The West Lancashire Football League is a football competition based in northern England, consisting of five divisions – three for first teams (Premier, One and Two), and two for reserve teams. The top division, the Premier Division, sits at step seven of the National League System and is a feeder league for the North West Counties Football League, although promotion and relegation is based upon application to the National League System Panel.
History The league was formed in 1904, although 1905–06 was the first season. It was originally known as the Preston & District Combination, with member clubs having to be within ten miles of Preston. It became the West Lancashire League in 1908, and over the years the qualification area was gradually extended. At first it was a competition for minor non-league football clubs, but from the 1920s the membership changed with the league including several Football League club's 'A' teams. This continued through to the early 1950s. However, the creation of the Lancashire League meant that some of the Football League clubs changed their allegiance. The West Lancashire League struggled along for a few years, until 1954 when it was closed down.
The league was re-established in 1959, with a small membership of clubs from the Blackpool area. Steadily the league grew, and in 1964–65 it expanded to two divisions. The league had a rapidly changing membership, but continued to prosper, with a third senior division being formed for the 1998–99 season. The league now covers the whole of modern Lancashire, plus areas of Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Merseyside, and even West Yorkshire. A fourth division operated for two seasons between 2016 and 2018.
In past seasons the league has included former Football League club Nelson and the forerunners of former Football League side Morecambe.
Current members (2026-27) The constitution for season 2026-27 is as follows:
Premier Division Astley & Buckshaw United Blackpool Wren Rovers Burscough Richmond CMB Sports Cleator Moor Celtic Eagley Haslingden St Mary's Hesketh Bank Hurst Green Kendal County Lostock St. Gerards Millom Milnthorpe Corinthians Poulton Rossendale Tempest United
Division One Askam United Carnforth Rangers Chipping Coppull United Crooklands Casuals Croston Sports Freckleton Fulwood Amateurs Reserves Holker Old Boys Reserves Lytham Town Pause United Slyne with Hest Stoneclough Turton Ulverston Rangers Whitehaven
Division Two Appley Bridge Bamber Bridge Reserves Caton United Charnock Richard Reserves Dalton United Euxton Villa Reserves Galgate Garstang Reserves Hawcoat Park Langho Mill Hill Standish St. Wilfrid's Storeys of Lancaster Thornton Cleveleys Reserves Trawden Celtic Walney Island
West Lancashire League Champions Source: Season(as Preston & District Combination)1905–06Coppull Central1906–07Great Harwood1907–08Southport Park VillaSeason(as West Lancashire League)1908–09Leyland1909–10Longridge1910–11Horwich RMI1911–12Higher Walton Albion1912–13Hamilton Central1913–14Horwich RMI1914–15Leyland1919–20Leyland1920–21Leyland Motors1921–22Croston1922–23Accrington Stanley Reserves1923–24Croston1924–25Fleetwood Reserves1925–26Lancaster Town Reserves1926–27Breightmet United1927–28Burnley 'A'1928–29Lancaster Town Reserves1929–30Chorley Reserves1930–31Bolton Wanderers 'A'1931–32Westhoughton1932–33Chorley Reserves1933–34Calderstones1934–35Whittingham CMH1935–36Bolton Wanderers 'A'1936–37Whittingham CMH1937–38Bolton Wanderers 'A'1938–39Burnley 'A'1946–47Blackpool 'A'1947–48Morecambe Reserves1948–49Blackpool 'A'1949–50Burnley 'A'1950–51Blackburn Rovers 'A'1951–52Blackburn Rovers 'A'1952–53Blackburn Rovers 'A'1953–54Preston North End 'A'1959–60Fleetwood Reserves1960–61Blackpool Mechanics1961–62Blackpool Mechanics1962–63Vickers Sports1963–64Lancashire ConstabularySeasonDivision OneDivision Two1964–65Lancashire ConstabularyHeyhouses1965–66Vickers SportsLayton Institute Reserves1966–67Layton InstituteLytham St. Annes YMCA1967–68Penwortham Hill RoversNorcross & Warbreck1968–69Great Harwood ReservesLongridge United1969–70Wren RoversWigan Technical College1970–71Wren RoversColne Dynamoes1971–72Colne DynamoesPadiham1972–73Colne DynamoesTrimpell1973–74Colne DynamoesColne British Legion1974–75Colne DynamoesCorinthians1975–76SpringfieldsDalton United1976–77Blackpool RangersPadiham1977–78SpringfieldsHarwood Wellington1978–79Blackpool RangersPenwortham Hill Rovers1979–80FreckletonSquires Gate1980–81FreckletonHaslingden1981–82FreckletonBarnoldswick Park Rovers1982–83Blackpool RangersICI Thornton1983–84Dalton UnitedColne Dynamoes Reserves1984–85Dalton UnitedAnchor Cables1985–86BAC PrestonKirkham Town1986–87Holker Old BoysRoyal Ordnance1987–88BAC PrestonTurton1988–89BAC PrestonWyre Villa1989–90Colne Dynamoes ReservesBurnley Bank Hall1990–91BAC PrestonEagley1991–92Burnley Bank HallICI Thornton1992–93Vickers Sports ClubLeyland DAF1993–94Burnley UnitedLancashire Constabulary1994–95Fulwood AmateursWyre Villa1995–96SpringfieldsLansil1996–97Wyre VillaFleetwood Hesketh1997–98Charnock RichardVickers Sports ClubSeasonPremier DivisionDivision OneDivision Two1998–99Fulwood AmateursBarnoldswick UnitedBlackpool Wren Rovers1999–2000Kirkham & WeshamPadihamBurnley Belvedere2000–01Kirkham & WeshamBlackpool Wren RoversCrooklands Casuals2001–02Kirkham & WeshamMilnthorpe CorinthiansCoppull United2002–03Charnock RichardCoppull UnitedLytham St. Anne's2003–04Kirkham & WeshamHesketh BankCrosshills2004–05Kirkham & WeshamLytham St. AnnesHaslingden St. Mary's2005–06Kirkham & WeshamHaslingden St. Mary'sTrimpell2006–07Kirkham & WeshamPoulton TownVickerstown Cricket Club2007–08GarstangStonecloughCrooklands Casuals2008–09Charnock RichardTempest UnitedThornton & Cleveleys2009–10Blackpool Wren RoversThornton & CleveleysBAC//EE/Springfields2010–11Blackpool Wren RoversBurnley UnitedLytham Town2011–12Charnock RichardLongridge TownAmbleside United2012–13Charnock RichardNorcross & WarbreckHurst Green2013–14Charnock RichardHesketh BankAskam United2014–15Charnock RichardFulwood AmateursHaslingden St. Mary's2015–16Blackpool Wren RoversTurtonCMB2016–17Longridge TownHaslingden St. Mary'sFulwood Amateurs Reserves2017–18GarstangPoulton TownLeyland United2018-19Fulwood AmateursLytham TownHorwich St Marys2019-20Seasons not completed due to COVID-19 pandemic2020-212021-22Thornton CleveleysMilnthorpe CorinthiansRossendale2022-23Burscough RichmondLostock St. GerardsChipping2023-24Thornton CleveleysEagleyAstley and Buckshaw2024–25Tempest UnitedMillomPause United
Member clubs progressing to higher standard leagues
ClubLeft LeagueCommentsBlackpool Mechanics 1962Left to join the Lancashire Combination. Currently play in North West Counties League Premier Division and now known as AFC Blackpool.Blackpool Wren Rovers 1972Left to join the Lancashire Combination, and later played in the North West Counties League. Now back playing in the West Lancashire League.Colne Dynamoes 1975Left to join the Lancashire Combination, and later played in the North West Counties League and the Northern Premier League. Folded in 1990.Holker Old Boys 1991Left to join the North West Counties League. Currently play in North West Counties Football League First Division.Squires Gate 1991Left to join the North West Counties League. Currently play in the North West Counties Football League Premier Division.Nelson 1992Returned to the North West Counties League. Resigned from the North West Counties Football League Premier Division in 2010. Rejoined NWCFL in 2011, and currently play in the North West Counties Football League First Division.Padiham 2000Returned to the North West Counties League. Currently play in the North West Counties Football League Premier Division having spent three seasons in the Northern Premier League Division One North between 2013 and 2016.Kirkham & Wesham 2007Left to join the North West Counties League. Currently play in National League, known as AFC Fylde.Barnoldswick Town 2009Left to join the North West Counties League. Currently play in North West Counties Football League Premier Division.AFC Darwen 2010Returned to the North West Counties League. Currently play in North West Counties Football League Division One North.Charnock Richard 2016Left to join the North West Counties League. Currently play in North West Counties Football League Premier Division.Longridge Town 2018Left to join the North West Counties Football League. Currently play in North West Counties Football League Division One North.Garstang 2018Left to join the North West Counties Football League. Currently play in North West Counties Football League Division One North.Thornton Cleveleys 2024Left to join the North West Counties Football League. Currently play in North West Counties Football League Division One North.Fulwood Amateurs 2025Left to join the North West Counties Football League. Currently play in North West Counties Football League Division One North.
References
External links
League site at FA Full-Time