Lancashire League (football)

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 champions
Season Champions
1889–90 Higher Walton
1890–91 Bury
1891–92 Bury
1892–93 Liverpool
1893–94 Blackpool
1894–95 Fairfield
1895–96 Nelson
1896–97 Chorley
1897–98 New Brighton Tower
1898–99 Chorley
1899–1900 Stockport County
1900–01 Stalybridge Rovers
1901–02 Darwen
1902–03 Southport Central

Member clubs

A total of 47 clubs and reserve teams played in the league during its first incarnation:[1]

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
Season Division One
1939–40 Preston North End 'A'
1949–50 Blackpool 'A'
1950–51 Preston North End 'A'
1951–52 Stockport County Reserves
1952–53 Burnley 'A'
1953–54 Rochdale Reserves
1954–55 Manchester United 'B'
Season Division One Division Two
1955–56 Oldham Athletic Reserves Burnley 'B'
1956–57 Burnley 'A' Bolton Wanderers 'B'
Season Division One Division Two Division Three
1957–58 Rochdale Reserves Everton 'B' Blackburn Rovers 'C'
1958–59 Preston North End 'A' Everton 'B' Bury 'B'
1959–60 Bolton Wanderers 'A' Everton 'B' Manchester City 'C'
1960–61 Burnley 'A' Bolton Wanderers 'B' Liverpool 'C'
Season Division One Division Two
1961–62 Burnley 'A' Liverpool 'B'
1962–63 Everton 'A' Everton 'B'
1963–64 Everton 'A' Everton 'B'
1964–65 Everton 'A' Manchester United 'B'
1965–66 Liverpool 'A' Liverpool 'B'
1966–67 Everton 'A' Manchester City 'B'
1967–68 Liverpool 'A' Liverpool 'B'
1968–69 Liverpool 'A' Manchester City 'B'
1969–70 Everton 'A' Manchester United 'B'
1970–71 Everton 'A' Blackburn Rovers 'A'
1971–72 Liverpool 'A' Manchester United 'B'
1972–73 Stockport County 'A' Liverpool 'B'
1973–74 Wigan Athletic Reserves Everton 'B'
1974–75 Everton 'A' Everton 'B'
1975–76 Oldham Athletic Reserves Liverpool 'B'
1976–77 Oldham Athletic Reserves Liverpool 'B'
1977–78 Liverpool 'A' Burnley 'A'
1978–79 Port Vale Reserves Burnley 'A'
1979–80 Tranmere Rovers Reserves Everton 'B'
1980–81 Oldham Athletic Reserves Burnley 'A'
1981–82 Wigan Athletic Reserves Blackburn Rovers 'A'
1982–83 Liverpool 'A' Oldham Athletic 'A'
1983–84 Manchester United 'A' Morecambe Reserves
1984–85 Manchester United 'A' Blackburn Rovers 'A'
1985–86 Manchester City 'A' Oldham Athletic 'A'
1986–87 Manchester United 'A' Preston North End 'A'
1987–88 Manchester United 'A' Oldham Athletic 'A'
1988–89 Everton 'A' Manchester United 'B'
1989–90 Manchester United 'A' Blackpool 'A'
1990–91 Manchester United 'A' Crewe Alexandra 'B'
1991–92 Crewe Alexandra 'A' Crewe Alexandra 'B'
1992–93 Manchester United 'A' Liverpool 'B'
1993–94 Burnley 'A' Preston North End 'A'
1994–95 Manchester United 'A' Manchester City 'B'
1995–96 Manchester United 'A' Blackburn Rovers 'B'
1996–97 Manchester United 'A' Manchester United 'B'
1997–98 Manchester United 'A' Blackburn Rovers 'B'
Season Division One
1998–99 Tranmere Rovers 'A'
1999–00 Southport Reserves
2000–01 Morecambe Reserves
2001–02 Morecambe Reserves
2002–03 Morecambe Reserves
2003–04 Morecambe Reserves
2004–05 Morecambe Reserves
2005–06 Morecambe Reserves
Season East Division West Division
2006–07 Farsley Celtic Reserves Morecambe Reserves
2007–08 Farsley Celtic Reserves Workington Reserves
2008–09 Bradford (PA) Reserves Fleetwood Town Reserves
2009–10 Harrogate Town Reserves Southport Reserves
2010–11 Bradford (PA) Reserves Bamber Bridge Reserves
2011–12 Thackley Reserves Lancaster City Reserves
2012–13 Ossett Albion Reserves Lancaster City Reserves
2013–14 F.C. United of Manchester Reserves AFC Fylde Reserves

References
  1. Lancashire League RSSSF
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