1945 ONWARDS
The cessation of hostilities led almost immediately to the re-forming of the LAL on a playing basis. The lesson of the Great War had been learnt, and the organisation had been kept going on a skeletal basis throughout the previous six years; some clubs had even managed some unofficial football. Only one division operated in 1945-6, with a reserves division added the next season. But in 1947-8 all three sections were underway again and 35 clubs were in senior membership: the central Section ran three divisions and the Northern and Southern two each. So matters remained, structurally at least, for fifteen years; the only changes were that a Northern Section third division came into being in 1952-1953 and a Southern Section third division four years later. Further, the strength had increased, bringing membership of the Central Section to a peak of 15 Clubs in 1956 to 1959; the North advanced to 16 Clubs in the years 1958-1963 and the South to 16, but briefly, in 1954-1955. There was even a ‘Western connection’ for a while, with teams from St.Anne’s, Morecambe and Blackpool taking part.
In season 1962-1963 the Central and Southern Section 'A' teams and below amalgamated, forming three divisions with a total of 37 teams. This was a prelude to an eventual merging of the two sections in 1967-1968 when two joint divisions, two reserve divisions and three other divisions played under the title of ‘Southern Section’. At this point, too, the Northern Clubs adopted two-divisions-and-reserves promotion and relegation, and in 1969-1970 expanded their 'lower divisions' to 3A and 3B, accommodating up to 32 teams in the next five years. Then in 1969-1970, the South changed again, to a 'ladder system', wherein all sides competed at their appropriate level for promotion, but with certain restrictions on how high second and lower teams could go.
The League was moving closer together. After protracted discussions and much debate as to the right formula, the whole League combined its first and second elevens into four divisions and reserves for the start of season 1974-1975, leading with the Premier Division. The lower teams remained separately constituted into North and South, and operated with several different distributions for many years thereafter, but on the same principle. The 4 major divisions became three, each with reserves, in 1976-1977.
From the start of the 2003-4 season a limited ‘ladder system’ came into operation; reserves divisions as such were abolished and some reserve teams began to play in divisions one and two, but no higher. This was further extended and subtly altered as to divisional entitlement in the following years.
At the time of writing (September 2014) there are seven divisions operating, whereas at the height of its numerical preponderance there were as many as thirteen. Clubs have come and gone but one of the main reasons for the drop in numbers is that fewer clubs run as many ‘lower’ teams as before. At one point Burnley GSOB alone ran seven teams.
Eventually the LAL was obliged to give way on the principle which had operated for most of the twentieth century, that no ‘one team club’ could play in the League. But the number of clubs has been remarkably consistent: before the ‘ladder’ it was fixed at 42, and the bottom two first teams had to apply for re-election. This has since been abolished.
The cessation of hostilities led almost immediately to the re-forming of the LAL on a playing basis. The lesson of the Great War had been learnt, and the organisation had been kept going on a skeletal basis throughout the previous six years; some clubs had even managed some unofficial football. Only one division operated in 1945-6, with a reserves division added the next season. But in 1947-8 all three sections were underway again and 35 clubs were in senior membership: the central Section ran three divisions and the Northern and Southern two each. So matters remained, structurally at least, for fifteen years; the only changes were that a Northern Section third division came into being in 1952-1953 and a Southern Section third division four years later. Further, the strength had increased, bringing membership of the Central Section to a peak of 15 Clubs in 1956 to 1959; the North advanced to 16 Clubs in the years 1958-1963 and the South to 16, but briefly, in 1954-1955. There was even a ‘Western connection’ for a while, with teams from St.Anne’s, Morecambe and Blackpool taking part.
In season 1962-1963 the Central and Southern Section 'A' teams and below amalgamated, forming three divisions with a total of 37 teams. This was a prelude to an eventual merging of the two sections in 1967-1968 when two joint divisions, two reserve divisions and three other divisions played under the title of ‘Southern Section’. At this point, too, the Northern Clubs adopted two-divisions-and-reserves promotion and relegation, and in 1969-1970 expanded their 'lower divisions' to 3A and 3B, accommodating up to 32 teams in the next five years. Then in 1969-1970, the South changed again, to a 'ladder system', wherein all sides competed at their appropriate level for promotion, but with certain restrictions on how high second and lower teams could go.
The League was moving closer together. After protracted discussions and much debate as to the right formula, the whole League combined its first and second elevens into four divisions and reserves for the start of season 1974-1975, leading with the Premier Division. The lower teams remained separately constituted into North and South, and operated with several different distributions for many years thereafter, but on the same principle. The 4 major divisions became three, each with reserves, in 1976-1977.
From the start of the 2003-4 season a limited ‘ladder system’ came into operation; reserves divisions as such were abolished and some reserve teams began to play in divisions one and two, but no higher. This was further extended and subtly altered as to divisional entitlement in the following years.
At the time of writing (September 2014) there are seven divisions operating, whereas at the height of its numerical preponderance there were as many as thirteen. Clubs have come and gone but one of the main reasons for the drop in numbers is that fewer clubs run as many ‘lower’ teams as before. At one point Burnley GSOB alone ran seven teams.
Eventually the LAL was obliged to give way on the principle which had operated for most of the twentieth century, that no ‘one team club’ could play in the League. But the number of clubs has been remarkably consistent: before the ‘ladder’ it was fixed at 42, and the bottom two first teams had to apply for re-election. This has since been abolished.
Back Row: J.Mellor, D.Wilson, A.Robinson, A.Shuttleworth, A.Clarke, P.Jagger, K. Barlow, R. Sharrock, K. Lee, J,Fay, B. Seddon, C. Metcalfe
Front Row: D. Griffiths, P. Duffy, J. Mackereth, R.Bowker (Sec), C.Ackers (Chair), J. Wildeman, M. Baldwin
