Lancashire (North)
# Lancashire (North)

Lancashire (North), formerly known as North Lancashire 1 was a regional (tier 8) English Rugby Union league for teams from the South Lancashire and Manchester area. The league champions were promoted to North Lancashire/Cumbria while the runners had a playoff against the runners up from the Cumbria League for the final promotion spot.

The division was initially known as North-West East 1 when it was created in 1987, and had a number of different names since with North Lancashire 1 being the longest running. The most recent version known as Lancashire (North) was set up for the 2015-16 season when the RFU decided to break up the South Lancs/Cheshire league into 3 different zones also included Merseyside (West) and Cheshire (South). The format was not a success and South Lancs/Cheshire was resurrected for the 2016-17 with only Lancashire (North) remaining albeit with 12 teams instead of 14. When it was known as Lancashire Division 1 teams were relegated to North Lancashire 2.

After reinstating the league for one more season, at the end of 2016-17 the RFU again decided to cancel the league. Teams were instead transferred to the new Lancs/Cheshire 3 (North) division - which was created from breaking South Lancs/Cheshire 3 into two regional leagues.

## Participating Clubs 2016-17

* Ashton-under-Lyne (relegated from North Lancashire/Cumbria)
* Burnley
* Bury
* Colne & Nelson
* Didsbury Toc H
* Garstang
* North Manchester
* Pendle
* Ormskirk
* Orrell
* Tarleton
* Thornton Cleveleys

## Participating Clubs 2015-16

| Team | Ground | City/Area | Previous season |
| - | - | - | - |
| Burnley | Holden Road | Reedley Hallows, Burnley, Lancashire | Transferred from North Lancashire 1 (8th) |
| Bury | Bury Sports Club | Bury, Greater Manchester | Transferred from North Lancashire 2 (3rd) |
| Colne & Nelson | Holt House | Colne, Lancashire | Transferred from North Lancashire 2 (6th) |
| Didsbury Toc H | Ford Lane | Didsbury, Manchester | Transferred from North Lancashire 1 (4th) |
| Garstang | Hudson Park | Garstang, Lancashire | Transferred from North Lancashire 1 (6th) |
| Hutton | Saunders' Lane | Hutton, Lancashire | Transferred from North Lancashire 2 (4th) |
| Littleborough | Rakewood Road | Littleborough, Greater Manchester | Transferred from North Lancashire 1 (3rd) |
| North Manchester | Tudor Lodge | Moston, Manchester | Transferred from North Lancashire 1 (10th) |
| Ormskirk | Green Lane | Ormskirk, Lancashire | Transferred from South Lancs/Cheshire 2 (7th) |
| Orrell | St John Rigby College | Orrell, Wigan, Greater Manchester | Transferred from South Lancs/Cheshire 2 (6th) |
| Pendle | Swinden Playing Fields | Nelson, Lancashire | Transferred from North Lancashire 2 (1st) |
| Tarleton | Carr Lane | Tarleton, Lancashire | Transferred from North Lancashire/Cumbria (13th) |
| Thornton-Cleveleys | Thornton Sports Centre | Thornton, Lancashire | Transferred from North Lancashire 1 (7th) |
| Trafford MV | MacPherson Park | Trafford, Greater Manchester | Transferred from North Lancashire 1 (5th) |

## Participating Clubs 2014-15

* Ashton-Under-Lyne
* Birchfield (promoted from North Lancashire 2)
* Burnley
* Didsbury TOC H
* Garstang
* Littleborough (relegated from North Lancashire/Cumbria)
* North Manchester (promoted from North Lancashire 2)
* Oldham
* St Edward's O.B.
* Thornton Cleveleys
* Trafford MV

## Participating Clubs 2013-14

* Ashton-Under-Lyne (promoted from North Lancashire 2)
* Burnley
* De La Salle (Salford)
* Didsbury Toc H (relegated from North Lancashire/Cumbria)
* Garstang
* Heaton Moor (relegated from North Lancashire/Cumbria)
* Hutton
* Mossley Hill
* Oldham
* St Edward's Old Boys
* Thornton Cleveleys (promoted from North Lancashire 2)
* Trafford MV

## Participating Clubs 2012-13

* Bolton
* Burnley
* Bury
* De La Salle (Salford)
* Garstang
* Hutton
* Mossley Hill
* North Manchester
* Oldham
* St Edward's Old Boys
* Tarleton
* Trafford MV

## Original teams

When league rugby began in 1987 this division contained the following teams:

* Ashton-on-Mersey
* Ashton-under-Lyne
* Bowden
* Congleton
* De La Salle (Salford)
* Kersal
* Metrovick
* North Manchester
* Old Bedians
* Old Salians
* Tyldesley
* Vickers

## Lancashire (North) honours

### North-West East 1 (1987–1992)

The original incarnation of North Lancashire 1 was known as North-West East 1, and was a tier 10 league with promotion up to North-West East/North 1 and relegation down to North-West East 2.

North-West East 1 Honours :

| Season | No of Teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 1987–88 | 11 | De La Salle (Salford) | Metrovick | Bowden, North Manchester, Ashton-under-Lyne |
| 1988–89 | 11 | Ashton-on-Mersey | Old Salians | Congleton, Calder Vale, Bolton |
| 1989–90 | 11 | Old Salians | Kersal | Colne & Nelson, Toc H |
| 1990–91 | 10 | Crewe & Nantwich | Kersal | Ashton-under-Lyne, Heaton Moor |
| 1991–92 | 11 | Altrincham Kersal | Metrovick | No relegation |
| Green backgrounds are promotion places. |||||||||||

### Lancashire North 1 (1992–1996)

North-West East 1 was renamed as Lancashire North 1 for the start of the 1992–93 season with promotion to Cumbria/Lancs North (formerly North-West East/North 1) and relegation to Lancashire North 2 (formerly North-West East 2). Initially a tier 10 league, the creation of National 5 North for the 1993–94 season meant that Lancashire North 1 dropped to become a tier 11 league.

Lancashire North 1 Honours :

| Season | No of Teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 1992–93 | 14 | Fleetwood | Burnage | Heaton Moor, Littleborough, Marple, Ashton-under-Lyne |
| 1993–94 | 13 | De La Salle (Salford) | Bolton | Clitheroe, Broughton, Old Bedians |
| 1994–95 | 13 | Trafford MV | Oldham | Burnage, Chorley |
| 1995–96 | 13 | Ashton-under-Lyne | Blackpool | North Manchester, Eccles, Oldham |
| Green backgrounds are promotion places. |||||||||||

### North Lancashire 1 (1996–2000)

The league system was restructured from top to bottom by the Rugby Football Union for the start of the 1996–97 season. Lancashire North 1 was renamed as North Lancashire 1, and the cancellation of National 5 North and creation of North West 3 meant that it remained a tier 11 league. Promotion was to North Lancs/Cumbria (formerly Cumbria/Lancs North) while relegation was to North Lancashire 2 (formerly Lancashire North 2).

North Lancashire 1 Honours :

| Season | No of Teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 1996–97 | 10 | Blackpool | Broughton | Colne & Nelson |
| 1997–98 | 10 | Oldham | Bury | Littleborough |
| 1998–99 | 10 | De La Salle (Salford) | Bury | Chorley |
| 1999–00 | 10 | Bolton | Eccles | Thornton Cleveleys, Colne & Nelson |
| Green backgrounds are promotion places. |||||||||||

### North Lancashire 1 (2000–2015)

Northern league restructuring by the RFU at the end of the 1999–00 season saw the cancellation of North West 1, North West 2 and North West 3 (tiers 7-9). This meant that North Lancashire 1 became a tier 8 league, with promotion continuing to North Lancs/Cumbria and relegation to North Lancashire 2.

North Lancashire 1 Honours :

| Season | No of Teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 2000–01 | 12 | De La Salle (Salford) | Tyldesley | Broughton, Ashton-Under-Lyne |
| 2001–02 | 12 | Fleetwood | Bury | Burnley |
| 2002–03 | 12 | Trafford MV | Didsbury Toc H | Fylde Saracens, Old Bedians, Thornton Cleveleys |
| 2003–04 | 12 | De La Salle (Salford) | Didsbury Toc H | West Park Warriors, Chorley |
| 2004–05 | 12 | Heaton Moor | Burnage | Ashton-Under-Lyne, Blackpool |
| 2005–06 | 11 | Aldwinians | Didsbury Toc H | Thornton Cleveleys |
| 2006–07 | 12 | Kirkby Lonsdale | Tarleton | Colne & Nelson, Bury |
| 2007–08 | 12 | Heaton Moor | Burnley | Blackpool, Windermere, Garstang |
| 2008–09 | 12 | Furness | Eccles | No relegation |
| 2009–10 | 14 | De La Salle (Salford) | Didsbury Toc H | Old Bedians, Windermere |
| 2010–11 | 14 | Aldwinians | Trafford MV | Newton-le-Willows, Ashton-Under-Lyne |
| 2011–12 | 14 | Littleborough | Trafford MV | Birchfield, Windermere |
| 2012–13 | 14 | Tarleton | Bolton | Bury, North Manchester |
| 2013–14 | 14 | De La Salle (Salford) | Heaton Moor | Hutton, Mossley Hill |
| 2014–15 | 11 | Oldham | Ashton-Under-Lyne | St Edward's Old Boys, North Manchester |
| Green backgrounds are promotion places. |||||||||||

### Lancashire (North) (2015–2017)

North Lancashire 1 was renamed as Lancashire (North) at the start of the 2015–16 as part of North-West league restructuring by the RFU who decided to break up the North Lancashire and South Lancs/Cheshire leagues into 3 different zones - Cheshire (South), Lancashire (North) and Merseyside (West). Promotion would continue into North Lancashire/Cumbria but the cancellation of North Lancashire 2 meant there would be no relegation. After two seasons Lancashire (North) would be discontinued and all teams transferred into Lancs/Cheshire 3.

Lancashire (North) Honours :

| Season | No of Teams | Champions | Runners–up | Relegated Teams |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 2015–16 | 14 | Trafford MV | Littleborough | No relegation |
| 2016–17 | 11 | Tarleton | Burnley | No relegation |
| Green backgrounds are promotion places. |||||||||||

## Promotion play-offs

Since the 2000–01 season there was a play-off between the runners-up of the Cumbria League and Lancashire (North) for the third and final promotion place to North Lancashire/Cumbria. The team with the superior league record had home advantage in the tie. At the end of the 2016–17 season the Lancashire (North) teams have been the most successful with eleven wins to the Cumbria League teams four; and the home team has won promotion on twelve occasions compared to the away teams three.

Cumbria League v Lancashire (North) promotion play-off results :

| Season | Home team | Score | Away team | Venue | Attendance |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 2000–01 | Tyldesley (L) | 47-26 | Hawcoat Park (C) | St George's Park, Tyldesley, Manchester | |
| 2001–02 | Bury (L) | 20-3 | Windermere (C) | Bury Sports Club, Bury, Greater Manchester | |
| 2002–03 | Didsbury Toc H (L) | 17-29 | Upper Eden (C) | Ford Lane, Didsbury, Manchester | |
| 2003–04 | Egremont (C) | 27-19 | Didsbury Toc H (L) | Bleach Green, Egremont, Cumbria | |
| 2004–05 | Burnage (L) | 60-0 | Moresby (C) | Varley Park, Stockport, Greater Manchester | |
| 2005–06 | Kirkby Lonsdale (C) | 20-23 | Didsbury Toc H (L) | Raygarth, Kirkby Lonsdale, Cumbria | |
| 2006–07 | Tarleton (L) | 28-7 | Keswick (C) | Carr Lane, Tarleton, Lancashire | |
| 2007–08 | Netherhall (C) | 0-20 | Burnley (L) | Netherhall Road, Maryport, Cumbria | |
| 2008–09 | No promotion playoff | No promotion playoff | No promotion playoff | No promotion playoff | No promotion playoff |
| 2009–10 | Didsbury Toc H (L) | 42-10 | Millom (C) | Ford Lane, Didsbury, Manchester | |
| 2010–11 | Egremont (C) | 19-18 | Trafford MV (L) | Bleach Green, Egremont, Cumbria | |
| 2011–12 | Whitehaven (C) | 33-22 | Trafford MV (L) | The Playground, Whitehaven, Cumbria | |
| 2012–13 | Bolton (L) | 27-7 | Silloth (C) | Avenue Street, Bolton, Greater Manchester | |
| 2013–14 | No promotion playoff | No promotion playoff | No promotion playoff | No promotion playoff | No promotion playoff |
| 2014–15 | Ashton-under-Lyne (L) | 17-5 | Workington (C) | Gambrel Bank, Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester | |
| 2015–16 | Littleborough (L) | 37-3 | Egremont (C) | Rakewood Road, Littleborough, Rochdale, Greater Manchester | |
| 2016–17 | Burnley (L) | 94-0 | Whitehaven (C) | Holden Road, Burnley, Lancashire | |
| Green background is the promoted team. C = Cumbria League and L = Lancashire (North) (formerly North Lancashire 1) ||||||

## Number of league titles

* De La Salle (Salford) (7)
* Trafford MV (3)
* Aldwinians (2)
* Fleetwood (2)
* Heaton Moor (2)
* Oldham (2)
* Tarleton (2)
* Altrincham Kersal (1)
* Ashton-on-Mersey (1)
* Ashton-under-Lyne (1)
* Blackpool (1)
* Bolton (1)
* Crewe & Nantwich (1)
* Furness (1)
* Kirkby Lonsdale (1)
* Littleborough (1)
* Old Salians (1)
