Lincolnshire League
Officially formed for the start of the 1948/1949 football season, the modern Lincolnshire Football League (LFL), was established after a proposal from Grimsby Town Football Club in 1947, with the aim of creating county wide football that expanded beyond the existing Grimsby Football League.
The inaugural season featured 14 clubs and it has not really deviated from this number since.
According to records, there were a number of different formats of the Lincolnshire League before World War II with the first one having started in the 1884/1885 season, however, this soon folded.
Key Things To Know About The League
Operating as a single division at level 11 since 2017 when it officially gained National League System status. The league champion of the Lincolnshire League is eligible for promotion to either the Northern Counties East League Division One or the United Counties League Division One, subject to meeting required ground criteria.
The main domestic cup competition that is associated with the Lincolnshire League is the Lincolnshire Football League Challenge Cup, while there is also an FA Inter-League Cup, whereby a representative side competes on a national stage against other league representative sides from around the country at this level.
| Season | League Champions |
|---|---|
| 2016/17 | Skegness Town |
| 2017/18 | Ruston Sports |
| 2018/19 | Lincoln Moorlands Railway |
| 2019/20 | Season Cancelled (COVID-19) |
| 2020/21 | Season Cancelled (COVID-19) |
| 2021/22 | Wyberton |
| 2022/23 | Louth Town |
| 2023/24 | Nettleham |
| 2024/25 | Nettleham |
On two occasions, most recently in the 2012/2013 season, the side reached the quarter-final stage, losing to the Cheshire League and then the Humberside League representative sides respectively.
In addition, there have been a few notable champions of the Lincolnshire League, that are established non-league clubs, playing further up the football pyramid. Indeed, Brigg Town were champions on seven occasions between 1969 and 1976, while others include Skegness Town, Louth United and Appleby Frodingham (now Scunthorpe United Reserves).
Other Interesting Facts About The Lincolnshire League
Over the decades, the league has had a number of sponsors, which have been a key source of income that has helped with running costs and administration, with Balcan Lighting Supplies being a particularly notable one.
Affiliated with the Lincolnshire Football Association (LFA), this means that the league and clubs adhere to guidelines that are set by the LFA, such as meeting requirements, while the LFA also provides support and guidance.
Meanwhile, the LFA also has partnerships that benefit all of their affiliated leagues, which includes Marsh Sport, for insurance and advice and Networld Sports/FORZA, which provides exclusive discounts to clubs for equipment.
A number of clubs with Lincolnshire League roots have successfully risen through the football pyramid over the years. Indeed, Cleethorpes Town are a principal example of this, having won the Lincolnshire League title in 2011/12 and then embarked on an impressive journey, reaching level eight of the pyramid.
Meanwhile, the Lincolnshire League has also acted as somewhat of a development hub for reserve sides of professional football clubs, including Lincoln City, Grimsby Town and Boston United.