Lancashire FA Challenge Trophy


The Lancashire Football Association Challenge Trophy is an English football competition for senior non-league clubs who are members of the Lancashire County Football Association. The trophy was first played for in 1885, when it was known as the Lancashire Junior Cup. It is currently sponsored by Partners Foundation and is known as The Partners Foundation Challenge Trophy. Although officially the junior cup to the Lancashire Senior Cup it is still regarded as just as important as other county cup competitions.

Format

The competition is open to senior non-league clubs within the historical boundaries of Lancashire. A total of 28 clubs currently enter the competition from six different leagues. As of 2008–09 the four clubs from the Football Conference each receive byes to the second round, where they are then joined by the twelve winners from the first round.
From the 2009–10 season the semi-finals have been played at the County Ground, Thurston Road in Leyland, with the final being held at the Reebok Stadium, home of Bolton Wanderers. The 2011–12 final between Chorley FC and Kendal Town FC, played on 12 March 2012, attracted a crowd of 2,673.

History

The first Lancashire FA Challenge Trophy took place in the 1885–86 season, when Bells Temperance were the winners. The only time the trophy was not competed was 1915–18 during World War I and the 1940–41 season during World War II, although it did continue for the rest of the war years. Chorley are the most successful club with eighteen wins, the first coming in 1893–94 and the last of which came in 2017-18. Former non-league clubs Morecambe, who now play in the Football League and Wigan Athletic, now in League One are next with eleven wins. Morecambe's last victory coming in 2003–04 and Wigan's was in 1977–78.

Past winners

A full list of past winners -
SeasonWinnersSeasonWinnersSeasonWinners
1885–86Bells Temperance1932–33Darwen1977–78Wigan Athletic
1886–87Bells Temperance1933–34Lancaster Town1978–79Marine
1887–88Blackpool1934–35Fleetwood1979–80Chorley
1888–89Oswaldtwistle Rovers1935–36Wigan Athletic1980–81Barrow
1889–90Bury1936–37South Liverpool1981–82Chorley
1890–91Blackpool1937–38South Liverpool1982–83Chorley
1891–92Kearsley1938–39South Liverpool1983–84South Liverpool
1892–93Clitheroe1939–40Chorley1984–85Clitheroe
1893–94Chorley1940–411985–86Morecambe
1894–95Lytham1941–42Blackpool Services1986–87Morecambe
1895–96Blackburn Park Road1942–43Blackpool Services1987–88Marine
1896–97Hapton1943–44Blackpool Services1988–89Colne Dynamoes
1897–98Skerton1944–45Howard & Bulloughs1989–90Colne Dynamoes
1898–99Skerton1945–46Chorley1990–91Marine
1899–1900Turton1946–47Rochdale Reserves1991–92Great Harwood Town
1900–01Heywood1947–48Burscough1992–93Southport
1901–02Turton1948–49Barrow Reserves1993–94Morecambe
1902–03Turton1949–50Burscough1994–95Bamber Bridge
1903–04Earlestown1950–51Rochdale Reserves1995–96Morecambe
1904–05Turton1951–52Lancaster City1996–97Southport
1905–06Colne1952–53Wigan Athletic1997–98Southport
1906–07Earlestown1953–54Wigan Athletic1998–99Morecambe
1907–08Nelson1954–55Nelson1999–2000Marine
1908–09Chorley1955–56Wigan Athletic2000–01Southport
1909–10Rochdale1956–57New Brighton2001–02Accrington Stanley
1910–11Bacup1957–58Chorley2002–03Leigh RMI
1911–12Rossendale United1958–59Chorley2003–04Morecambe
1912–13Fleetwood1959–60Wigan Athletic2004–05Accrington Stanley
1913–14Heywood United1960–61Chorley2005–06Southport
1914–15Skelmersdale United1961–62Morecambe2006–07Burscough
1915–181962–63Morecambe2007–08Southport
1918–19Runcorn1963–64Chorley2008–09Skelmersdale United
1919–20Southport1964–65Chorley2009–10Southport
1920–21Accrington Stanley1965–66Wigan Athletic2010–11Fylde
1921–22New Brighton1966–67Burscough2011–12Chorley
1922–23Croston1967–68Wigan Athletic2012–13Fylde
1923–24Chorley1968–69Morecambe2013–14Fylde
1924–25Horwich RMI1969–70Skelmersdale United2014–15Chorley
1925–26Morecambe1970–71Skelmersdale United2015-16Chorley
1926–27Morecambe1971–72Wigan Athletic2016–17Ashton Athletic
1927–28Lancaster Town1972–73Rossendale United2017-18Chorley
1928–29Lancaster Town1973–74Wigan Athletic2018-19Southport
1929–30Horwich RMI1974–75Lancaster City
1930–31Lancaster Town1975–76Chorley
1931–32Dick, Kerr's1976–77Wigan Athletic

Winners by club

ClubNumber of WinsMost Recent Win
1Chorley182017-18
2Morecambe112003–04
Wigan Athletic111977–78
4Southport92018–19
5Lancaster City 61974–75
6Burscough42006–07
Marine41999–2000
South Liverpool41983–84
Turton41904–05
Skelmersdale United42008–09
11Accrington Stanley32004–05
Fylde32013–14
Blackpool Services31943–44
Leigh RMI 32002–03
Rochdale 31950–51
16Barrow 21980–81
Bells Temperance21886–87
Blackpool21890–91
Clitheroe21984–85
Colne Dynamoes21989–90
Earlestown21906–07
Fleetwood21934–35
Nelson21989–90
New Brighton21906–07
Rossendale United21972–73
Skerton21898–99
27Bacup Borough 11910–11
Bamber Bridge11994–95
Blackburn Park Road11895–96
Bury11889–90
Colne11905–06
Croston11922–23
Darwen11932–33
Dick, Kerr's11931–32
Great Harwood Town11991–92
Hapton11896–97
Heywood11900–01
Heywood United11913–14
Howard & Bulloughs11944–45
Kearsley11891–92
Lytham11894–95
Oswaldtwistle Rovers11888–89
Runcorn11918–19
Ashton Athletic12016–17