Stockton Football Club was an English football club based in Stockton-on-Tees. The club were known as 'The Ancients' because of their long-standing presence in the town. Their traditional colours were red and black quartered shirts with white shorts.
The club was established in 1882, and were founder members of the Northern League in 1889. In 1896âÂÂ87 they reached the final of the FA Amateur Cup, but lost 4âÂÂ1 in a replay to Old Carthusians. They won the league in 1897âÂÂ98, and the following season reached the final of the FA Amateur Cup again, this time winning 1âÂÂ0 against Harwich & Parkeston.
They won the Cup again in 1902âÂÂ03, beating Oxford City 1âÂÂ0 in a replay. In 1906âÂÂ07 they won the Northern League again and reached the Amateur Cup final for a fourth time, losing 2âÂÂ1 to Clapton. They reached the final again the following year, but lost 2âÂÂ1 to Depot Battalion Royal Engineers. A third Amateur Cup was won in 1911âÂÂ12 with a 1âÂÂ0 win over Eston United. The club reached the Cup final again in 1925âÂÂ26, losing 7âÂÂ1 to Northern Nomads. They won the Northern League title in 1928âÂÂ29, 1931âÂÂ32 and 1932âÂÂ33, also reaching the FA Amateur Cup final in the latter season, losing 4âÂÂ1 to Kingstonian in a replay.
In 1939 the club switched to the North Eastern League, but it was abandoned due to the outbreak of World War II. After the war they remained in the North Eastern League. They reached the second round of the FA Cup in 1947âÂÂ48 before losing 2âÂÂ1 to Notts County in a replay. They won the league in 1950âÂÂ51, and the following season reached the third round of the FA Cup, again losing to Notts County. Along with many other clubs in the league, they left to join the Midland League in 1958, but it folded after only two seasons, and in 1962 they returned to the reformed North Eastern League. However, it also folded after two seasons. They tried to rejoin the Northern League, but were refused entry and instead played in the Wearside League until joining the North Regional League in 1967, leaving after a single season. They rejoined a reformed Midland League in 1972, but again left after a single season to play in the Northern Alliance before folding in 1975. Their assets were transferred to Norton Cricket Club, who subsequently founded the Norton & Stockton Ancients.