LANCASHIRE SUNDAY FOOTBALL LEAGUE: January 2026 Update

AFC Preston continue to sit top of the tree in with nine wins out of nine for the defending title holders in the PREMIER DIVISION as once again over the winter months play has been weather-affected across the Lancashire Sunday Football League competitions. Fulwood & Broughton, promoted last season from the First Division, have lost just one of their league fixtures and are second. Irongate are third and will contest the Semi-Final of the LFA Sunday Trophy against Fulwood & Broughton, as a result one representative of the league will be in the Final at Lancashire FA. Both teams, along with Ribbleton and Wyresdale Rangers, are competing in the Syndicate Trust Challenge Cup. Joseph Richardson is the top scorer in the division with 16 in just seven appearances followed by AFC Preston’s Saad Abouzaid with eleven league goals.

Just one point separate AFC Preston (Reds) and Burscough Villa at the summit of DIVISION ONE with both teams having played 15 fixtures. The teams to look out for are in third – Fylde Coast Football, fourth – Lonsdale Casuals and fifth – Lonsdale Casuals. All three have games in hand on the leaders so there could be plenty of movement in the next few months. SRDC Purple’s Richard Coley is still top scorer, now on 16, with Rahil Patel having scored 13 for AFC Preston (Reds) and Burscough Villa’s Harry Delaney has scored twelve. Joel Chester has scored nine in just seven games.

Chorley Wanderers (Blues) remain at the top of DIVISION TWO with 34 points on the board, boasting an unbeaten record of eleven victories and one draw. Greenlands are second having lost two of their twelve games and sit on 30 points. Having played just ten games as pitch conditions have disrupted football across the county, Penwortham St Teresa’s (Yellows) have earned 24 points from ten games, wins in their games in hand on the two sides at the top would put them right in the mix. Six players have now scored more than ten league goals in the Second Division – Weslie Bajraliu of Greenlands (18), Charlie Howarth from Parkfield Ants (17), Midgery Court’s William Thorn (17), James Norris representing Chorley Wanderers (Blues) (14), Jordan Wignall of Greenlands (12) and Max Robinson from St. Annes (Rangers) (10).

This year’s DIVISION THREE has been one of the closest competitions in recent memory as the top six are separated by just four points heading into February. Worden Rangers are top with 19 points closely followed by Penwortham St Teresa’s (Whites) and Moor Park Utd on 18. Sporting Preston and Buckshaw (Reds) have earned 16 points, Tarleton Corinthians are still in the mix with 15 points. Further back, seventh-placed Kirkham Seniors and eighth-placed Atletico Clifton aren’t far off with 13 and ten points respectively but there’s plenty of games to play. The goalscoring charts are equally close with William Holmes having scored nine for Kirkham Seniors, Danny Rowe of Worden Rangers has notched nine and Penwortham Town’s Dion Holden is on eight.

The overall top open age league goalscorer can be found in DIVISION FOUR with Adam Cormican of AFC Horwich finding the net 19 times in ten appearances. Whittle’s Drew Brindle has 17 and is in third place, his teammate Jacob Pridgeon has scored 16 and the side from Kem Mill Lane are the only club listed twice in the top ten scorers. AFC Horwich are top with ten wins and two losses from their twelve played, six points back are Whittle on 24. Nine points separate third to ninth with third-place Buckshaw having games in hand on the two sides above them.

Three teams sit at the top of the ladder in YOUTH DIVISION BLUE as leaders Longridge Town, Sir Tom Finney YFC (U17) and Grimsargh Village (U18) all sit on twelve points. Both Longridge Town and fourth-placed Trimpell & Bare Rangers have yet to taste league defeat in a division that has been badly affected by cup competitions and weather conditions.

It’s equally as right in YOUTH DIVISION RED as Chorley (U18) and Burscough Dynamo are on 22 points but the Magpies have played three games less than their rivals. The league features both Fulwood Amateurs sides with Blues holding bragging rights in fifth over Reds in eighth.

There’s still plenty of football to be played in YOUTH DIVISION WHITE with Leyland Albion sitting on 21 points. Second are Myerscough Athletic (U18) and Chipping are third both with 18 points on the board. Astley & Buckshaw Utd have 16 points and none of the top four have lost more than two games.