History - History 1
CAMMELL LAIRD FOOTBALL CLUB – A BRIEF HISTORY
Cammell Laird Football Club can trace its origins back to 1889 when a team from the Upper Boilers Shop of Laird Brothers (forerunners of the world famous shipyard whose name we carry to this day) played in Birkenhead Park under the name of Grange Football Club. However, the club soon changed to the rugby code and it was not until June 1907 that the Cammell Laird Institute Association Football Club was established. Its headquarters were the Cammell Laird Institute in Conway Street, Birkenhead and played on the old Prenton Park ground of Tranmere Rovers in the club colours of white shirts and blue Socks and joined the West Cheshire League in 1907
In September 1909, Lairds moved to their newly enclosed ground in Park Road North, Birkenhead Park where they stayed until 1921. At the end of their first season in the Park, Lairds finished bottom but retained their Division 1 status after being successful with their re-election speech. During the close-season, the Club was re-organised and put on a firmer footing.
It soldiered on in mid table until the outbreak of World War 1 in August 1914, when many clubs disbanded and the League decided to amalgamate the two divisions. Resignations continued and as the end of the season drew near, the interest was reduced to a minimum, so much so that the surviving clubs failed to complete their fixtures because of the war effort, and as a consequence no medals will be awarded. With the ending of the war, government orders for ships dried up consequently football was taken in-house with a departmental league of about 12 teams (affiliated to the Cheshire and Wirral Associations) and a representative team selected to compete in certain of the cup competitions of the Wirral Football Association. The club played their cup-ties on their old Park Road North ground with league games being played at Bebington Oval.
The new Cammell Laird Departmental League commenced on September 20th, 1919 and in April 1921 the renamed Cammell Laird Sports Club won the Shipley Cup. In the summer of 1922, the team moved to the St Peters Road, Birkenhead, registered with the Birkenhead League 2nd Division and changed their name to Kirklands F.C. (The name of the original clubhouse). The club won Wirral Minor ‘B’ Cup in 1924 and the Regent Cup in 1927. At the commencement of the Second World War in September 1939 the club disbanded and the ground was badly damaged due to enemy action, this is unsurprising as the Cammell Laird Shipyard was one of the most prolific builders of warships for the Royal Navy. In the summer of 1946, the club was re-formed as Cammell Lairds Association Football Club and joined the Birkenhead & Wirral Football League where it remained until .the summer of 1948 when the club was elected to Division 2 of West Cheshire League. In a 35 year post war period Lairds won the West Cheshire League 19 times, reached the Quarter-Finals of the FA Vase in the season 1994-95 but have since bettered that by reaching the Semi-finals in 2005-06 After making the decision to attempt to climb the non league football pyramid, in season 2005-06 'The Lairds' made history by becoming the first team to win the championship of the second and first divisions of the North West Counties League in succession in their first two seasons in that league, scoring over 250 league goals in the process.
2006-07 saw Lairds make their bow in the UniBond Northern Premier League and they were desperately unlucky not to gain promotion at the first time of asking after losing in the play off final.
July 2008
Lairds finally gained promotion to the UniBond Premier Division in 2007-8 when second place was awarded the one automatic promotion place. The Unibond Premier League season threw up all sorts of challenges for Lairds, after a tough start, Manager Ken McKenna and the club agreed to go seperate ways and Lairds defender Derek Ward was brought in as Manager with Ian Cooke as his assistant. After a long tough season Lairds finished one place above the relegation Zone having beaten most of the top six teams, however a ground grading technicality saw the Lairds relegated to the Unibond League Division One South on a technicality, however having taken their place in the Premier Division on a technicality in the first place we took the decision after an appeal in the spirit that has been expected of Lairds over the years.
Cammell Laird Football Club can trace its origins back to 1889 when a team from the Upper Boilers Shop of Laird Brothers (forerunners of the world famous shipyard whose name we carry to this day) played in Birkenhead Park under the name of Grange Football Club. However, the club soon changed to the rugby code and it was not until June 1907 that the Cammell Laird Institute Association Football Club was established. Its headquarters were the Cammell Laird Institute in Conway Street, Birkenhead and played on the old Prenton Park ground of Tranmere Rovers in the club colours of white shirts and blue Socks and joined the West Cheshire League in 1907
In September 1909, Lairds moved to their newly enclosed ground in Park Road North, Birkenhead Park where they stayed until 1921. At the end of their first season in the Park, Lairds finished bottom but retained their Division 1 status after being successful with their re-election speech. During the close-season, the Club was re-organised and put on a firmer footing.
It soldiered on in mid table until the outbreak of World War 1 in August 1914, when many clubs disbanded and the League decided to amalgamate the two divisions. Resignations continued and as the end of the season drew near, the interest was reduced to a minimum, so much so that the surviving clubs failed to complete their fixtures because of the war effort, and as a consequence no medals will be awarded. With the ending of the war, government orders for ships dried up consequently football was taken in-house with a departmental league of about 12 teams (affiliated to the Cheshire and Wirral Associations) and a representative team selected to compete in certain of the cup competitions of the Wirral Football Association. The club played their cup-ties on their old Park Road North ground with league games being played at Bebington Oval.
The new Cammell Laird Departmental League commenced on September 20th, 1919 and in April 1921 the renamed Cammell Laird Sports Club won the Shipley Cup. In the summer of 1922, the team moved to the St Peters Road, Birkenhead, registered with the Birkenhead League 2nd Division and changed their name to Kirklands F.C. (The name of the original clubhouse). The club won Wirral Minor ‘B’ Cup in 1924 and the Regent Cup in 1927. At the commencement of the Second World War in September 1939 the club disbanded and the ground was badly damaged due to enemy action, this is unsurprising as the Cammell Laird Shipyard was one of the most prolific builders of warships for the Royal Navy. In the summer of 1946, the club was re-formed as Cammell Lairds Association Football Club and joined the Birkenhead & Wirral Football League where it remained until .the summer of 1948 when the club was elected to Division 2 of West Cheshire League. In a 35 year post war period Lairds won the West Cheshire League 19 times, reached the Quarter-Finals of the FA Vase in the season 1994-95 but have since bettered that by reaching the Semi-finals in 2005-06 After making the decision to attempt to climb the non league football pyramid, in season 2005-06 'The Lairds' made history by becoming the first team to win the championship of the second and first divisions of the North West Counties League in succession in their first two seasons in that league, scoring over 250 league goals in the process.
2006-07 saw Lairds make their bow in the UniBond Northern Premier League and they were desperately unlucky not to gain promotion at the first time of asking after losing in the play off final.
July 2008
Lairds finally gained promotion to the UniBond Premier Division in 2007-8 when second place was awarded the one automatic promotion place. The Unibond Premier League season threw up all sorts of challenges for Lairds, after a tough start, Manager Ken McKenna and the club agreed to go seperate ways and Lairds defender Derek Ward was brought in as Manager with Ian Cooke as his assistant. After a long tough season Lairds finished one place above the relegation Zone having beaten most of the top six teams, however a ground grading technicality saw the Lairds relegated to the Unibond League Division One South on a technicality, however having taken their place in the Premier Division on a technicality in the first place we took the decision after an appeal in the spirit that has been expected of Lairds over the years.
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