Hinckley Downes F.C.

Football club infobox
clubname = Hinckley Downes


fullname = Hinckley Downes Football Club
nickname =
founded = 1967 (as Downes Sports)
ground = The Marstons Stadium, Hinckley, Leicestershire (groundshare with Hinckley United)
capacity =
chairman =
manager =
league = East Midlands Counties League| season = 2007-08
position = Leicestershire Senior League
Premier Division, 3rd Hinckley Downes F.C. are a football club based in Hinckley, Leicestershire, England.They currently play in the East Midlands Counties Football League, having joined from the Leicestershire Senior League at the end of the 2007-08 season.

They were established in 1967 as Downes Sports — initially playing in the South Leicestershire League. For season 1974/75, whilst members of the Leicester & District League, they changed their name to Downes Athletic but reverted to Downes Sports the following season.

After finishing in third place in the Premier Division of the Leicester & District League, they joined the Leicestershire Senior League Division One for the 1987/88 season.

They gained promotion to the Premier Division by finishing third in 1991/92, where they have remained ever since. Their highest-placed finish was in 2007/2008, when they claimed third place.

Season 2003/04 saw Downes Sports finish as runners-up in the Leicestershire Senior Cup.

After ending the 2006/07 season in 17th place (of 18 clubs), the club was reprieved from relegation due to a lack of suitable promotion candidates from the First Division.

The club changed its name from Downes Sports to Hinckley Downes in time for the 2007/08 season, when they effectively became the Reserve side to Hinckley United. They play their home games at Hinckley United's Marston's Stadium.

Their best seasons in the F.A. Vase were in 2001/02 and 2006/07 (as Downes Sports) and 2007/08 (as Hinckley Downes), when they lost in the First Round Proper on each occasion.