Clitheroe F.C.
 |
|
| Full name | Clitheroe Football Club |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Blues |
| Founded | 1877 (as Clitheroe Central) |
| Ground | Shawbridge |
| Capacity | 2,000 |
| Chairman | Anne Barker |
| Manager | Simon Haworth |
| League | Northern Premier League Division One North |
| 2015–16 | Northern Premier League Division One North, 7th |
Clitheroe Football Club are an English football club based in Clitheroe, Lancashire, playing in the Northern Premier League Division One North. They were established in 1877 as Clitheroe Central. After joining the Lancashire Combination in 1903, they removed Central from their name.
The club was formed as Clitheroe Central in 1877 at the Swan Hotel in Castle Street by local businessmen. After playing in local leagues the club joined the Lancashire Combination in 1903 and dropped Central from their name. The first major trophy won was the Lancashire Junior Cup in 1893 – a trophy they had to wait 92 years to win again. In 1985 at Deepdale, home of Preston North End, they defeated Barrow 1–0 when Eric Geldard scored in extra time.
Except for breaks during the First and Second World Wars (1914–18 and 1939–45) Clitheroe played in the Lancashire Combination until the end of the 1981–82 season. They won the Lancashire Combination Cup in the 1934–35 season and the League Championship in the 1979–80 season.
For the 1982–83 season the Lancashire Combination amalgamated with the Cheshire County League to become the North West Counties League. Clitheroe became one of the founder members, however the state of the ground meant they started in the third division. There then followed one of the most successful periods in the club's long history when under the guidance of manager Eric Whalley they won the Third, Second and First Divisions in consecutive seasons.
In the 1995–96 season when under the joint managership of Dennis Underwood and Gary Butcher they played at Wembley Stadium in the final of the FA Vase. Some 7,500 people watched the game against Brigg Town and although Clitheroe won against them earlier in the season in the FA Cup the club was beaten 3–0 in the Vase Final. A public appeal to help with the visit to Wembley saw £7,400 donated by townspeople and businesses.
...
Wikipedia