Lancashire Combination
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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.
| Season | Champions |
|---|---|
| 1891-92 | Blackburn Rovers reserves |
| 1892-93 | Blackburn Rovers reserves |
| 1893-94 | Blackburn Rovers reserves |
| 1894-95 | Everton reserves |
| 1895-96 | Preston North End reserves |
| 1896-97 | Liverpool reserves |
| 1897-98 | Preston North End reserves |
| 1898-99 | Preston North End reserves |
| 1899-00 | Liverpool reserves |
| 1900-01 | Everton reserves |
| 1901-02 | Manchester City reserves |
| 1902-03 | Accrington 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.
| Season | Champions |
|---|---|
| 1919-20 | Chorley |
| 1920-21 | Barrow |
| 1921-22 | Lancaster Town |
| 1922-23 | Chorley |
| 1923-24 | Fleetwood |
| 1924-25 | Morecambe |
| 1925-26 | Nelson reserves |
| 1926-27 | Rossendale United |
| 1927-28 | Chorley |
| 1928-29 | Chorley |
| 1929-30 | Lancaster Town |
| 1930-31 | Darwen |
| 1931-32 | Darwen |
| 1932-33 | Chorley |
| 1933-34 | Chorley |
| 1934-35 | Lancaster Town |
| 1935-36 | Lancaster Town |
| 1936-37 | South Liverpool |
| 1937-38 | South Liverpool |
| 1938-39 | South Liverpool |
Again, World War caused the Lancashire Combination to pause operations. It was re-started in 1945.
| Season | Champions |
|---|---|
| 1945-46 | Chorley |
| 1946-47 | Bacup 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.
| Season | Champions |
|---|---|
| 1968-69 | Great Harwood |
| 1969-70 | Burscough |
| 1970-71 | Prestwich Heys |
| 1971-72 | St Helens Town |
| 1972-73 | Darwen |
| 1973-74 | Accrington Stanley |
| 1974-75 | Darwen |
| 1975-76 | Bootle |
| 1976-77 | Bootle |
| 1977-78 | Accrington Stanley |
| 1978-79 | Wren Rovers |
| 1979-80 | Clitheroe |
| 1980-81 | Wren Rovers |
| 1981-82 | Caernarfon 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.
Please acknowledge the F.C.H.D. when using this information elsewhere