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Lancashire Combination

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One of the grand old leagues of Northern England, the Lancashire Combination was, at its height, one of the stronger leagues outside the Football League.

 

Founded in 1891, it took a few years to establish precedence over the Lancashire League which had been founded a few years earlier, but by the turn of the Century, the Combination was definitely the top dog in the area. After its rival had founded, a second division was established but between the wars, there was a reversion to a single division.

 

After World War II the two division format was restored, but in 1968 the Northern Premier League was formed and the demise of the Lancashire Combination can be said to have started at this point as a number of the stronger clubs left to become part of the new league, and after carrying on with fewer clubs for another 14 years the league merged with the neighbouring Cheshire County League to form the North West Counties League.

Divisional Champions

SeasonChampions
1891-92Blackburn Rovers reserves
1892-93Blackburn Rovers reserves
1893-94Blackburn Rovers reserves
1894-95Everton reserves
1895-96Preston North End reserves
1896-97Liverpool reserves
1897-98Preston North End reserves
1898-99Preston North End reserves
1899-00Liverpool reserves
1900-01Everton reserves
1901-02Manchester City reserves
1902-03Accrington Stanley
 

The league split into two divisions in 1903.

Season Division One Division Two
1903-04 Everton reserves Southport Central
1904-05 Stockport County reserves St Helens Recreation
1905-06 Accrington Stanley Colne
1906-07 Oldham Athletic Carlisle United
1907-08 Everton reserves Blackburn Rovers reserves
1908-09 Everton reserves Manchester City reserves
1909-10 Everton reserves Glossop North End reserves
1910-11 Rochdale Haslingden
1911-12 Rochdale Stalybridge Celtic
1912-13 Eccles Borough South Liverpool
1913-14 Tranmere Rovers Witton Albion
1914-15 Eccles Borough Rochdale reserves
 

The league lay dormant for the duration of World War I. It re-started in 1919 but with just one division.

SeasonChampions
1919-20Chorley
1920-21Barrow
1921-22Lancaster Town
1922-23Chorley
1923-24Fleetwood
1924-25Morecambe
1925-26Nelson reserves
1926-27Rossendale United
1927-28Chorley
1928-29Chorley
1929-30Lancaster Town
1930-31Darwen
1931-32Darwen
1932-33Chorley
1933-34Chorley
1934-35Lancaster Town
1935-36Lancaster Town
1936-37South Liverpool
1937-38South Liverpool
1938-39South Liverpool
 

Again, World War caused the Lancashire Combination to pause operations. It was re-started in 1945.

SeasonChampions
1945-46Chorley
1946-47Bacup Borough
 

The league re-established a two-division format in 1947.

Season Division One Division Two
1947-48 Wigan Athletic Stubshaw Cross Rovers
1948-49 Netherfield Bootle Athletic
1949-50 Nelson Blackpool "B"
1950-51 Wigan Athletic St Helens Town
1951-52 Nelson Prescot Cables
1952-53 Wigan Athletic Bolton Wanderers "B"
1953-54 Wigan Athletic Burscough
1954-55 Accrington Stanley reserves Burnley "A"
1955-56 Burscough Skelmersdale United
1956-57 Prescot Cables Rossendale United
1957-58 Horwich RMI Oldham Athletic reserves
1958-59 New Brighton Netherfield reserves
1959-60 Chorley Clitheroe
1960-61 Chorley Chorley reserves
1961-62 Morecambe Ashton United
1962-63 Morecambe Cromptons Recreation
1963-64 Chorley Accrington Stanley
1964-65 Netherfield Netherfield reserves
1965-66 South Liverpool Wigan Rovers
1966-67 Morecambe Kirkby Town
1967-68 Morecambe Oldham Athletic reserves
 

The league reverted to a single division in 1968.

SeasonChampions
1968-69Great Harwood
1969-70Burscough
1970-71Prestwich Heys
1971-72St Helens Town
1972-73Darwen
1973-74Accrington Stanley
1974-75Darwen
1975-76Bootle
1976-77Bootle
1977-78Accrington Stanley
1978-79Wren Rovers
1979-80Clitheroe
1980-81Wren Rovers
1981-82Caernarfon Town
 

The F.C.H.D. has the complete final table information for this league, originally sourced from an AFS "Tables of..." publication in the mid-1980s. A number of the tables, those accented in blue above, do not balance and we would be pleased to find further information to enable us to hold balanced league tables for those years.


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Please acknowledge the F.C.H.D. when using this information elsewhere