West Lancashire League Premier Division

Covering Lancashire, Cumbria and parts of Greater Manchester, the West Lancashire League Premier Division was established in 1904 as the Preston & District Combination, which in its early years required clubs to be situated strictly within 10 miles of Preston.

It became the West Lancashire League in 1908 and, as a result, began to widen its boundaries and, from the 1920s to the 1950s, the league was a high-level training arena for the reserve and ‘A’ teams of the likes of Blackburn Rovers, Burnley and Blackpool.

Meanwhile, in 1959, following a short hiatus, during the mid-fifties, the league was then kickstarted and placed an emphasis on clubs that were based around the Blackpool catchment area, with this then eventually expanding into a five division structure, with three senior leagues and two which catered for clubs’ reserve teams.

Operating at the Feeder League level on the National League System, this is also an official feeder to the Northwest Counties League Division One North, which sits at Step 6 on the English Football Pyramid.

In order to meet with promotion standards, champions and other eligible clubs have to submit an application to the National League System Panel, with this needing their grounds to comply with Grade H facility standards, that could include needing to have floodlights.

Over the decades, the West Lancashire League has proven to be a significant platform for clubs wanting to eventually get to the national stage. Kirkham & Wesham, who renamed as AFC Fylde are arguably the most famous club that is associated with the league, winning seven consecutive titles, prior to their stratospheric climb to the National League.

Meanwhile, Charnock Richard won the Premier Division on seven occasions between 1997 and 2015, prior to moving up where they became a staple of the Northwest Counties Premier Division at Step 5 level.

Colne Dynamos are also an iconic name in non-league history, having won the league five times during the seventies, while Blackpool Wren Rovers have historically been the league’s ‘benchmark’ club, having won the title on numerous occasions and having a reputation for producing players of a professional standard.

Administration And Cup Competitions

The league has had a high-profile partnership with global renewable energy company, Orsted, while there are also a number of cup competitions.

Being the flagship knockout competition for every senior division, The Richardson Cup is a flagship competition, while The Presidents Cup is one that is contested primarily by the lower divisions of the league.

One of the most historic is The Challenge Cup, which often has numerous cross-divisional upsets.

Also, based at The County Ground in Leyland, the league is affiliated to the Lancashire County FA, which oversees all administrative procedures.