Matlock Town Football Club is a football club based in Matlock, Derbyshire, England. Nicknamed 'the Gladiators', they are currently members of the and play at Causeway Lane.
The club was established in 1878 as Matlock Football Club. They began entering the FA Cup in 1885, but did not win a match in the competition until 1890. 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. After winning the league again the following season, they joined the Midland Amateur Alliance in 1892. However, the league was disbanded at the end of the 1892âÂÂ93 season and Matlock returned to the Derbyshire Senior League. They subsequently joined the Midland League in 1894; after finishing bottom of the league in their first season, the club lost all 28 league matches in 1895âÂÂ96 and left the league, again returning to the Derbyshire Senior League. They finished bottom of the league in 1897âÂÂ98.
After World War I the club was renamed Matlock Town. They joined the Central Alliance in 1924, but the league folded at the end of the 1924âÂÂ25 season and the club rejoined the Derbyshire Senior League, in which they were runners-up in 1926âÂÂ27. In 1933 they joined the new Central Combination, but left after two season. After World War II the club played in the Chesterfield & District League for the 1946âÂÂ47 season, before the Central Alliance was re-established in 1947, with Matlock becoming members again. When the league gained a second division in 1950, they became members of Division One. Despite finishing bottom of the division in 1951âÂÂ52, the club were not relegated.
In 1955âÂÂ56 Matlock finished bottom of Division One again. The league was then reorganised, with the club placed in Division One North. They won the division in 1959âÂÂ60, also reaching the first round of the FA Cup, losing 1âÂÂ0 to Crook Town in a replay. After retaining the league title the following season, the club moved up to the reformed Midland League, which they won at the first attempt. They were Midland League champions again in 1968âÂÂ69, subsequently joining the Northern Premier League. They reached the first round of the FA Cup again in 1974âÂÂ75, losing 4âÂÂ1 at home to Blackburn. In the FA Trophy the club reached the final at Wembley Stadium, in which they defeated Scarborough 4âÂÂ0 to win the trophy; 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. The following season saw them automatically qualify for the first round, but they lost 4âÂÂ1 at Wigan Athletic.
Matlock were drawn against Wigan in the first round of the FA Cup again in 1976âÂÂ77, this time winning 2âÂÂ0. They went on to beat eventual Third Division champions Mansfield Town in an incredible 5âÂÂ2 away from home, marking the first time the club had defeated Football League opposition. In the third round they lost 5âÂÂ1 at Carlisle United. The club won the Northern Premier League's Challenge Cup and the Peter Swales Shield in 1977âÂÂ78. In 1979 they entered the Anglo-Italian Cup, finishing second in the English section. The 1983âÂÂ84 season 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 1989âÂÂ90 ended in a 4âÂÂ1 defeat at Scunthorpe United. After finishing bottom of the division in 1995âÂÂ96, they were relegated to Division One.
In 2003âÂÂ04 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 2007âÂÂ08 led to the club qualifying for the promotion playoffs, in which they lost 4âÂÂ2 to Witton Albion in the semi-finals. They finished fourth in 2021âÂÂ22, going on to lose 2âÂÂ1 to Scarborough Athletic in the play-off semi-finals. The following season ended with a fifth-placed finish and a 4âÂÂ1 play-off semi-final defeat by Warrington Town. In 2024âÂÂ25 the club finished fourth-from-bottom of the Premier Division and were relegated to Division One East.
The club originally played at Hall Leys, before moving to Causeway Lane, which is shared with the local cricket club, with temporary railing installed on one side of the pitch at the end of the cricket season. A wooden stand was built on one side of the pitch in 1920 and was later named the Cyril Harrison Stand. Another wooden stand was built on the other side of the pitch in 1959, with seats installed in the late 1960s.
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. More seats were installed in 1975 and that year saw a new record attendance of 5,123 set for an FA Trophy semi-final match against Burton Albion. A covered terrace was built at the Town End of the ground in the 1980s.