Welcome To Holker Old Boys FC
Holker old Boys’ Football Club was founded in 1936 as an under 16 side from “Old Boys” of the then Holker Central Secondary School in Holker Street Barrow-in-Furness. The school itself has long since been replaced with a Kwik Save supermarket, which has recently also closed its doors.
In season 1939-40 the club joined the local North Western Open Age League, playing all their games on local playing fields. Junior teams were soon formed thus keeping the links with their roots.
1967 saw the club enter a team in the West Lancashire League whilst retaining a side in the N.W.L.
In 1971 a site for a new ground was obtained at Rakesmoor Lane on land which had originally been allotments. The club moved from their previous home on Thorncliffe Road to their present one at Rakesmoor. On the formation of the Furness Premier League the club entered two teams into this league which is still the case to date.
Having spent years in the shadow of local rivals Vickers’ Sports Club (now Hawcoat Park F. C.) and Dalton United in season 1985/86 they had their best ever season to date finishing Runners-up to BAC. Preston in the West Lancs. League Div. 1. However in the following season, which was also the club’s Golden Jubilee season, they went one better and finished Champions ahead of Vickers’ SC.
More success followed as the club won the Adidas Lancashire Junior Shield in 1988/89 beating Walkden Town 2-0 and again in1990/91 when they defeated Park United 1-0. The club were now thinking of progressing to a higher standard of football but much work was needed on their Rakesmoor Lane ground to bring it up to the standard required. Committee members, players, friends and their families all worked hard to extend the clubhouse, build new changing rooms and enclose the pitch. The reward for all this hard work was to be accepted into the NWCFL Second Division for the start of the 1991/92 season.
Holker Old Boys took a couple of seasons to acclimatise to the new higher standard during which time floodlights were installed but in 1993/94 they finished third in the Second Division behind Haslingden (now defunct) and North Trafford (now Trafford). Haslingden were unable to be promoted because their facilities did not meet the requirements for the First Division so Holker Old Boys filled the second promotion place.
Holker gave a good account of themselves for their first three seasons in the First Division and in 1995/96 they finished in their highest ever position of 11th. However the 1997/98 season saw them struggle finishing just two points ahead of relegated Darwen and the 1998/99 season was a disaster seeing them lose all twenty away games and scoring just five goals on their travels. Not surprisingly Holker finished bottom of the Division and were relegated for the first time in their history.
After relegation the club restructured its finances and undertook a period of rebuilding which is started to bring returns. The club now has three open age sides and a Junior Section ranging from Under 7’s to Under 18’s plus 1 Girl’s Team.
In season 2002/03 it had its best season since 1995/96 finishing fifth in Division 2. In season 2003/04 off the field the club secured over £80,000 in grants for stadium improvements, pitch drainage and car parking. Playing wise the last 5 seasons have been a disappointment with the side languishing in the lower half of the Division however there have been one or two moments to savour namely reaching the 2nd Qualifying Round of the FA. Cup in season 2004/05 and the successful arrangement of the game against FC. United of Manchester in 2005/06 at Craven Park, the home of Barrow Raiders RLFC., in front of a club record attendance of 2303. Both these events raised much welcome finance for the club enabling us to embark on more ground improvements starting with the upgrading of the floodlights for season 2006/07. The club has also been rewarded for its efforts at junior level with the commitment and effort of coaches, managers and the Committee helping to attain the FA. Charter Standard Development Club Award.
Season 2006/07 did bring some success for the U18 side, which was a blend of many of the previous season’s U16 and U18 sides, when they lifted the LFA. Furness Building Society Youth Cup at the County Ground, Leyland against AKZO Nobel JFC. of Darwen and knocked out the much fancied Morecambe U18 FC. in the Quarter Finals. Because of the loss of several older players, at the end of season 2005/06, to lower levels of the pyramid many of the previous season’s U18 side also played in the First Team in season 2005/06 which may account for their success in the Youth Cup, having gained from the experience of playing Open Age football. It is to be hoped that providing we can keep a majority of these players and bring more through the Junior Section future seasons will be more successful for the First Team.