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 league is currently sponsored by Lancaster-based radio station The Bay. 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.
 | |
| Founded | 1904 |
|---|---|
| Country | England |
| Divisions | Premier Division Division One Division Two |
| Number of teams | 43 |
| Level on pyramid | Level 11 (Premier Division) |
| Feeder to | North West Counties League Division One North |
| Domestic cup(s) | Richardson Cup Presidents Cup Challenge Cup |
| Current champions | Thornton Cleveleys (Premier Division) Milnthorpe Corinthians (Division One) Rossendale (Division Two) (2021-22) |
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.[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 (2022-23)
The constitution for season 2022-23 is as follows:
Premier Division
- Blackpool Wren Rovers
- Burscough Richmond
- CMB
- Coppull United
- Euxton Villa
- Fulwood Amateurs
- Hurst Green
- Lytham Town
- Milnthorpe Corinthians
- Poulton
- Slyne-with-Hest
- Tempest United
- Thornton Cleveleys
- Turton
- Vickerstown
- Whitehaven
- Wyre Villa
Division One
- Askam United
- Carnforth Rangers
- Crooklands Casuals
- Croston Sports
- Eagley
- Haslingden St Mary's
- Hawcoat Park
- Hesketh Bank
- Horwich St Mary's
- Kendal County
- Lostock St. Gerards
- Millom
- Rossendale UTFM
- Southport Hesketh
- Stoneclough
- Ulverston Rangers
Division Two
- AFC Blackpool Reserves
- Burnley United
- Cartmel & District
- Charnock Richard Reserves
- Chipping
- Dalton United
- Euxton Villa Reserves
- Freckleton
- Furness Rovers
- Galgate
- Garstang Reserves
- Holker Old Boys Reserves
- Kendal United
- Pause United
- Storeys of Lancaster
- Walney Island
West Lancashire League Champions
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 |
Member clubs progressing to higher standard leagues
References
- "Roll Of Honour - Leagues". West Lancashire League. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
- John Guilfoyle (2007). The West Lancashire League 1904 to 2007. John Guilfoyle.