The club was formed in 1908 as Horden Athletic in the Wearside League and became known as Horden CW in 1928, moving on to the North Eastern League and Midland League before rejoining the Wearside League and moving to the Northern League in 1975. Horden CW found rich pickings in the Wearside League, including 10 league titles plus numerous cups. In 1973 they achieved a treble - including the League plus Shipowners and Monkwearmouth Cup. Horden finished second in the Northern League in 1980 and 1983 and in 1984 beat Blyth in the League Cup final under former Middlesborough coach John Coddington.

There is a great FA cup tradition at Welfare Park, a run to the second round in 1938-1939 when they lost 3-2 at home to Newport County, and five more first round appearances. All brought narrow defeats against Southport (1948, 1-2), Accrington Stanley (1952, 1-2), Wrexham (1953, 0-1), Scunthorpe (1954, 0-1) and Blackpool (1981, 0-1).

In 1985 Horden CW faced the biggest challenge of their history when the club was relegated and around the same time Horden Colliery closed. The impact of the pit closure on the community and the loss of the clubs main sponsor meant that Horden CW found life a struggle, but in the late 1990's under the management of Peter Todd and later Kevin Taylor things started to look up.

This is the tenth season that the club has been under the chairmanship of Hartlepool businessman Norman Stephens.His first two seasons saw the club finish in fourth and sixth place respectively and finally in season 2002-03 the club was promoted to the Northern League 1st Division as runners up. That same season Horden won the prestigious Durham County Cup after a 1-0 victory against Billingham Synthonia on Easter Monday.

The first season in the first division ended with Horden in 18th place and the following season saw them in a very respectable ninth. In 2005-06 they again struggled to finish in eighteenth place and finally in 2007,following some disasterous results, the club was again relegated to the second division.

Off the pitch the club has made significant improvements with major alterations under the grandstand. New changing rooms, showers,toilets, referees facilities, club shop and kitchen have all been brought into the twenty first century thanks to a Football Stadia Improvements grant. New changing rooms, showers, toilets, treatment room, male and female referee’s facilities, club shop and kitchen have all been brought into the twenty first century.

Season 2007-08 and things were not looking good. At Christmas Horden were 5th from bottom of the league. Simon Corbett had earlier been appointed manager and gradually things started to look up. The team ended the season with a thirteen game unbeaten run and ended fifth from top. Last season confidence was high. Simon had a squad which he felt sure would do the job. He said that he would only consider himself successful if the club was promoted by May 2009

Well he was successful and not only were the team promoted but actually went up as League Champions. There wa icing on the cake when Horden also won the Ernest Armstrong Memorial Cup in a nail biting final at Chester le Street against Sunderland R.C.A.

In Season 2007-08 season the Under 18s won their League Cup and finished third in the league table. The following season they began playing as Under 21s. They were Russell Foster Under 21 Premier League Champions.