. 12 October 2024.
15. ^ "👏 Thank you to 1️⃣,6️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ fans today for the support seeing #UpTheBees triumph with a penalty converted by Ben Stephens". Harborough Town via Twitter.

## External links

[edit]

* Official website

* v
* t
* e

Southern League

2025–26
clubs|

| Premier
Central|

* AFC Sudbury
* Alvechurch
* Banbury United
* Barwell
* Bishop's Stortford
* Bromsgrove Sporting
* Bury Town
* Halesowen Town
* Harborough Town
* Kettering Town
* Leiston
* Needham Market
* Quorn
* Real Bedford
* Redditch United
* Royston Town
* Spalding United
* Stamford
* St Ives Town
* Stourbridge
* Stratford Town
* Worcester City

|

Premier
South|

* Basingstoke Town
* Berkhamsted
* Bracknell Town
* Chertsey Town
* Dorchester Town
* Evesham United
* Farnham Town
* Gloucester City
* Gosport Borough
* Hanwell Town
* Havant & Waterlooville
* Hungerford Town
* Plymouth Parkway
* Poole Town
* Sholing
* Taunton Town
* Tiverton Town
* Uxbridge
* Walton & Hersham
* Weymouth
* Wimborne Town
* Yate Town

Central|

* AFC Dunstable
* Aylesbury United
* Barton Rovers
* Beaconsfield Town
* Biggleswade
* Biggleswade Town
* Enfield
* Flackwell Heath
* Hadley
* Hertford Town
* Hitchin Town
* Leighton Town
* Leverstock Green
* London Lions
* Marlow
* Milton Keynes Irish
* Northwood
* Rayners Lane
* Stotfold
* Thame United
* Ware
* Welwyn Garden City

South|

* Bashley
* Bideford
* Bishop's Cleeve
* Bristol Manor Farm
* Brixham
* Didcot Town
* Exmouth Town
* Falmouth Town
* Frome Town
* Hartpury University
* Larkhall Athletic
* Malvern Town
* Melksham Town
* Mousehole
* Portishead Town
* Shaftesbury
* Sporting Club Inkberrow
* Swindon Supermarine
* Tavistock
* Westbury United
* Willand Rovers
* Winchester City

Seasons|

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Related|

* Southern Football League Cup

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