Lowestoft Town Football Club is a semi-professional football club based in Lowestoft, Suffolk, England. They are currently members of the and play at Crown Meadow.
The club was established in 1887 as Lowestoft FC by a merger of East Suffolk and the original Kirkley, and were renamed Lowestoft Town in 1890. They joined the Norfolk & Suffolk League as founder members in 1897, and won six of the first seven championships, also playing in the North Suffolk League, where they also won six championships in seven seasons. They reached the final of the FA Amateur Cup in 1900, losing the final 5âÂÂ1 to Bishop Auckland, and also reached the semi-finals in 1902âÂÂ03, losing in a replay to Oxford City. In the 1926âÂÂ27 season they reached the first round of the FA Cup the first time, losing 10âÂÂ1 at Watford. They won the Norfolk & Suffolk League again in 1928âÂÂ29 and 1930âÂÂ31.
In 1935 the club merged with another incarnation of Kirkley, and joined the new Eastern Counties League. They shared the first championship with Harwich & Parkeston, before winning it outright in 1937âÂÂ38. The following season they won the League Cup with a 4âÂÂ1 win over Colchester Town reserves, and also reached the first round of the FA Cup losing 6âÂÂ0 at Swindon Town.
They won the League Cup again in 1955, and after turning semi-professional in 1962, dominated the league during the 1960s, winning the championship in 1962âÂÂ63 and finishing runners-up in 1963âÂÂ64. They then won four successive championships, before finishing second in 1968âÂÂ69 and going on to win two more titles in the following seasons, as well as winning the League Cup in 1966, 1967 and 1969. They also reached the first round of the FA Cup in 1966âÂÂ67, losing 2âÂÂ1 at Orient, and again the following season, when they lost 1âÂÂ0 at home to Watford.
However, the club's fortunes then went into decline, although they won the League Cup in 1976, and a league and cup double in 1977âÂÂ78, a season in which they reached the FA Cup first round again, losing 2âÂÂ0 at home to Cambridge United.
They won the league again in 2005âÂÂ06, and in 2008 reached the final of the FA Vase, where they lost 2âÂÂ1 to Kirkham & Wesham. The following season they won the Premier Division of the Eastern Counties League again, together with the Suffolk Premier Cup, and were promoted to Division One North of the Isthmian League. They won the league at the first attempt to earn promotion to the Premier Division, also reaching the first round of the FA Cup, losing 1âÂÂ0 at Wrexham. In their first season in the Premier Division they finished fourth and reached the play-off final, where they lost 4âÂÂ3 at Tonbridge Angels. In 2011âÂÂ12 the club reached the play-off final again after finishing third, but lost 2âÂÂ1 to AFC Hornchurch after extra time. The club also reached the final of the Suffolk Premier Cup, in which they defeated Bury Town 4âÂÂ2. In 2012âÂÂ13 Lowestoft reached the play-off final for the third consecutive season after finishing as runners-up, this time losing 2âÂÂ1 at home to Concord Rangers.
After finishing fourth the following season, the club finally earned promotion to the Football Conference North, winning the play-off final at the fourth attempt after beating AFC Hornchurch 3âÂÂ0. After finishing mid-table in their first season and winning the Suffolk Premier Cup, beating Whitton United 2âÂÂ1 after extra time, they were relegated from the renamed National League North at the end of the 2015âÂÂ16 season, although they retained the Premier Cup with a 3âÂÂ1 win over Leiston. The club were transferred to the Premier Central division of the Southern League at the end of the 2017âÂÂ18 season as part of the restructuring of the non-League pyramid. In 2021âÂÂ22 they finished bottom of the Premier Central Division, resulting in relegation to Division One North of the Isthmian League. The 2023âÂÂ24 season saw them win the North Division, earning promotion to the Premier Division Central of the Southern League. However, they finished third-from-bottom of the Premier Division Central the following season and were relegated back to the Isthmian League's North Division.
Lowestoft Town's club colours are all blue with white trim and the club's second choice kit, usually when away from home, is a deep pink. There is no third strip for the 2025âÂÂ26 season.
The club badge is the town crest of Lowestoft.
Lowestoft originally played at the Crown Meadow Athletics Ground, which shared part of the same site as the modern Crown Meadow. In 1889 they moved to a ground in North Denes but returned to the new Crown Meadow in 1894. It was opened with a match against Lowestoft Harriers on 22 September 1894. In 1922 the club bought the ground from the council for ã3,150 after it looked as though the site may be sold for housing. Floodlights were installed in 1964 and a social club built in the same year. The record crowd of 5,000 was set for the FA Cup match against Watford in 1967.
In 1988 the 1885 pavilion was demolished and part of the site was sold to a developer, with the proceeds funding the building of a new changing room and hospitality block. Today the ground consists of a 466-seater stand with standing areas around the rest of the pitch.
<small>The Isthmian League does not use a squad numbering system.</small>