MORECAMBE FC IN THE LANCASHIRE JUNIOR CUP
Many thanks goes to Neil Marsdin for this article.
The Shrimps have competed for this prestigious trophy for over 80
years, and currently are placed behind Chorley in the all time
placing of winners with 11. If you add another 5 appearances as
finalists and numerous semi final appearances, it would seem likely
that Morecambe, would go above Chorley on "points"
The club first entered the competition in 1920-21 losing its opening
game, by 1-2 against Leyland at Woodhill Lane in a match watched by
over 1,000 spectators. It was 2 seasons later until the Shrimps
gained their first Lancashire Cup victory, beating Lytham by 4-0,
(Thornton 2, Carlisle and Walker were the scorers.) Morecambe's
taste of glory came in season 1925-26 when in a final that went to a
2nd replay the Reds overcame the old enemy Chorley 3-1 at Deepdale
after drawing 2-2 at Deepdale and 1-1 at Bolton. Amazingly over
37,000 spectators watched the 3 games with the attendance for the 1st
game at Deepdale numbering 13,324, the club's highest ever Lancashire
cup attendance. For the record Tommy Ross scored a hat trick to
clinch the Trophy for the Shrimps.
Further success followed when in the following season, Grass scored
the only goal of a hard fought final against neighbours Lancaster at
Deepdale, in front of 9,217 spectators. The club had to wait until
1962 for it's next success, although they were losing finalists in
1950-51 by 0-1 against Rochdale reserves at Bolton. After 3
semi final appearance in 4 years, the Shrimps finally managed to make
that breakthrough to the final. And what a final it was. The
Combination Champions ( Morecambe) v The Cheshire League Champions(
Wigan Athletic). The Shrimps tamed a powerful Wigan side by 3-1, with
Borrowdale, Fawcett and an og paving the way for victory. The moment
that I will never forget is that with time running out and Morecambe
leading by 3-1, Ray Evens and Joe Dunn played keep ball by the left
wing corner flag for what seemed an eternity, it goes without saying
that the "Pie Eaters" were not best pleased.
Two more success's came in the 60's, with a narrow 2-1 victory over
Horwich (now Leigh) RMI
At Deepdale and in 1968 Morecambe celebrated the first year of NPL
football with a 1-0 victory over Lancashire Combination Champions
Great Harwood with a goal from Christie legend, Charlie Lea. The 70's
and early part of the 80's were as bare as any previous period, until
in 1985-86 the club embarked on a run of 4 finals in 5 years winning
two of them
First in an epic encounter against old rivals Chorley, Morecambe won
3-2 in extra time, with a goal from Kenny Gordon. In fact the Shrimps
had been 2-1 with only seconds remaining when Tibor Szabo equalised.
The following year saw the same protagonists in an uninspiring final
at an equally uninspiring Springfield park, Wigan, with the
uninspiring Shrimps winning by 2-0, Dave Lancaster scoring both.
Marine denied a hat trick of wins the following season at Burnden
Park, Bolton, and the only good to come from that game was the video.
If you can manage to get hold of a copy, you would never again have
to watch repeats of " Only Fools and Horses". The
commentary and interviews are quality!. Defeat by Colne Dinosaurs,
0-2, at Ewood saw the 80's to a close, only weeks after this game,
and having won the Northern Premier League by a record 28 points,
Colne Dynamo's were no more.
The last decade of the century again saw the Shrimps dominant in
terms of finals. 5 finals in all. The first against Conference side
Southport, in 1994-95 was a classic. The Shrimps scraping home 4-3 in
an all action final. (Did Ian Cain help it round Moore the Southport
keeper with his hand)? Paul Burns deservedly won the man of the match
award, but Mathew Lambert, in what I believe to be his last game for
the club, was not far behind. The following season, our promotion
season, saw us lose possibly the most one side final ever. Bamber
Bridge scored 2 fist half goals, and then everything including the
proverbial was thrown at them. Yet we lost 2-1.
Next season saw some revenge over Bamber Bridge in a 1-0 victory with
that man Jackson scoring a quality goal. It was 1997-98 when the
Shrimps returned to the Deepdale scene, losing a disappointing final
against rivals and FA Trophy finalists Southport by 0-2. The
following season Morecambe managed to overcome stubborn Darwen
resistance, although it took extra time and penalties. The Shrimps
managed to convert 4 penalties( Burns, Fensome, Mayers and Gardener,
in comparison to Darwen's 2. Season 2003-2004 saw the trophy final
being contested over 2 legs for the first time ever. Morecambe took
the honours with a 3-1 aggregate win, 1-0 away( Carlton) and 2-1 at
home( Curtis and Carlton) with nearly 3,000 watching the two games
Lancashire Junior Cup Records
Most goals in career
Keith Borrowdale, 21, 1st Jan 1959 until Feb 03rd 1968
Most goals in match
Sammy Speakman, 4, v Formby,
06/01/1958, 6-0 h
4, v Formby, 14/01/1961, 9-2h
Tony
Webber
4, v Ashton, 02/11/1974, 6-1 h
4, v Radcliffe, 03/01/1975, 5-3
Most goals scored in game, team
v Formby, 06/01/1961, 9-2, 1,400. Speakman, 4, Vizard 2
Fawcett, Borrowdale and Hitchen og.
Most goals scored against
v Darwen, 19/11/1927, 2-7, our scorers, Thompson and Brown
Morecambe's Finals
1926-27
20/02/27
Chorley
2-2
13,324
Young, Whittaker
06/03/27
Chorley
1-1
12,891 Wagstaff
21/04/27
Chorley
3-1
10,069
Ross, 3
1927-28
13/04/28
Lancaster
1-0
9,217
Grass
1950-51
07/05/51
Rochdale
0-1
1961-62
25/04/62
Wigan
3-1
7,800
Borrowdale, Fawcett, og
1962-63
08/05/63
Horwich
2-1
5,000
Fawcett, Armstrong
1968-69
23/04/69 Gt
Harwood
1-0
3,617
Lea
1985-86
07/04/86
Chorley
3-2
1,300
Galley, Szabo, Gordon
1986-87
29/04/87
Chorley
2-0
918
Stimpson, Gamble
1987-88
14/04/88
Marine
0-2
1989-90
23/04/90
Colne
0-2 1,684
1993-94
26/04/94
Southport
4-3
928
McCluskie, Cain, Dullaghan, Coleman
1994-95
10/04/95 Bamber
Bdge
1-2
2,180 Coleman
1995-96
24/04/96 Bamber
Bdge
1-0
1,708
Jackson
1997-98
21/04/98
Southport
0
1,540
1998-99
13/04/99
Darwen
2-2
Morecambe win 4-2 on penalties
2003-04
30/03/04
Accrington
1-1 1,240 Carlton
06/04/04
Accrington
2-0
1,540 Curtis, Carlton
(2 leg final 3-1 agg)
