Harrow Borough

Early history – Roxonian F.C. to Harrow Town F.C.

The club was originally formed in 1933 under the name Roxonian F.C. and played their first season in the Harrow and District League finishing runners up. The next season saw the club move into a new ground, Earlsmead Stadium, and a new league. They started in the Spartan League Division Two West and in 1938 they would finish second. As only the Champions were promoted they would have to wait till the following season when they finished top under their new name of Harrow Town F.C. to progress.

The eruption of war in the 1940s saw Harrow Town's ascent cut short, relegating the team to the Middlesex Leagues until the war finished. The war years saw Harrow Town compete in the West Middlesex Combination and then the Middlesex Senior League. After the end of the war, the club finally made its rightful position at the top level of the Spartan League. They remained in the Spartan League until finishing runners up in 1958 and being promoted to the Delphian League.

1960s and 1970s

When the Delphian League disbanded in 1964 Harrow Town were accepted into the Athenian League, where they were promoted to Division One at the first attempt having finished runners up and only missing out on the top spot on goal difference. In the 1960s the club began to run into financial trouble. Coming close to liquidation, Harrow Town was forced to sell their second pitch at Earlsmead to the council to try and survive. Earlsemead Primary School was later built on this land. Now reduced to one pitch, the club, renamed to Harrow Borough F.C. and gaining them the nickname ‘Boro’, managed to make some gains and got elected to the Isthmian League in Division Two in 1975. In 1979 they were promoted, having finished second, to what was now called the Premier Division where they have played ever since. Harrow Borough redeveloped their ground after selling the second pitch.

1979–2004 – Success and stability

Their first few seasons in the Premier Division saw steady progress. In 1982–83 the club finished third in the league and won the Middlesex Senior Cup. Harrow also had its furthest ever run in the FA Trophy reaching the semi-finals only to lose in the second leg to the eventual winners Telford United.

In 1983–84, the club's most successful season to date, they won the Isthmian League championship by seventeen points. The same year saw Harrow have its greatest ever FA Cup run, reaching the 2nd round proper before being knocked out by Newport County, who were then in Division Three (now League One).

During this period the importance place on ensuring the long term security of the club led to them turning down the financially risky promotion to the Football Conference twice. 1985 saw manager Micky Tomkys retire and a steady decline in the club's fortunes followed, having finished fifth and sixth in the following seasons.

After Boro's decline in the late 1980s, a new manager, Harry Manoe, was appointed and Harrow saw a resurgence. In 1993 they did a double, winning both the Middlesex Senior and Charity Cup beating Chelsea 4–1 in the semi-finals of the latter. The early nineties also saw an improvement in league form after several disappointing seasons previously.

Since the turn of the century, the club have failed to match earlier league successes and have gone on a slow decline, finding themselves often drawn into relegation battles. In 2000 they avoided relegation by only a single goal on goal difference, earning them the nickname "Houdini Boro". In 2003 David Howell was appointed as the new manager and the performances improved immediately; in 2004 Boro lost on penalties in a play-off which would have seen them join the Conference South, the sixth tier of English football.

2005–2010 – Cup finals and success

Having missed out in the finals of the Middlesex Senior Cup in 2001, Harrow would finally bring home silverware in the form of the Middlesex Charity Cup in 2006, beating Enfield 2–0 in the final. Harrow retained this cup in 2007 beating Brook House in the final on penalties.

Having won the competition in 2006 and 2007, Boro were entered in the Middlesex Super Cup, a cup which faces off the winners of the Middlesex Senior Charity Cup and the Middlesex Senior Cup. It is formally known as the George Ruffell Memorial Shield. Boro lost 2–0 in 2006 to Hampton & Richmond but won the cup the following year in 2007 beating Northwood 3–0.

In the 2008–09 season, Boro managed to reach the final of the Isthmian League Cup. Boro beat Hendon, Godalming Town, Harlow, Horsham and Ashford Town (Middx) to reach the final before losing to Isthmian League Division One side Tilbury.

The 2009–10 season saw the introduction of the Harrow Borough youth team, playing their football in the Isthmian Youth League West Division. Their first season youth football led them to finishing in 6th place.

2010–11 – League improvement

Harrow Borough finished the 2009–10 season in 14th place in the Isthmian League Premier Division. In the summer and pre-season following, Borough managed to reduce debts. After starting the season slowly, the 2010–11 season saw the club qualify for the first round of the FA Cup for only the third time in their history. Borough bowed out to eventual League Two champions Chesterfield 2–0 at Earlsmead.