Clitheroe F.C.

Clitheroe Football Club are an English football club based in Clitheroe, Lancashire, currently playing in the Northern Premier League Division One West. They were established in 1877 as Clitheroe Central. After joining the Lancashire Combination in 1903, they removed Central from their name.

History

Early history

The club was formed as Clitheroe Central in 1877 at the Swan Hotel in Castle Street by local businessmen. After playing in local leagues, and winning their first major trophy (the Lancashire Junior Cup in 1893), the club joined the Lancashire Combination in 1903 and dropped 'Central' from their name. During this period, Clitheroe played their games at the Upbrooks ground, located behind houses on Salthill Road and now partially built over. In 1925 the club moved a few hundred yards to its present home of Shawbridge.

20th century

Except for breaks during the First and Second World Wars (1914–18 and 1939–45) Clitheroe played in the Lancashire Combination until the end of the 1981–82 season. They won the Lancashire Combination Cup in the 1934–35 season and the League Championship in the 1979–80 season.

For the 1982–83 season the Lancashire Combination amalgamated with the Cheshire County League to become the North West Counties League. Clitheroe became one of the founder members, however the state of the ground meant they started in the third division. There then followed one of the most successful periods in the club's long history when under the guidance of manager Eric Whalley they won the Third, Second and First Divisions in consecutive seasons, as well as securing the Lancashire Cup in 1985.

In the 1995–96 season when under the joint managership of Dennis Underwood and Gary Butcher they played at Wembley Stadium in the final of the FA Vase. Some 7,500 people watched the game against Brigg Town and although Clitheroe won against them earlier in the season in the FA Cup the club was beaten 3–0 in the Vase Final. A public