LANCASHIRE COMBINATION

Lancashire provided half the clubs for the first Football League season (1888-1889) and the county was a hotbed of the non-league game in the early days of ‘organised’ soccer.  In 1889 the Lancashire League was set up by the top sides outside the senior competition and it was from here that Blackpool, Bury and Liverpool all made their way into the higher reaches of English football.  The Lancashire League insisted from the outset that it would not take in Football League reserve sides and this created a problem as the top clubs in the county had increasing difficulty finding regular, high quality opposition for their second XIs.  It was this that led to the establishment of the Lancashire Combination in 1891.

Blackburn Rovers, Bolton Wanderers and Preston North End (winners of the Football League in its opening two seasons) joined with six non-league sides from Lancashire to create the new competition.  The first season was not an outstanding success, and the league, which took time to root and grow, had a few administrative problems in its early years, as mismatches in its records show.  However, by the turn of the century the Lancashire Combination was a settled competition, with 18 clubs kicking off the 1900-1901 season.  When the Lancashire League folded in 1903, most of its members joined the Lancashire Combination, which was now the undisputedly top league in the county.

Lancashire Combination Final Table 1891-1892

 

1	Blackburn Rovers Reserves	14	10	3	1	44	17	23
2	Hindley	14	9	0	5	28	22	18
3	Royton	14	7	2	5	39	25	16
4	Bolton Wanderers Reserves	14	7	1	6	42	25	15
5	Preston North End Reserves	13	6	3	4	44	33	15
6	North Meols (Southport)	14	6	0	8	27	37	12
7	Skelmersdale United	13	3	1	9	26	53	7
8	Stanley (Liverpool)	14	1	2	11	13	51	4
		110	49	12	49	263	263	110

Halliwell failed to fulfil their fixtures.  The club was expelled from the league and its record deleted.

One of the games between Preston North End Reserves and Skelmersdale United was unplayed.

Hindley and Stanley (Liverpool) left the competition at the end of the season.  Ardwick Reserves, Darwen Reserves, Newton Heath Reserves, Tranmere Rovers and Turton all joined the league.

Lancashire Combination Final Table 1892-1893

 

1	Blackburn Rovers Reserves	20	14	1	5	59	30	29
2	Darwen Reserves	20	11	3	6	84	42	25
3	Newton Heath Reserves	20	10	5	5	47	30	25
4	Bolton Wanderers Reserves	20	12	0	8	42	42	24
5	Turton	20	9	3	8	50	41	21
6	North Meols (Southport)	20	8	4	8	42	38	20
7	Royton	20	8	4	8	44	42	20
8	Ardwick Reserves	20	8	3	9	49	46	19
9	Preston North End Reserves	20	6	4	10	40	44	16
10	Skelmersdale United	20	5	2	13	28	78	12
11	Tranmere Rovers	20	4	1	15	30	81	9
		220	95	30	95	515	514	220

The ‘goals for’ total and the ‘goals against’ totals do not match.

North Meols (Southport) and Skelmersdale United left the league at the end of the season.  Lostock Hall joined the competition.

Lancashire Combination Final Table 1893-1894

 

1	Blackburn Rovers Reserves	16	13	2	1	62	13	28
2	Bolton Wanderers Reserves	16	11	2	3	72	26	24
3	DarwenReserves	14	8	1	5	47	22	17
4	Tranmere Rovers	16	6	2	8	30	54	14
5	Lostock Hall	14	6	1	7	49	43	13
6	Newton Heath Reserves	16	5	2	9	37	36	12
7	Turton	16	5	2	9	28	43	12
8	Preston North End Reserves	16	4	1	11	24	63	9
9	Ardwick Reserves	16	3	3	10	18	69	9

Royton failed to fulfil their fixtures and were expelled from the league with their record deleted.  The games between Darwen Reserves and Lostock Hall were both cancelled, though the reason for this is unclear.  The wins and losses totals do not match.

Lostock Hall and Tranmere Rovers left the competition.  Bell’s Temperance, Burnley Reserves, Everton Reserves, Oswaldtwistle Rovers, Padiham and Rawtenstall all joined the league.  Ardwick became Manchester City.