The Lancashire League has been the name of two separate football competitions for clubs based in northern England.
Lancashire League (1889 to 1903)
The original Lancashire League was formed in 1889, and was established because of the success of the Football League, which had been established just one year earlier. Prime movers in the formation of the league were the officials of Bury Football Club, who had ambitions to set up a regional competition which would be a stepping stone for them and other clubs to gain a place in the Football League.
Although the majority of the clubs were based in the county of Lancashire, the league did eventually accept several clubs from neighbouring Cheshire. Additionally from further afield, Workington, from Cumberland, were members for two seasons, while Doncaster Rovers, from Yorkshire, were also to make an application to join.
The league survived for fourteen seasons until 1903, and in 1903–04 it became the Second Division of the Lancashire Combination. At the time the Lancashire League was probably the stronger of the two competitions, and within a few years many of the former Lancashire League clubs had become leading Lancashire Combination clubs.
The Lancashire League had many member clubs who would later take up places in the Football League. These included Accrington Stanley, Blackpool, Bury, Crewe Alexandra, Liverpool, Nelson, New Brighton Tower, Southport Central, and Stockport County.
Champions List of championsSeasonChampions1889–90Higher Walton1890–91Bury1891–92Bury1892–93Liverpool1893–94Blackpool1894–95Fairfield1895–96Nelson1896–97Chorley1897–98New Brighton Tower1898–99Chorley1899–1900Stockport County1900–01Stalybridge Rovers1901–02Darwen1902–03Southport Central
Member clubs A total of 48 clubs and reserve teams played in the league during its first incarnation:Lancashire League RSSSF
Accrington Ashton North End Bacup Barrow Blackburn Park Road Blackburn Rovers Reserves Blackpool Bolton Wanderers Reserves Burnley Union Star Bury Chorley Clitheroe Crewe Alexandra Darwen Earlestown Fairfield Fleetwood Rangers Halliwell Rovers Haydock Heywood Central Heywood Higher Walton Horwich Hyde Liverpool Liverpool South End Middleton Nelson New Brighton Tower Oldham County Oswaldtwistle Rovers Prescot Rochdale (1896) Rochdale Town Rossendale South Liverpool South Shore Southport Central St Helens Recreation St Helens Town Stalybridge Rovers Stockport County Warrington West Manchester White Star Wanderers Wigan County Wigan United Witton Workington
Lancashire League (1939 to date)
The second Lancashire League was formed in 1939, and for the 1939–40 season it was a competition mainly for the 'A' teams of Lancashire Football League clubs; however, with the onset of World War II, the new league was to last only one season before being abandoned.
In 1949 the league was re-established, and for almost fifty years it was a competition largely for the junior sides of the Lancashire-based Football League clubs. For most seasons, two divisions were operated; however, for a short period from the late 1950s there were three divisions. Some non-league clubs' reserve sides were later accepted into membership, and with the Football League taking a greater responsibility for youth football in recent seasons, the Lancashire League is now a competition exclusively for non-league clubs' reserve sides. From 2006–07 the league was sponsored by Lancit Haulage Limited, and from 2010–11 the league has been sponsored by GalaxyFootball.co.uk.
Champions SeasonDivision One1939–40Preston North End 'A'1949–50Blackpool 'A'1950–51Preston North End 'A'1951–52Stockport County Reserves1952–53Burnley 'A'1953–54Rochdale Reserves1954–55Manchester United 'B'SeasonDivision OneDivision Two1955–56Oldham Athletic ReservesBurnley 'B'1956–57Burnley 'A'Bolton Wanderers 'B'SeasonDivision OneDivision TwoDivision Three1957–58Rochdale ReservesEverton 'B'Blackburn Rovers 'C'1958–59Preston North End 'A'Everton 'B'Bury 'B'1959–60Bolton Wanderers 'A'Everton 'B'Manchester City 'C'1960–61Burnley 'A'Bolton Wanderers 'B'Liverpool 'C'SeasonDivision OneDivision Two1961–62Burnley 'A'Liverpool 'B'1962–63Everton 'A'Everton 'B'1963–64Everton 'A'Everton 'B'1964–65Everton 'A'Manchester United 'B'1965–66Liverpool 'A'Liverpool 'B'1966–67Everton 'A'Manchester City 'B'1967–68Liverpool 'A'Liverpool 'B'1968–69Liverpool 'A'Manchester City 'B'1969–70Everton 'A'Manchester United 'B'1970–71Everton 'A'Blackburn Rovers 'A'1971–72Liverpool 'A'Manchester United 'B'1972–73Stockport County 'A'Liverpool 'B'1973–74Wigan Athletic ReservesEverton 'B'1974–75Everton 'A'Everton 'B'1975–76Oldham Athletic ReservesLiverpool 'B'1976–77Oldham Athletic ReservesLiverpool 'B'1977–78Liverpool 'A'Burnley 'A'1978–79Port Vale ReservesBurnley 'A'1979–80Tranmere Rovers ReservesEverton 'B'1980–81Oldham Athletic ReservesBurnley 'A'1981–82Wigan Athletic ReservesBlackburn Rovers 'A'1982–83Liverpool 'A'Oldham Athletic 'A'1983–84Manchester United 'A'Morecambe Reserves1984–85Manchester United 'A'Blackburn Rovers 'A'1985–86Manchester City 'A'Oldham Athletic 'A'1986–87Manchester United 'A'Preston North End 'A'1987–88Manchester United 'A'Oldham Athletic 'A'1988–89Everton 'A'Manchester United 'B'1989–90Manchester United 'A'Blackpool 'A'1990–91Manchester United 'A'Crewe Alexandra 'B'1991–92Crewe Alexandra 'A'Crewe Alexandra 'B'1992–93Manchester United 'A'Liverpool 'B'1993–94Burnley 'A'Preston North End 'A'1994–95Manchester United 'A'Manchester City 'B'1995–96Manchester United 'A'Blackburn Rovers 'B'1996–97Manchester United 'A'Manchester United 'B'1997–98Manchester United 'A'Blackburn Rovers 'B'SeasonDivision One1998–99Tranmere Rovers 'A'1999–00Southport Reserves2000–01Morecambe Reserves2001–02Morecambe Reserves2002–03Morecambe Reserves2003–04Morecambe Reserves2004–05Morecambe Reserves2005–06Morecambe ReservesSeasonEast DivisionWest Division2006–07Farsley Celtic ReservesMorecambe Reserves2007–08Farsley Celtic ReservesWorkington Reserves2008–09Bradford (PA) ReservesFleetwood Town Reserves2009–10Harrogate Town ReservesSouthport Reserves2010–11Bradford (PA) ReservesBamber Bridge Reserves2011–12Thackley ReservesLancaster City Reserves2012–13Ossett Albion ReservesLancaster City Reserves2013–14F.C. United of Manchester ReservesAFC Fylde Reserves
References
External links Official website Lancashire League FA Full Time