Darwen Rovers F.C. was an association football club from Darwen, Lancashire, active in the late 19th century.
The earliest reference to the club is from the 1877âÂÂ78 season, a win over Lytham being noted in December 1877. Its first notable achievement came in the 1884âÂÂ85 Lancashire Senior Cup, with an unexpected 4âÂÂ2 win at Eagley - a regular FA Cup entrant - in the first round, put down to "mutiny being rife in [the Eagley] camp". Rossendale scratched to the Rovers in the second round, and in the third the Rovers of Darwen were not disgraced with a 4âÂÂ1 defeat at the Rovers of Blackburn, albeit the hosts fielding a reserve side.
However, as an amateur side, the Rovers eschewed the senior competition henceforth, and played in the first Lancashire Junior Cup competition the next season. The club in fact made it all the way to the final, but lost 6âÂÂ2 against Bell's Temperance of Accrington, the match played at Fleetwood Rangers. The club reached another final in 1888âÂÂ89, this time the East Lancashire Charity Shield, against Oswaldtwistle Rovers, and again lost 6âÂÂ2, the Darwen side complaining about rough play.
Having made a small profit in 1888âÂÂ89 (ã5 5/ on an income of just under ã63), the club was a founder member of the North-east Lancashire League in 1889âÂÂ90, and finished 4th of the 11 clubs in the initial season, with 11 wins, 1 draw, and 8 defeats in its 20 matches. It also gained a revenge against Oswaldtwistle Rovers in the semi-final of the Charity Shield, beating them 3âÂÂ1 at the Pothouse, with Singleton and Smith, plus an own goal by goalkeeper Duckett, giving Rovers a three goal half-time lead. Darwen's defeat in the final to Witton was overturned after a successful protest that the winner came after time had expired, but Witton nevertheless won at the second time of asking, 3âÂÂ1, at Blackburn Rovers' Leamington Road ground.
However, it suffered a humiliating 10âÂÂ2 defeat at Blackpool in the first round of the Junior Cup, having sold home advantage, and the 1891âÂÂ92 season was a disaster. The club finished bottom of the North-east Lancashire League (which was now allowing reserve sides from Football League clubs), recording 11 points from 18 games, was not re-elected to the competition, and wound up as a consequence.
The club wore blue and white.
The club played at the Knowl Meadow, the former ground of Lower Darwen.