The Lancashire League has been the name of two separate football competitions for clubs based in northern England.
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.
| 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 |
A total of 47 clubs and reserve teams played in the league during its first incarnation:[1]
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.
| 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 |