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West Lancashire Football League

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.

West Lancashire Football League
Founded1904
CountryEngland
DivisionsPremier Division
Division One
Division Two
Number of teams43
Level on pyramidLevel 11 (Premier Division)
Feeder toNorth West Counties League
Division One North
Domestic cup(s)Richardson Cup
Presidents Cup
Challenge Cup
Current championsThornton Cleveleys (Premier Division)
Eagley (Division One)
Astley and Buckshaw (Division Two)
(2023–24)

History

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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.[1]

In past seasons the league has included former Football League club Nelson and the forerunners of current Football League side Morecambe.[2]

Current members (2024-25)

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The constitution for season 2024-25 is as follows:

Premier Division

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Division One

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  • Askam United
  • Astley and Buckshaw
  • Carnforth Rangers
  • Chipping
  • Crooklands Casuals
  • Croston Sports
  • Freckleton
  • Hesketh Bank
  • Holker Old Boys Reserves
  • Kendal County
  • Lytham Town
  • Millom
  • Slyne-with-Hest
  • Southport Hesketh
  • Turton
  • Ulverston Rangers

Division Two

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West Lancashire League Champions

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Source:[1]

Season (as Preston & District Combination)
1905–06 Coppull Central
1906–07 Great Harwood
1907–08 Southport Park Villa
Season (as West Lancashire League)
1908–09 Leyland
1909–10 Longridge
1910–11 Horwich RMI
1911–12 Higher Walton Albion
1912–13 Hamilton Central
1913–14 Horwich RMI
1914–15 Leyland
1919–20 Leyland
1920–21 Leyland Motors
1921–22 Croston
1922–23 Accrington Stanley Reserves
1923–24 Croston
1924–25 Fleetwood Reserves
1925–26 Lancaster Town Reserves
1926–27 Breightmet United
1927–28 Burnley 'A'
1928–29 Lancaster Town Reserves
1929–30 Chorley Reserves
1930–31 Bolton Wanderers 'A'
1931–32 Westhoughton
1932–33 Chorley Reserves
1933–34 Calderstones
1934–35 Whittingham CMH
1935–36 Bolton Wanderers 'A'
1936–37 Whittingham CMH
1937–38 Bolton Wanderers 'A'
1938–39 Burnley 'A'
1946–47 Blackpool 'A'
1947–48 Morecambe Reserves
1948–49 Blackpool 'A'
1949–50 Burnley 'A'
1950–51 Blackburn Rovers 'A'
1951–52 Blackburn Rovers 'A'
1952–53 Blackburn Rovers 'A'
1953–54 Preston North End 'A'
1959–60 Fleetwood Reserves
1960–61 Blackpool Mechanics
1961–62 Blackpool Mechanics
1962–63 Vickers Sports
1963–64 Lancashire Constabulary
Season Division One Division Two
1964–65 Lancashire Constabulary Heyhouses
1965–66 Vickers Sports Layton Institute Reserves
1966–67 Layton Institute Lytham St. Annes YMCA
1967–68 Penwortham Hill Rovers Norcross & Warbreck
1968–69 Great Harwood Reserves Longridge United
1969–70 Wren Rovers Wigan Technical College
1970–71 Wren Rovers Colne Dynamoes
1971–72 Colne Dynamoes Padiham
1972–73 Colne Dynamoes Trimpell
1973–74 Colne Dynamoes Colne British Legion
1974–75 Colne Dynamoes Corinthians
1975–76 Springfields Dalton United
1976–77 Blackpool Rangers Padiham
1977–78 Springfields Harwood Wellington
1978–79 Blackpool Rangers Penwortham Hill Rovers
1979–80 Freckleton Squires Gate
1980–81 Freckleton Haslingden
1981–82 Freckleton Barnoldswick Park Rovers
1982–83 Blackpool Rangers ICI Thornton
1983–84 Dalton United Colne Dynamoes Reserves
1984–85 Dalton United Anchor Cables
1985–86 BAC Preston Kirkham Town
1986–87 Holker Old Boys Royal Ordnance
1987–88 BAC Preston Turton
1988–89 BAC Preston Wyre Villa
1989–90 Colne Dynamoes Reserves Burnley Bank Hall
1990–91 BAC Preston Eagley
1991–92 Burnley Bank Hall ICI Thornton
1992–93 Vickers Sports Club Leyland DAF
1993–94 Burnley United Lancashire Constabulary
1994–95 Fulwood Amateurs Wyre Villa
1995–96 Springfields Lansil
1996–97 Wyre Villa Fleetwood Hesketh
1997–98 Charnock Richard Vickers Sports Club
Season Premier Division Division One Division Two
1998–99 Fulwood Amateurs Barnoldswick United Blackpool Wren Rovers
1999–2000 Kirkham & Wesham Padiham Burnley Belvedere
2000–01 Kirkham & Wesham Blackpool Wren Rovers Crooklands Casuals
2001–02 Kirkham & Wesham Milnthorpe Corinthians Coppull United
2002–03 Charnock Richard Coppull United Lytham St. Anne's
2003–04 Kirkham & Wesham Hesketh Bank Crosshills
2004–05 Kirkham & Wesham Lytham St. Annes Haslingden St. Mary's
2005–06 Kirkham & Wesham Haslingden St. Mary's Trimpell
2006–07 Kirkham & Wesham Poulton Town Vickerstown Cricket Club
2007–08 Garstang Stoneclough Crooklands Casuals
2008–09 Charnock Richard Tempest United Thornton & Cleveleys
2009–10 Blackpool Wren Rovers Thornton & Cleveleys BAC//EE/Springfields
2010–11 Blackpool Wren Rovers Burnley United Lytham Town
2011–12 Charnock Richard Longridge Town Ambleside United
2012–13 Charnock Richard Norcross & Warbreck Hurst Green
2013–14 Charnock Richard Hesketh Bank Askam United
2014–15 Charnock Richard Fulwood Amateurs Haslingden St. Mary's
2015–16 Blackpool Wren Rovers Turton CMB
2016–17 Longridge Town Haslingden St. Mary's Fulwood Amateurs Reserves
2017–18 Garstang Poulton Town Leyland United
2018-19 Fulwood Amateurs Lytham Town Horwich St Marys
2019-20 Seasons not completed due to Covid-19 Pandemic
2020-21
2021-22 Thornton Cleveleys Milnthorpe Corinthians Rossendale
2022-23 Burscough Richmond Lostock St. Gerards Chipping
2023-24 Thornton Cleveleys Eagley Astley and Buckshaw

Member clubs progressing to higher standard leagues

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Club Left League Comments
Blackpool Mechanics 1962 Left to join the Lancashire Combination. Currently play in North West Counties League Premier Division and now known as AFC Blackpool.
Blackpool Wren Rovers 1972 Left to join the Lancashire Combination, and later played in the North West Counties League. Now back playing in the West Lancashire League.
Colne Dynamoes 1975 Left 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 1991 Left to join the North West Counties League. Currently play in North West Counties Football League First Division.
Squires Gate 1991 Left to join the North West Counties League. Currently play in the North West Counties Football League Premier Division.
Nelson 1992 Returned 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 2000 Returned 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 2007 Left to join the North West Counties League. Currently play in National League, known as AFC Fylde.
Barnoldswick Town 2009 Left to join the North West Counties League. Currently play in North West Counties Football League Premier Division.
AFC Darwen 2010 Returned to the North West Counties League. Currently play in North West Counties Football League Division One North.
Charnock Richard 2016 Left to join the North West Counties League. Currently play in North West Counties Football League Premier Division.
Longridge Town 2018 Left to join the North West Counties Football League. Currently play in North West Counties Football League Division One North.
Garstang 2018 Left to join the North West Counties Football League. Currently play in North West Counties Football League Division One North.
Thornton Cleveleys 2024 Left to join the North West Counties Football League. Currently play in North West Counties Football League Division One North.

References

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  1. ^ a b "Roll Of Honour - Leagues". West Lancashire League. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
  2. ^ John Guilfoyle (2007). The West Lancashire League 1904 to 2007. John Guilfoyle.
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