Harborough Town FC

In honour of Harborough Town FC

’s recent victory over Tonbridge in the 1st round of the FA Cup, which has secured them an exciting 2nd round fixture against former Premier League side Reading on 30th November, we’re taking a look back at the club’s history, its town, and the bold, iconic badge that represents them.

Harborough Town FC, based in Market Harborough (sitting halfway between Leicester and Northampton), came together in 2007 when Harborough Town Minis, HT Juniors, and Spencers United merged under a single banner.

The club badge, designed by local architect and then-chairman Tim Bale, has as its centrepiece the Old Grammar School building—a famous structure in the centre of Market Harborough—sitting atop a football. The Old Grammar School itself is a strikingly beautiful building (check it out: https://atlasobscura.com/places/the-old-grammar-school…).

Built in 1614 with funds from a local notable, Robert Smythe, it was constructed on stilts to provide a sheltered butter market area. Originally a school for impoverished boys, students received bibles and studied Latin, Greek, and Hebrew, with many joining the Church of England clergy. Later, it served wealthier families' sons before closing in 1908. Its most famous student, Nobel laureate William Henry Bragg, won the award in 1915 with his son for x-ray crystallography.

The market itself was established in 1204 and has run on Tuesdays ever since 1221—a remarkable record. Market Harborough even played a part in the English Civil War: it served as the headquarters for King Charles I’s army before the fateful Battle of Naseby, after which captured Royalists were held in Harborough's chapel as prisoners—surely the definition of something not going quite to plan. Today, Harborough Town FC has grown into a 3 Star FA Accredited club. This status is awarded to clubs that demonstrate a commitment to an inclusive pathway, allowing everyone who wants to get involved in the game. To that end, they boast over 60 teams across all age groups, for both men and women, including a veterans team, an inclusive team and a walking team —a truly impressive powerhouse of local football.

 This month has been full of good news for Harborough. Not only have they reached the first round of the FA Cup for the first time and won their first match, securing a draw against a former Premier League team, but—perhaps more astonishingly in today's Britain—they've been granted planning permission to expand their stadium! An extra 175 seats and improved facilities will soon be added to their Bowdens Park ground. Love this story.