The Alexandra ( photo above) is a old and thriving pub on the west side of Darwen, the door and steps you can see is were the 1879 team photo was taken. ( Click here )
The first ever-pros were signed here, and not many of Darwen's townsfolk apprieciate the roll the Alexandra Hotel had with the early days of the game, many meetings were held here some of them being the Football League itself, meetings to iron out the rules of the game were held, and some of the first disiplinary hearing for players can be traced back to the Alexandra. To view a photo of the 14 members of the Football league representatives taken in the grounds of the Alexandra hotel in 1891 to commemorate Darwen FC's election to the Football League along with Stoke City click .....Here. Mr. C.Grime the Darwen rep is seen sitting on the floor to the right of the League trophy
The Alex was only 30 metres from the main entrance of the old Barley Bank ground. The club used the pub as a venue for meetings and for the team and opponents to change prior to playing games on the Barley Bank. A large horse trough to the right of the building came in handy for the players to clean their muddied boots after games. Blackburn Rovers, Bolton Wanderers, Preston N. E, Everton and others have all changed here. When the club gained election to the Football League new changing facilities were built within the enclosure of Barley Bank Ground. For many years even after the club had moved to the Anchor the small bar in one of the rooms was often referred to as the "Salmoners" bar.
On the 21st July 1891 a party was held at the Alex to commemorate Darwen FC's election to the Football league, present at the party were representatives from the 14 members of the league, the Mayor of Darwen and councillors plus the local and national press. Mr C. S. Grime and Mr T. Hindle became Darwens representatives on the Football League management committee.
A short story about the Alex "Hospitality"
Charles Edward Sutcliffe, (one of the Football Leagues great pioneers who represented Burnley for nearly fifty years on the League management committee eventually becoming the League's President in 1938.) would tell of his adventures in the early years of the League at after dinner speeches, one of these stories was the time he refereed a Game at Barley Bank in the 1890's. At the time of the game --- Darwen v Woolwich Arsenal on a Christmas day -- he was the Leagues representative in charge of referees, and on the Christmas eve he received a telegram stating a referee had fallen ill, the ref had been due to officiate the Darwen game, and knowing he couldn't find a replacment at such short notice during the holiday period Charles decided he would have to referee the game himself. So he cancelled his plans for Christmas Day with the family, and set off in the freezing cold at nine o'clock in the morning to catch a long, slow, stopping train, which deposited him at Darwen Station a little before noon. After whiling away the next couple of hours in the deserted streets - no pubs for Charlie - he was a lifelong teetotaller -- he made his way to the ground. After refereeing the game which saw the Salmoners run out 1-0 winners, he retired to the changing tent and sat there in the bitter cold, the Darwen secretary came in to pay the referee's fees, but Charlie told him to keep the fee ( like John Lewis of Blackburn Rovers he never ever pocketed any referee's fee ) The club secretary thanked him heartily and put the money into the player's Christmas box, and then asked him if he would like to join the the players and officials to some hot-pot at the Alex! Feeling cold and hungry Charlie accepted the offer gratefully even if it was in a "public house" he decided to turn a blind eye to the demon drink has he called it -- just for the night! .
The hot-pot was delicious and most welcome, but with the Alex getting into the festive spirit he made his exit around 6 o'clock to wind his lonely way, down the dark streets which led to the railway station, the only illumination came from the Christmas lights peeping through the curtains of surrounding houses, from where he could hear the sound of Christmas parties taking place. At the station he had to wait an hour for the train back to Burnley, there was no fire in the waiting room, and has he paced up and down the dimly lit platform he said to himself " I have left my family and can't get home until 9 o'clock - I must be fond of football to make such a sacrifice as this - still it was nice of the club to provide the hot-pot. At that point came the sound of a man scurrying up toward the platform - it was the Darwen club secretary who shouted " Oh Mr Sutcliffe" he gasped breathlessly in the cold evening air "Ahm reet glad ah caught thee - tha's forgotten to pay us for th' ot-pot!" !!
Charles Sutcliffe's ( photo click here ) memories of Darwen were not just of this game - for he was in the Burnley team years earlier that played the Darwen Old Wanderers in the FA Cup, the game ended with the Old Wanderers winning 11-0 the heaviest defeat in Burnley Football Club's history. He played his last game of football in 1886 for Burnley FC against Blackburn Rovers away at their old ground Leamington Road, he then concentrated on running the Clarets in some capacity for the next 52 years.
Charles died in January 1939 aged 75.

Acknowledgements for the history and images in this section to: Darwen RBL -- who originally published this page in 2002 Mark Johnson / Blackburn with Darwen Library./Football League and the men who made it ! -- Simon Inglis