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History 1 of 2
1. History 1
FORMED IN 1877.
THE SHRIMPERS REACHED THEIR FIRST CUP FINAL IN 1891, LOOSING TO CLAPTON IN THE ESSEX SENIOR CUP.
IN 1898 THEY MOVED TO THE ROYAL OAK GROUND WHERE THEY HAVE REMAINED SINCE. THAT SEASON THEY ALSO TRAVELLED TO MIDDLESBROUGH TO PLAY IN THE AMATEUR CUP FINAL, SADLY LOOSING TO STOCKTON. HOWEVER, THEY DID WIN THE ESSEX SENIOR CUP BY BEATING LEYTONSTONE. TO MARK THE OCCASION THE HARWICH CHARITY CUP WAS FORMED WHICH IS STILL PLAYED FOR TODAY.
HARWICH JOINED THE EASTERN COUNTIES LEAGUE IN 1935, DURING THE 1930s THEY REACHED THE 1st ROUND PROPER OF THE F.A. CUP. "THE OAK" SAW A RECORD ATTENDANCE OF 5649 SPECTATORS IN AN AMATEUR CUP QUARTER FINAL DEFEAT AGAINST ROMFORD IN 1938.
A PROUD MOMENT OF THE CLUBS HISTORY CAME IN 1953 WHEN HARWICH PLAYED AT WEMBLEY STADIUM IN FRONT OF A CAPACITY 100,000 CROWD, LOOSING 6-0, AGAINST COMBINED UNIVERSITIES SIDE PEGASUS IN THE AMATEUR CUP FINAL.
BY 1965 THEY HAD APPEARED IN THREE MORE F.A. CUP 1st ROUND PROPER TIES AGAINST HEADINGTON, CRYSTAL PALACE AND TORQUAY UNITED. IN 1964 HARWICH JOINED THE ATHENIAN LEAGUE, GAINING PROMOTION IN TWO YEARS TO THE PREMIER DIVISION.
IN 1973 THEY SWITCHED TO THE ISTHMIAN LEAGUE. IN 1976/77 THEY AGAIN REACHED THE 1st ROUND PROPER OF THE F.A. CUP, LOSING TO ENFIELD IN A HOME REPLAY.
THE EARLY 1980s SAW A DECLINE IN HARWICH'S FORTUNES, BEING TWICE RELEGATED. AFTER A SEASON IN THE ATHENIAN LEAGUE THEY RETURNED AFTER 20 YEARS ABSENCE TO THE EASTERN COUNTIES LEAGUE. THE ESSEX SENIOR TROPHY WAS LIFTED IN 1990 AND A YEAR LATER REACHED THE QUARTER FINAL OF THE F.A. VASE. IN 1996/97 THEY WON THE ESSEX COUNTIES LEAGUE CUP.
IN 2003 JOE ROYLE,IPSWICH TOWN MANAGER, AND JACK HAYWARD, ESSEX COUNTY F.A. PRESIDENT, OPENED THE NEW BOARD ROOM & DRESSING ROOM FACILITIES. DESPITE A LATE RALLY FROM MANAGER MITCHELL SPRINGETT HARWICH WERE RELEGATED AT THE END OF THAT SEASON.
HOWEVER, AFTER A YEAR THE CLUB REGAINED THEIR POSITION IN THE PREMIER LEAGUE. IN 2004/05 A MID TABLE POSITION WAS ACHIEVED. THE NEXT SEASON HARWICH FINISHED SECOND FROM BOTTOM BUT WERE SPARED RELEGATION. MICK FORMOY WAS APPOINTED MANAGER BUT WAS REPLACED AFTER A YEAR BY ROBBIE MAY WITH MARK SHARPE AS COACH, NEITHER ENDED THE RATHER DISSAPOINTING SEASON. RICHARD ELMES WAS APPOINTED MANAGER FOR THE 2008/09 SEASON BUT LEFT IN THE OCTOBER. MARK MORSLEY TOOK OVER BUT LEFT AT THE END OF ANOTHER DISSAPOINTING SEASON. FOR THE 2009/10 SEASON KEVIN MATHER & NOEL GAMBLING TOOK THE JOINT MANAGERIAL POSITION BUT RESIGNED HALF WAY THROUGH THE SEASON WHEN THE PLAYING BUDGET WAS REDUCED; CARETAKER MANAGERS MITCHELL SPRINGETT, STEVE JAY & TONY ARMSTRONG TOOK OVER BUT IN FEBRUARY 2010 THE COMMITTEE TOOK THE DIFFICULT DECISION TO WITHDRAW THE FIRST TEAM FROM THE RIDGEONS PREMIER LEAGUE, DUE TO LACK OF FUNDS AND ONE POINT FROM THE SEASON; THE RESERVES CONTINUED AND FINISHED THEIR SEASON.
THE 2010/11 SEASON WILL SEE HARWICH PLAYING IN THE SUFFOLK & ESSEX BORDER LEAGUE.
IN 2017 HARWICH & PARKESTON WERE PRESENTED WITH A CERTIFICATE BY THE PIONEERS FOOTBALL CLUBS, CERTIFIED BY THE F.A., TO SAY THAT IT IS OFFICIALLY RECOGNISED THAT THEIR AWAY MATCH WITH ROYAL ANTWERP IN 1892 IS THE FIRST MATCH TO BE PLAYED BETWEEN AN ENGLISH AND EUROPEAN TEAM.
THE SHRIMPERS REACHED THEIR FIRST CUP FINAL IN 1891, LOOSING TO CLAPTON IN THE ESSEX SENIOR CUP.
IN 1898 THEY MOVED TO THE ROYAL OAK GROUND WHERE THEY HAVE REMAINED SINCE. THAT SEASON THEY ALSO TRAVELLED TO MIDDLESBROUGH TO PLAY IN THE AMATEUR CUP FINAL, SADLY LOOSING TO STOCKTON. HOWEVER, THEY DID WIN THE ESSEX SENIOR CUP BY BEATING LEYTONSTONE. TO MARK THE OCCASION THE HARWICH CHARITY CUP WAS FORMED WHICH IS STILL PLAYED FOR TODAY.
HARWICH JOINED THE EASTERN COUNTIES LEAGUE IN 1935, DURING THE 1930s THEY REACHED THE 1st ROUND PROPER OF THE F.A. CUP. "THE OAK" SAW A RECORD ATTENDANCE OF 5649 SPECTATORS IN AN AMATEUR CUP QUARTER FINAL DEFEAT AGAINST ROMFORD IN 1938.
A PROUD MOMENT OF THE CLUBS HISTORY CAME IN 1953 WHEN HARWICH PLAYED AT WEMBLEY STADIUM IN FRONT OF A CAPACITY 100,000 CROWD, LOOSING 6-0, AGAINST COMBINED UNIVERSITIES SIDE PEGASUS IN THE AMATEUR CUP FINAL.
BY 1965 THEY HAD APPEARED IN THREE MORE F.A. CUP 1st ROUND PROPER TIES AGAINST HEADINGTON, CRYSTAL PALACE AND TORQUAY UNITED. IN 1964 HARWICH JOINED THE ATHENIAN LEAGUE, GAINING PROMOTION IN TWO YEARS TO THE PREMIER DIVISION.
IN 1973 THEY SWITCHED TO THE ISTHMIAN LEAGUE. IN 1976/77 THEY AGAIN REACHED THE 1st ROUND PROPER OF THE F.A. CUP, LOSING TO ENFIELD IN A HOME REPLAY.
THE EARLY 1980s SAW A DECLINE IN HARWICH'S FORTUNES, BEING TWICE RELEGATED. AFTER A SEASON IN THE ATHENIAN LEAGUE THEY RETURNED AFTER 20 YEARS ABSENCE TO THE EASTERN COUNTIES LEAGUE. THE ESSEX SENIOR TROPHY WAS LIFTED IN 1990 AND A YEAR LATER REACHED THE QUARTER FINAL OF THE F.A. VASE. IN 1996/97 THEY WON THE ESSEX COUNTIES LEAGUE CUP.
IN 2003 JOE ROYLE,IPSWICH TOWN MANAGER, AND JACK HAYWARD, ESSEX COUNTY F.A. PRESIDENT, OPENED THE NEW BOARD ROOM & DRESSING ROOM FACILITIES. DESPITE A LATE RALLY FROM MANAGER MITCHELL SPRINGETT HARWICH WERE RELEGATED AT THE END OF THAT SEASON.
HOWEVER, AFTER A YEAR THE CLUB REGAINED THEIR POSITION IN THE PREMIER LEAGUE. IN 2004/05 A MID TABLE POSITION WAS ACHIEVED. THE NEXT SEASON HARWICH FINISHED SECOND FROM BOTTOM BUT WERE SPARED RELEGATION. MICK FORMOY WAS APPOINTED MANAGER BUT WAS REPLACED AFTER A YEAR BY ROBBIE MAY WITH MARK SHARPE AS COACH, NEITHER ENDED THE RATHER DISSAPOINTING SEASON. RICHARD ELMES WAS APPOINTED MANAGER FOR THE 2008/09 SEASON BUT LEFT IN THE OCTOBER. MARK MORSLEY TOOK OVER BUT LEFT AT THE END OF ANOTHER DISSAPOINTING SEASON. FOR THE 2009/10 SEASON KEVIN MATHER & NOEL GAMBLING TOOK THE JOINT MANAGERIAL POSITION BUT RESIGNED HALF WAY THROUGH THE SEASON WHEN THE PLAYING BUDGET WAS REDUCED; CARETAKER MANAGERS MITCHELL SPRINGETT, STEVE JAY & TONY ARMSTRONG TOOK OVER BUT IN FEBRUARY 2010 THE COMMITTEE TOOK THE DIFFICULT DECISION TO WITHDRAW THE FIRST TEAM FROM THE RIDGEONS PREMIER LEAGUE, DUE TO LACK OF FUNDS AND ONE POINT FROM THE SEASON; THE RESERVES CONTINUED AND FINISHED THEIR SEASON.
THE 2010/11 SEASON WILL SEE HARWICH PLAYING IN THE SUFFOLK & ESSEX BORDER LEAGUE.
IN 2017 HARWICH & PARKESTON WERE PRESENTED WITH A CERTIFICATE BY THE PIONEERS FOOTBALL CLUBS, CERTIFIED BY THE F.A., TO SAY THAT IT IS OFFICIALLY RECOGNISED THAT THEIR AWAY MATCH WITH ROYAL ANTWERP IN 1892 IS THE FIRST MATCH TO BE PLAYED BETWEEN AN ENGLISH AND EUROPEAN TEAM.