Hitchin Town Football Club is an English semi-professional football club based in Hitchin, Hertfordshire. They are currently members of the . Founded in 1865 and known as 'The Canaries', Hitchin Town have been based at Top Field since their foundation, and claim lineage from the defunct Hitchin Football Club, formed in 1865 and liquidated in 1911.
The club have played in a number of local leagues, starting off in the Spartan League before moving to first the Athenian League in 1939, then the Isthmian League in 1963 and finally the Southern League in 2004. Their most recent league honour has been the Southern League Division One Central, finishing play-off winners in 2010–11, their second season in the competition.
History
The original Hitchin club, Hitchin F.C., were formed in 1865. The club took part in the inaugural FA Cup competition in 1871–72, reaching the quarter-finals before losing to runners-up Royal Engineers. In 1905, Hitchin defeated Chelsea 3–2 to become the first away team to win at Stamford Bridge. Hitchin turned professional during the early years of the 20th century, but following financial difficulties and a fire at their ground, the club folded in 1911.
Hitchin Town F.C. were formed in 1928, and it was at this time also that the "Canaries" identity was settled upon. The club colours were agreed as yellow and blue, replacing the old club's white and magenta – green replaced blue after only a few seasons. The new club were admitted to the Spartan League, and their first season, 1928–29, was a success – Hitchin won the Herts Charity Shield, as well as promotion to the Spartan League's second tier. Promotion to the top flight of the Spartan League was won in 1930–31 and Hitchin won the AFA Senior Cup a year later. Reg Smith, a future England player, led Hitchin to the Spartan League championship in 1934–35 before moving on to Millwall a year later. The club moved from the Spartan League to the Athenian League for the 1939–40 season, but after only two league matches the outbreak of World War II prompted the suspension of competitive football.
The Athenian League returned for 1945–46, and Hitchin finished 10th out of 14 clubs. The next season saw an improvement to sixth, but Hitchin did not achieve a finish higher than mid-table until the 1953–54 campaign – Hitchin finished as runners-up. The club reached the quarter-finals of the FA Amateur Cup, but lost 10–1 to Crook Town. Two years later, Hitchin beat Wycombe Wanderers 1–0 in the same competition in front of 7,878 spectators, but the club once again failed to progress beyond the quarter-finals. Peter Hammond became the first Hitchin player to represent his country in 1958, when he appeared for England's amateur team. Former Arsenal player and England international Laurie Scott was appointed manager the same year.
Scott worked to bring the amateur club more into line with their professional counterparts. The club met Football League opposition in the FA Cup for the first time during 1958–59, but despite holding Millwall to a 1–1 draw at Top Field, lost 2–1 in the replay. Hitchin travelled to Crystal Palace two years later in the same competition and lost 6–2. Meanwhile, Scott prepared his team for an assault on the Athenian League title and the FA Amateur Cup. Scott's team finished fifth during 1960–61, and lost in the semi-finals of the Cup. Hitchin came sixth the next year, and 1962–63 saw another fifth-place finish and semi-final defeat before the club switched league again – joining the Isthmian League.
The move to the Isthmian League coincided with a time of financial strife at the club. The club finished in the bottom half of the division during their first five seasons in the league, as the club struggled to attract players of a sufficient quality. The club were not helped by corruption behind the scenes – some supposedly amateur players were receiving salaries, and when this emerged, the club were barracked by the local press. It took some time for the clouds to disperse, and the result was the departure of Scott. The late 1960s saw the arrival of Vince Burgess as manager. Led by Burgess, Hitchin finished as Isthmian League runners-up in 1968–69 and won the London Senior Cup a year later. The success brought by Burgess then dissipated as soon as it had appeared, as Burgess left the club in 1970. Hitchin did, however, win the East Anglian Cup in 1972–73.