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.

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 disas-trous 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.

The following season not only were the team promoted but actually went up as League Champions. There was icing on the cake when Horden also won the Ernest Armstrong Memorial Cup in a nail biting final at Chester le Street against Sunder-land R.C.A.

The 2009-10 season ended in disaster when, after a string of bad results Horden were relegated to the second division of the Northern League. Chairman Norman Stephens resigned on May 1st following the last game of the season.

1935-36 Joined North Eastern League
1937-38 North Eastern League Champions
1939-40 North Eastern League programme abandoned due to outbreak of war
1958-59 Joined Midland League
1960 Midland League folded
1962-63 Rejoined newly-reformed N.E. League
1963-64 North Eastern League Champions (2nd time) on goal average
1964 North Eastern League folded
1975-76 Joined Northern League
1985 Relegated to Division Two
1991-92 Three points deducted
1996-97 Three points deducted
2002-03 Northern League Division Two runner-up
Promoted to Division One
2006-07 Three points deducted - Relegated to Div 2
2008-09 Northern League Division Two Champions
Promoted to Division One
2009-10 Relegated to Division 2

WEARSIDE LEAGUE WINNERS
1911-12 1912-13 1913-14 1933-34 1964-65
1967-68 1969-70 1970-71 1971-72 1972-73

WEARSIDE LEAGUE CUP WINNERS
1933-34 1949-50

SHIPOWNERS CUP WINNERS
1965-66 1972-73

MONKWEARMOUTH CUP WINNERS
1912-13 1923-24 1932-33 1969-70 1972-73

DRYBROUGHS NORTHERN LEAGUE CUP WINNERS
1983-84

DURHAM COUNTY CHALLENGE CUP WINNERS
1935-36 1963-64 1980-81 1981-82 2002-03

ERNEST ARMSTRONG MEMORIAL CUP WINNERS
2008-09