1879–80 Lancashire Senior Cup

April 2025 Lancashire Senior Cup 1879-80 England Lancashire 20 September 1879 - 20 March 1880 40 Darwen Blackburn Rovers The 1879-80 Lancashire Senior Cup was the first edition of the Lancashire Football Association's most prestigious tournament, for association football clubs in the county of Lancashire. Background The Lancashire Football Association was formed at the start of the 1878–79 season, at the instigation of the Darwen club.Local notes Manchester Weekly Times 21 September 1878 4 In June 1879, the Association decided to set up a competition, the prize being a 150 guinea cup,Local news Blackburn Weekly Examiner 30 June 1879 2 made by Monk Bros. of Bolton; the trophy was 3'3" high.Alcock Charles Football Annual 1880 Cricket Press London 104 It was the biggest tournament played in Lancashire, and the most important tournament for the county's clubs, given the expense required to travel to the Kennington Oval for the later rounds of the FA Cup. While only 4 Lancashire clubs (Darwen, Blackburn Rovers, Eagley, and Turton) entered the 1879–80 FA Cup, 40 entered the Lancashire tournament. Participating teams + Participating clubsAll details taken from the Charles Alcock annual of 1879, other than clubs marked with *, whose details come from the 1880 annual. Team Founded Secretary Home ground Jersey Knickers Hose Accrington 1878 Fred W. Stocks Accrington Cricket Field Scarlet & black Blue Scarlet & black Astley Bridge 1875 Squire Gregory Sweetloves Navy blue White Navy blue Blackburn Christ Church 1874 John H. Penswick Ewood Blue White with blue stripe Blue Blackburn Cob Wall 1870 Joseph Walmsley Cob Wall Cricket Ground Red & white stripes not listed Red & white stripes Blackburn Park Road 1875 James Hayhurst Haslingden Road White Blue Blue & white Blackburn Rising Sun* 1878 W. Jennings Black Bull Inn Navy blue & white stripesThe term at the time for what would later be called hooped. Vertical stripes were not available in the 1870s. Navy blue & white White Blackburn Rovers 1874 Walter Duckworth Alexandra Meadows Navy blue & white quarteredThe term at the time for halved shirts, with counterchanged colours from front to back. White Navy blue Blackburn St Andrew's 1876 John C. Glover Cherry Tree Navy blue & white White with blue stripes Navy blue & white Blackburn St George's 1875 Jabez Walsh Braeside, Revidge White Blue not listed Blackburn St Marks 1874 Samuel Liversedge Pleasington White Blue with white stripe Blue Bolton All Saints*1878 J. C. Paylor Railway Arches, Hey Brow Navy blue with red Maltese cross Blue Blue Bolton Emmanuel1877 Benjamin Isherwood Morris Green Lane Blue & white Blue Red Bolton Hornets*1878 T. J. Baillie Dean Vale Navy blue Navy blue White Bolton North End1877 James T. Lowe Black Heath, Astley Bridge White White Blue Bolton Olympic* 1876 Daniel Horrocks Tonge Fold White Blue Black & white Bolton Rovers 1877 J. Shorrock Bolton Recreation Ground Red & black Blue Red & black Bolton St Paul's1877 W. Nelson Bolton Park Recreation Ground Amber & black Blue Blue Bolton Wanderers1874 Thomas Rawthorne Pikes Lane Blue & white Blue Blue & white Church 1874 B. F. Smith Church Cricket Field Black & white White not listed Cloughfold 1877 J. H. Bentley Myrtle Grove Orange & blue White Orange & blue Darwen 1870 W. T. Walsh Barley Bank Black & white stripes White Black & white Darwen ForestersEntered the competition as Darwen St James, but by the time of its first round tie, had changed its name. 1877 Edmund Bury Darwen Chapels Navy blue & white White Navy blue & white Darwen Grasshoppers 1877 J. E. Fish Benny Rough, Bury Fold Lane Amber & black White Amber & black Darwen Rangers 1878 F. Y. Singleton Tithebarn Royal blue & red White not listed Eagley1875 Jno. Mangnall Volunteer Inn White White Blue Edgeworth* 1874 Thomas Duckworth White Horse Inn White Blue Black Enfield 1877 W. T. Sumner Enfield Cricket Ground Navy blue White Navy blue Great Lever 1877 Nathan Yates Bradford Road Navy blue Navy blue Orange & blue Halliwell 1877 David Haslam The Bennetts Navy blue White Blue & white Halliwell Jubilee* 1878 H. C. Fairhust Church Meadow Navy blue White with red stripes Navy blue Haslingden Association 1876 J. C. Whittaker Rye Hill Maroon & white White White Haslingden Grane 1876 Jonathan J. Hargreaves Lane Ends Blue & black White Blue & black Livesey United 1874 J. Hacking Near Mill Hill (Navigation Inn) Red White with red stripe Not listed Lower Chapel 1877 J. H. Leach Knowl Meadows, Darwen Red & white White Not listed Lower Darwen 1877 J. H. Marsden Hey Meadow Dark blue & white Dark blue Dark blue & white Lynwood* 1879 B. Whalley Lynwood, Darwen White White Black Manchester Wanderers* 1878 C. S. Weir Brooks Bar White White White Middleton* 1878 R. Robertson Field in Tonge Navy blue with white star Blue Blue Padiham* 1878 John Pollard Albert Mill Navy blue with red sash White Blue Turton 1872 W. T. Dixon Cheetham Arms Blue & black Blue Blue Format The competition was organized as a straight knockout tournament, with replays to a conclusion. All clubs would be put in the initial draw, so the tournament would not be reduced quickly to a power of 2, but would allow ad hoc byes for each round in which there was an odd number of teams. Results First round The clubs were paired off at a draw on 16 August 1879, with ties to be played off by the last weekend in October.Draw for the Lancashire Association Challenge Cup Guardian 18 August 1879 7 The first tie was played off at Padiham, in front of 1,400 spectators, who saw visitors Haslingden Association take the tie 2–1.Football Manchester Weekly Times 27 September 1879 6 One tie was given dispensation for a replay to take place on Saturday 1 November, namely that between Darwen Foresters and Haslingden Grane, but Grane did not turn up at Darwen Chapels, so the tie was awarded to the Foresters.Football Sheffield Daily Telegraph 10 November 1879 4 The biggest win of the round was Livesey United's win at Halliwell Jubilee, although the score was also given as 8–0; five goals came in the first half, United having won the toss and chosen to kick with the slope. Despite the hammering, Jubilee's play was described as "pleasant and friendly".Halliwell Jubilee v Livesey United Sporting Chronicle 15 October 1879 4 Turton also scored 9 goals, against Bolton North End, one of many clubs emerging from cricket clubs.Loyal Orange Belfast Weekly News 29 March 1879 5 Blackburn Rovers, the competition favourite,Football - the association game Sporting Chronicle 10 December 1879 4 was nearly eliminated at the first stage, being held to a 1–1 draw by Accrington-based side Enfield, but Rovers had no problems in the replay.Lancashire Association Challenge Cup Manchester Courier 3 November 1879 3 The tie between Lynwood and Bolton Olympic however had been "a very disagreeable one throughout" - the attendance was a mere 50, due to a rival game taking place at Darwen, and the game was so violent that in one scrimmage the goal-posts were knocked down. Olympic held the game up by threatening to walk off after Lynwood took a 2–1 lead, in protest at the refereeing, and after Lynwood's late winner, "players and spectators went off the field discussing and disputing the game".Challenge Cup tie Blackburn Weekly Standard 11 October 1879 3 Date Home Score Away 20 September 1879 Padiham 1–2 Haslingden Association 27 September 1879 Blackburn Park Road 6–0 Bolton Emmanuel 27 September 1879 Bolton North End 1–9 Turton 27 September 1879 Darwen 7–0 Darwen Grasshoppers 4 October 1879 Blackburn Christ Church 8–0 Bolton Hornets 4 October 1879 Church 4–0 Blackburn St Andrew's 4 October 1879 Cloughfold 4–5 Great Lever 4 October 1879 Lynwood 5–4 Bolton Olympic 11 October 1879 Astley Bridge 6–0 Blackburn Rising Sun 11 October 1879 Blackburn Cob Wall 0–3 Manchester Wanderers 11 October 1879 Bolton Wanderers 5–2 Bolton All Saints 11 October 1879 Enfield 1–1 Blackburn Rovers 11 October 1879 Halliwell Jubilee 0–9 Livesey United 11 October 1879 Lower Darwen 3–1 Darwen Rangers 18 October 1879 Accrington 4–1 Halliwell 18 October 1879 Blackburn St Mark's 0–0 Bolton St Paul's 18 October 1879 Haslingden Grane 1–1 Darwen Foresters 25 October 1879 Bolton Rovers 2–5 Eagley 25 October 1879 Lower Chapel 4–2 Blackburn St George's 25 October 1879 Middleton 1–6 Edgeworth Replays Date Home Score Away 23 October 1879 Blackburn Rovers 5–1 Enfield 25 October 1879 Bolton St Paul's 1–4 Blackburn St Mark's 1 November 1879 Darwen Foresters w/o Haslingden Grane Second round 1,500 spectators witnessed the biggest win of the competition at Darwen, where the home side scored 12 goals against Haslingden Association; the score would have been even higher, but Darwen agreed to have three goals chalked off for offside.Lancashire Association Cup tie second round Manchester Courier 27 October 1879 3 The match between Lower Chapel and Lynwood had to be replayed, having ended 4–3 to Lower Chapel,Lower Chapel v Lynwood Sporting Chronicle 6 November 1879 4 after Lynwood protested that the goal posts were too high; the replay also took place at the Lower Chapel ground, and the home side won 3–1.Lower Chapel v Lynwood Sporting Chronicle 24 December 1879 4 Date Home Score Away 25 October 1879 Darwen 12–1 Haslingden Association 1 November 1879 Lower Chapel void Lynwood 8 November 1879 Eagley 4–1 Edgeworth 22 November 1879 Accrington 3–2 Blackburn St Mark's 29 November 1879 Blackburn Rovers 4–0 Bolton Wanderers 29 November 1879 Church 2–6 Manchester Wanderers 29 November 1879 Great Lever 0–3 Turton 29 November 1879 Lower Darwen 3–0 Livesey United 6 December 1879 Astley Bridge 2–1 Blackburn Christ Church 6 December 1879 Darwen Foresters 0–2 Blackburn Park Road Replay Date Home Score Away 20 December 1879 Lower Chapel 3–1 Lynwood Third round The third round saw the shock of the tournament, as FA cup entrant Eagley was unexpectedly hammered 8–2 at Lower Chapel.report Athletic News 21 April 1880 2 Date Home Score Away 1 January 1880 Accrington 4–1 Lower Darwen 10 January 1880 Blackburn Rovers 2–0 Turton 10 January 1880 Darwen 5–0 Astley Bridge 10 January 1880 Manchester Wanderers 2–0 Blackburn Park Road 17 January 1880 Lower Chapel 8–2 Eagley Fourth round As an odd number of teams remained, one team had to be given a bye; the draw gave it to Blackburn Rovers. Manchester Wanderers took the lead at Darwen through an own goal, but had no answer to the professional side afterwards, and two further claimed goals for Darwen were disallowed.Lancashire Association Challenge Cup Tie Blackburn Weekly Standard 28 February 1880 6 Date Home Score Away 7 February 1880 Accrington 4–3 Lower Chapel 21 February 1880 Darwen 11–1 Manchester Wanderers Fifth round As Blackburn Rovers had received a bye from the fourth round, it was not eligible for the bye at the fifth round stage; the lot gave the bye to Darwen. The one tie took place at Blackburn's Alexandra Meadows, and the home advantage proved crucial, as Rovers ran out 3–1 winners. The pick of the goals came from Rovers' winger Duckworth near the end, dribbling from near his own goal past most of the Accrington side, before slotting between the posts.The Lancashire Challenge Cup tie Blackburn Weekly Standard 13 March 1880 6 Date Home Score Away 6 March 1880 Blackburn Rovers 3–1 Accrington Final thumb|The winning Darwen side. By common consent, the two strongest sides in the county had reached the final, but instead of choosing a neutral ground, the Lancashire FA ordered it to take place at Darwen's Barley Bank. Neither club was quite at full strength, as both faced issues over the eligibility of key players; William Kirkham of Darwen had been working in Leeds, Yorkshire, so did not fulfil the residency requirement, while "Monkey" Hornby of Rovers fulfilled the residency requirement, but because of rugby commitments had not featured for Rovers, so there was a question whether his registration was regular. In the event neither was chosen.Small Gordon History of the Lancashire Senior Cup 2007 Soccerdata Hockley, Essex 9 The reported attendance of over 10,000 was the highest ever recorded for an association football match;Alcock Charles Football Annual 1880 Cricket Press London 104 it was 50% higher than that at the 1880 FA Cup final,Warsop Keith The Early F.A. Cup Finals and the Southern Amateurs, A Who's Who and Match Facts 2004 SoccerData 50 1-899468-78-1 and more than double that at the Birmingham Senior Cup final.Birmingham Association Challenge Cup Final Tie Birmingham Gazette 5 April 1880 6 Darwen started the game kicking into the wind, despite which Bury gave it the lead with a "clever screw kick". The advantage of the wind was such that Darwen scored the second two minutes into the second half, thanks to a move by Marshall and Rostron on the right with Gledhill in the middle, finished off by Rostron.Lancashire Association Challenge Cup Nottingham Evening Post 23 March 1880 4 Darwen claimed two goals near the end, although only one was recorded in the official score. 20 March 1880 Darwen 3–0 Blackburn Rovers Bury Rostron Marshall Barley Bank >10,000 C. J. Spencer, Nottinghamshire Football Association _thin_blackhoops _thin_blackhoops _thin_blackhoops _hoops_black ffffff ffffff ffffff ffffff FFFFFF Darwen _navyhalf FFFFFF FFFFFF 000080 FFFFFF 000080 Blackburn Rovers GKJoe BroughtonDFJack DuxburyDF Fergus SuterMF Sam FishMF W. H. Moorhouse RW Thomas Marshall RW Tot Rostron FW Dr James Gledhill FW J. C. Holden LW Tom Bury LW Bob Kirkham GK Roger Howarth DF Doctor GreenwoodDF A. BirtwistleMF Fred HargreavesMF W. R. LathamLW John DuckworthLW J. HansonFWJimmy BrownFW J. HindleRW John Hargreaves RW Richard Birtwistle Aftermath The 1880–81 season would see an increase in entrants to 43, although for many of the clubs from Blackburn, Bolton, and Darwen, the first competition would prove to be their only entry. However the 1880–81 competition saw a greater geographical spread, with entries from Preston North End, two clubs from Liverpool, and even a club from Barrow. By 1884–85, the competition had over 100 entries, which resulted in the Lancashire FA splitting the tournament in future so that only senior clubs could enter, a separate Lancashire Junior Cup being created for the pure amateurs. Further reading Small, Gordon. The Lancashire Cup: A Complete Record, Soccerdata, 2007, from which the results have been taken. References Category:1879–80 in English football Category:Football in Lancashire Category:County Cup competitions