Welcome to the Lancashire Sunday League Website

Four years ago, this League encouraged its clubs to mark the start of World War 1 by wearing a poppy on their shirt on Remembrance Sunday which fell on 09 November 2014. Clubs responded magnificently by purchasing no less than 1,779 poppies and in doing so raised £1,067.40 for the Royal British Legion.

This year’s Remembrance Sunday falls on 11 November 2018, exactly 100 since the end of World War 1 and we feel that many clubs will want to mark the occasion by wearing a poppy on their shirt and at the same time support the work of the Royal British Legion.

There are two types of poppy, both of which are of high quality, the traditional red poppy bearing the legend 1918-2018 LEST WE FORGET and a maroon poppy bearing the legend LEST WE FORGET.

They cost £1.20 each of which 60p per poppy is donated to the Royal British Legion.

If your club is interested in obtaining some of the poppies, please e-mail Eamonn McNamara. ASAP and let me know the number that you require, whether red or maroon plus a contact telephone number.

Eamonn McNamara.

Browsing through the league archives I noticed this copy of our referee appointments for 29 January 1978 and it contained some interesting names;

Division 4
Ribble B v Lancaster Rangers (Grange Park) Referee EJ (Jim) Parker
RAOB Club v Preston Postal (Grange Park) Referee Ian Hendrick

Division 5
Fulwood AFC v B&R Taylor (Barracks) Referee Jim Bryson
GEC v Courtaulds (Grange Park) Referee Eddie Wolstenholme

Three of the games were played on Grange Park, which had 11 pitches at the time and there was fierce competition amongst clubs to get their nets up early on the front pitches and thus avoid the route march to pitch 11. No football has been played on Grange for many years and it became Preston’s first Green Flag park during 2002-03 and has retained this status every year since.

All four Officials started their refereeing careers on this League. Eddie Wolstenholme moved through the refereeing ranks to reach the Football League list of referees in 1992. He officiated there until 2001 when he was elevated to the Premier League list of referees until he retired in 2003. Eddie was later the Head of Referees at the Lancashire Football Association and he worked closely with the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) for many years.

Ian Hendrick and Jim Parker were contemporaries, both progressed through the local Leagues, West Lancashire League and the contributory leagues before become Football League Referees. Ian Hendrick was promoted to Football League referee in 1982 and he retired in 1993. Away from football Ian was employed by BAE Samlesbury, now retired he lives in Walton le-Dale.

Jim Parker was elevated to the referees list on the Football League in 1984 and officiated there until his retirement in 1995. Jim was then employed as Discipline Manager at the Lancashire Football Association and he has been the County Facilities Manager for many years. Jim, who lives in Ribbleton, served on the committee of this League from 1974 - 1981 as our Referees Manager.

Jim Bryson is a refereeing legend in Preston and beyond. He started refereeing on this League in 1971 and he joined Preston Referees Society the same year. He was elected onto the management committee of the League in 1973 and onto the committee of the Preston Referees Society in 1978, He served both organisations with distinction until his untimely death in on 31 August 2017.

Eamonn McNamara.

The Lancashire Sunday League sends its warmest congratulation to Preston referee Paul Marsden who has been promoted to the National List of Referees (Level 1) and he will referee on the EFL for season 2018-19.

Paul Marsden is a loyal member of Preston Referees Society and he organises the Society physical training sessions at UCLan Sports Arena during the season. The Preston Society can now boast three Football League Referees with Paul joining established officials Graham Salisbury and Michael Salisbury and we wish Paul all the best for the coming season.

Eamonn McNamara.

Hunters manager David “Dixie” Dawson can reflect on another successful season after winning the Premier League & Challenge Cup double to add to the league title won 12 months ago. Here is a man steeped in Sunday football and particularly the Lancashire Sunday League. His football odyssey started watching his uncle play against teams with exotic names like Lime Kiln FC, Preston West End FC, CCA FC, Ribbleton WMC FC and many others.

His uncle, also called Dixie Dawson, clearly had a big influence on him, not only watching him play but later observing his organization and motivational skills when his uncle started managing teams. The nickname Dixie is very much a family affair with David being the third generation of the Dawson clan to be so called following his uncle and Granddad who supported Everton and the legendary Dixie Dean.

Dixie played for many seasons with Unicorn FC in the lower reaches of the league. They were a youthful team of lads who had grown up together and they shared a strong bond both on and off the pitch. As time went by he gradually started working with the manager Jimmy Thomas initially taking the warm up sessions, then helping him to procure players and later discussing and advising on tactics and opponents.

He started managing the team when they changed their name to Hunters FC four years ago and he has assembled an impressive squad of players. Dixie speaks of club secretary Andy Walsh with great affection and respect for the way that he has looked after the administration of both Unicorn and Hunters and he has kept a promise to Andy that they would be league champions.

Whilst Dixie is proud of winning the title twice and the double, but he will tell you at the drop of a hat that the biggest prize of all is the LFA Sunday Trophy, which has been won 14 times by clubs from this league and he will not rest until his team is added to that list.

Away from football Dixie runs two successful Barber Shops in Lostock Hall and Buckshaw Village and he is immensely proud of his girls, fiancée Zoe and daughters Chanel (aged 6) and Hallie (aged 1 month).

Eamonn McNamara.

Physical Training: The Society provides physical training for its members at UCLan Sports Arena Training every Monday evening between 6.30-7.30pm except on Society Monthly Meeting nights when it will be brought forward to 6.00-7.00pm.

For further details about the physical training sessions please contact Paul Marsden here.

Lancashire Sunday Football League is always happy to accept new referees to its list of officials. If you have any enquiries about refereeing on the League or would like to be added to the list of officials, please contact the League’s Referee Manager David McNamara here.

Mid Lancashire Football League operates on Saturday afternoons for Open Age clubs and they are also happy to accept new referees to its list of officials. If you have any enquiries about refereeing on the League or would like to be added to the list of officials, please contact the League’s Referee Secretary Tony Hawkes here.