The club was founded in 1889 as Rushden F.C. and joined the Midland League in 1894. In 1895 the club's reserve team joined the Leicestershire and Northants League, but left the following season when it became the Leicestershire Senior League. In 1897 the club's first team also joined the United League, and played in both leagues for three seasons, before leaving the United League at the end of the 1898–99 season. In 1901 the club left the Midland League and joined the Northamptonshire League under the name Rushden Town. They left the league, but rejoined in 1919. The club left the league again in 1956 (by which time it had been renamed the United Counties League), but rejoined again in 1962.