Matlock Town Football Club, nicknamed “The Gladiators,” is a non-league football club based in Matlock, Derbyshire.
Established in 1878, they currently compete in the Pitching In Northern Premier League Premier Division, which is part of the seventh tier of English football. The team calls Causeway Lane their home ground.
Matlock Town FC, known as the Gladiators, rose to prominence in the 1970s. Their journey in football began with victories in the Central Alliance Division North in the late 1950s and winning the Midland Counties League title in the late 1960s, leading to their entry into the Northern Premier League (NPL) in 1969. The team’s significant milestone came in the 1974/75 season with a record 4-0 win in the FA Trophy final against Scarborough, featuring the Fenoughty brothers, Tom, Mick, and Nick.
Under former England international Peter Swan, the team developed an attacking style, achieving success in the FA Cup and winning the Derbyshire Senior Cup multiple times. In the late 1970s, they won the NPL Challenge Cup and competed in the Anglo-Italian non-league tournament. The 1980s saw Matlock finishing as NPL runners-up in 1983/84, with their last FA Cup First Round appearance in 1989/90.
After a dip in the 1990s, including relegation, the club regained Premier Division status in 2003/04 and won the League Cup in the subsequent season. Matlock’s recent achievements include winning the Derbyshire Senior Cup in 2014/15 and 2016/17. The club’s ground, known for its picturesque setting, was enhanced with a new stand and social club in 2011.