ST. HELENS TOWN IN THE LANCASHIRE JUNIOR CUP
by Glyn Jones

Having looked recently at the original club’s record in the Lancashire Senior Cup between 1901 and 1914, I now turn to the post-Second World War period, which witnessed the re-birth of the club in 1946. Town enjoyed a dual affiliation, joining both the Liverpool and Lancashire County FAs, a situation which lasted until at least 1975 when the club left the Lancashire Combination to join the Cheshire County League, although seven years later, the two leagues combined to form the North West Counties League which, of course, survives in its present format.

Town rarely progressed beyond the initial round of the Lancashire Junior Cup, mainly on account of the strength of the opposition, such was the high standard of the Lancashire Combination in the 1950s. Informed opinion was that the top clubs in the Combination, together with their counterparts in the Cheshire League, were equivalent to Football League Division 5.

The competition continued as the Lancashire Junior Cup until 1969/70, after which its name changed and it now continues as the Lancashire Trophy, with its different sponsors’ names added to its titles. Town’s best run by some distance was in 1967/68 when the club reached the semi-final, only to go down 1-0 to Wigan Athletic at Springfield Park. Their full record is given below:

SEASON	DATE	ROUND	OPPONENTS	VENUE	RESULT
1948/49	Nov-20	1st	Accrington Stanley Res.	Away	Lost 2-4
1949/50	Nov-19	Prelim	ASTLEY BRIDGE	Home	Won 4-1
	Dec-17	1st	Great Harwood	Away	Won 1-0
	Jan-14	2nd	Fleetwood	Away	Lost 1-4
1950/51	Jan-13	1st	Rochdale Res.	Away	Lost 0-2
1951/52	Dec-15	1st	Chorley	Away	Lost 1-4
1952/53	Nov-15	1st	CLITHEROE	Home	Lost 1-5
1953/54	Jan-23	1st	BURSCOUGH	Home	Lost 0-4
1954/55	Jan-22	1st	LEYLAND MOTORS	Home	Lost 0-1
1955/56	Jan-21	1st	Droylsden	Away	Lost 2-5
1956/57	Jan-19	1st	Bacup Borough	Away	Drew 4-4
	Jan-26	Replay	BACUP BOROUGH	Home	Lost 1-4
1957/58	Jan-18	1st	Horwich RMI	Away	Lost 1-6
1958/59	Jan-24	1st	Prescot Cables	Away	Lost 0-5
1959/60	Jan-16	1st	Bacup Borough	Away	Drew 0-0
	Jan-23	Replay	BACUP BOROUGH	Home	Lost 1-2
1960/61	Jan-21	1st	LEYLAND MOTORS	Home	Won 1-0
	Feb-11	2nd	Marine	Away	Lost 0-3
1961/62	Jan-20	1st	CLITHEROE	Home	Lost 2-4
1962/63	Jan-26	1st	Morecambe	Away	Lost 2-5
1963/64	Jan-18	1st	Lancaster City	Away	Drew 1-1
	Jan-25	Replay	LANCASTER CITY	Home	Lost 3-4
1964/65	Jan-16	1st	South Liverpool	Away	Lost 2-4
1965/66	Jan-15	1st	MARINE	Home	Lost 0-1
1966/67	Jan-14	1st	FLEETWOOD	Home	Won 5-1
	Feb-04	2nd	Wigan Rovers	Away	Lost 0-1
1967/68	Jan-20	1st	LANCASTER CITY	Home	Won 4-2
	Feb-10	2nd	NORTHERN NOMADS	Home	Won 4-3
	Mar-09	3rd	SKELMERSDALE UNITED	Home	Won 2-1
	Mar-30	Semi-F	Wigan Athletic	Away	Lost 0-1
1968/69	Jan-11	1st	Bacup Borough	Away	Won 1-0
	Feb-01	2nd	HORWICH RMI	Home	Lost 0-1
1969/70	Jan-17	1st	NELSON	Home	Drew 1-1
	Jan-24	Replay	Nelson	Away	Won 2-1
	Feb-07	2nd	Horwich RMI	Away	Drew 1-1
	Feb-21	Replay	HORWICH RMI	Home	Lost 0-2
1970/71	Nov-28	1st	Formby	Away	Lost 1-2
1971/72	Jan-08	1st	HORWICH RMI	Home	Lost 0-2
1972/73	Nov-25	1st	Skelmersdale United	Away	Lost 1-2
1973/74	Nov-24	1st	ACCRINGTON STANLEY	Home	Lost 2-4
1974/75	Nov-16	1st	Lancaster City	Away	Lost 0-5

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