Burnley Sunday League

[ClaretsPadiham]

On the up which is great to see.

Only a few seasons ago was down to 9 teams, but now with a new committee and new ideas and sponsorship it’s up to 20 teams !

Premier Division

Inn on the Wharf
Daneshouse
Craven Heifer
100FC
Globe FC
Pendle Blues (new)
Colne Athletic (new)

Championship

AFC 2010
Hoddlesden
Oswaldtwistle Wolves
AFC Accrington
Dewhurst
Pendle Utd (new)
Kudos Utd (New)

Second Division

Belvedere (new)
Mavericks (new)
FC Hyndburn (new)
Royal Dyche (new)
AFC Veterans (new)
FC Globe (new)

[Quickenthetempo]

What's the new ideas?

[bfcjg]

Nice to read that, years ago there were numerous teams and nearly everyone knew someone who played.

[jrgbfc]

Pendle charity league has folded so a few teams have joined the Burnley league.

[BigGaz]

There'll be some feyting alright

[HuncoatClaret]

Are the Pendle teams still having their home games in Pendle?

[longsidetrumpet]

40 to 50 teams in the Burnley league in its 70s/80s heyday in 4 divisions

[Goody1975]

40 to 50 teams in the Burnley league in its 70s/80s heyday in 4 divisions

Mid 80's it was four divisions of ten teams and lads stood outside the dressing rooms, asking if any teams were short of players. The standard was very high.

[Big Vinny K]

Good to see a bit of a resurgence.

As said it was a really strong league in the 1980s. 4 divisions and some really good players especially in the top league.

Towneley and Prairie pitches were full every Sunday and in addition to the league you had really good cup competitions too. The league was as strong as any other in east lancs as can be seen in the number of teams from the Sunday league who won the Hospital Cup.

More teams and divisions there is the more people are playing football which has got to be a positive thing for physical and mental health in the town.

[MT03ALG]

Do teams still play for the Hospital Cup?

[FCBurnley]

What no Redrose in the new leagues. Shocking

[Passing Clouds]

Used to play for The Angels in the 90s. A very useful team indeed!

Seem to remember George IV game being a bit lively

[longsidetrumpet]

What no Redrose in the new leagues. Shocking

Or Pike Hill Bombers

[Big Vinny K]

Used to play for The Angels in the 90s. A very useful team indeed!

Seem to remember George IV game being a bit lively

Aye !
That will mostly be down to a certain lad who played for them who was shall we say a little “highly strung” !
I played for St Teds OB for years - in one game against George IV up at Fennyfold the lad knocked out his own brother who was playing in his own team.

Happy days though and miss it a lot

[Passing Clouds]

Aye !
That will mostly be down to a certain lad who played for them who was shall we say a little “highly strung” !
I played for St Teds OB for years - in one game against George IV up at Fennyfold the lad knocked out his own brother who was playing in his own team.

Happy days though and miss it a lot

I think I know who you mean. Was the highly strung brother quite short?

[get stuck in tracy]

Mid 80's it was four divisions of ten teams and lads stood outside the dressing rooms, asking if any teams were short of players. The standard was very high.

It wasnt that high for me fortunately

[Clarets4me]

The Railway Club in Rosegrove had a lad in the early 90's who used to score for fun, I remember ..Pennington, or something like that ?

[Clarets4me]

Or Pike Hill Bombers

Pike Hill Bombers have their own Facebook group, " Down the miggle ", thanks largely to the efforts of one of our fellow posters, some great photos, stories etc on there ...

https://www.facebook.com/groups/330140915346630

[Herts Clarets]

Always remember an infamous team photo from the mid 90s that was published in the Burnley Express where one of the players on the back row rested a rather intimate part of his anatomy on the shoulder of a player in the front row. I played a few times for a work side that had some very good players along with a number of non employees who were also decent. Wayne Howorth, Justin Donovan, a couple of Jolly brothers (Dave who was an ex colleague and Ivan who was a regular on the score sheet) Leon Barnett to name a few.

[Big Vinny K]

I think I know who you mean. Was the highly strung brother quite short?

Yep - he was actually a good player.
But such a horrible barsteward !!

[Big Vinny K]

The Railway Club in Rosegrove had a lad in the early 90's who used to score for fun, I remember ..Pennington, or something like that ?

Colin Pennington
Natural goal scorer. Played for us at St Teds OB for a couple of seasons. I used to pick him up as he lived near me.

[Quickenthetempo]

Always remember an infamous team photo from the mid 90s that was published in the Burnley Express where one of the players on the back row rested a rather intimate part of his anatomy on the shoulder of a player in the front row. I played a few times for a work side that had some very good players along with a number of non employees who were also decent. Wayne Howorth, Justin Donovan, a couple of Jolly brothers (Dave who was an ex colleague and Ivan who was a regular on the score sheet) Leon Barnett to name a few.

There might have been others but certainly Tony Sharples did it in Padiham and it resulted in record sales of the Burnley express.

[Big Vinny K]

There might have been others but certainly Tony Sharples did it in Padiham and it resulted in record sales of the Burnley express.

It wasn’t him in the Burnley Express but he is the highly strung one !!

[basil6345789]

Pike Hill Bombers have their own Facebook group, " Down the miggle ", thanks largely to the efforts of one of our fellow posters, some great photos, stories etc on there ...

https://www.facebook.com/groups/330140915346630

A must visit!

[basil6345789]

What no Redrose in the new leagues. Shocking

Still see some of the Redrose lads and I always thank them on behalf of The Bombers for our maximum points each season. Nice boys!

[Quickenthetempo]

It wasn’t him in the Burnley Express but he is the highly strung one !!

He certainly did. I was in last year of school when it happened, so around 94.
It was talk of the school with plenty of copies being brought in.

[Big Vinny K]

He certainly did. I was in last year of school when it happened, so around 94.
It was talk of the school with plenty of copies being brought in.

Must have been twice then.
I won’t name the other lad but the photo was actually for the burnley Sunday league representative team (I think)

[Quickenthetempo]

Must have been twice then.
I won’t name the other lad but the photo was actually for the burnley Sunday league representative team (I think)

I just tried googling said incident to see if anything was in the Burnley Express archive.
It took me to the British National Archive where you type in Burnley express, name and years.

There was pages and pages of articles on Sunday league football if you want to go on nostalgia hunt.

[HuncoatClaret]

Always remember an infamous team photo from the mid 90s that was published in the Burnley Express where one of the players on the back row rested a rather intimate part of his anatomy on the shoulder of a player in the front row. I played a few times for a work side that had some very good players along with a number of non employees who were also decent. Wayne Howorth, Justin Donovan, a couple of Jolly brothers (Dave who was an ex colleague and Ivan who was a regular on the score sheet) Leon Barnett to name a few.

I remember playing against the team with the Jolly brothers and Justin Donovan, they were a team of kickers especially Donovan.

[ClaretTony]

What no Redrose in the new leagues. Shocking

Would have been fifty years old this year

[Dressinggown]

Started playing in the nets for the Falcon Inn on complete mudbaths down Townley and at the Prairie in the mid to late 80's.

We were rubbish. Our mini bus picked up most of the team from the games room at the Gretna Green pub.

It was interesting playing against The Bridge and Paak United who would bring up to a hundred supporters along.

We played against Burnley Belvedere in the Hospital Cup one season. I was named Man of the Match and had my nose broken by a pile driver from ex Clarets left back Ian Brennan.

We lost 16-1.

[Goody1975]

Started playing in the nets for the Falcon Inn on complete mudbaths down Townley and at the Prairie in the mid to late 80's.

We were rubbish. Our mini bus picked up most of the team from the games room at the Gretna Green pub.

It was interesting playing against The Bridge and Paak United who would bring up to a hundred supporters along.

We played against Burnley Belvedere in the Hospital Cup one season. I was named Man of the Match and had my nose broken by a pile driver from ex Clarets left back Ian Brennan.

We lost 16-1.

Minibus

You're having a laugh, you mean the van driven by Chas.

[Dressinggown]

Yes, I was upping our transport to the games. We did have to be in the back of Chas's delivery transit van. I was lucky that I was picked up early at the Rose and Crown and got to sit on the wheel.

Chas was the manager and was as crap as the rest of us.

Good bloke though.

[Herts Clarets]

There might have been others but certainly Tony Sharples did it in Padiham and it resulted in record sales of the Burnley express.

I think it's the same player, but pretty sure I played against him in the 6 a side league in the Turf Moor gym mid 90s. He elbowed my brother off the ball in one incident and I think a couple of weeks later he smashed into the wall during a game and sustained a nasty break to his arm.

[Dressinggown]

At the same time there was a well known Burnley character who was a doorman at the Falcon / Bojangles / Kestrel Suite.

He wanted to play so we had him as a sub against Dorma.

Upon arrival he was rather animated on the sidelines and was itching to get on the pitch. I saved a penalty and he ran the on to hug me wearing his trademark Sheepskin coat.

Moments later he was introduced as a 'tactical' substitution and kicked one of their players about 20 feet in the air. A yellow card resulted. Once the free kick was taken he kicked the same bloke about 40 yards towards the next pitch.

An immediate red card followed and then things got a bit interesting when he attacked the ref. It took both sides to 'save' the ref but then it all boiled over and ended with a free for all between anyone involved. I think that the match was abandoned due to the lack of officials prepared to continue as the mayhem ensued.

Good times. I think we got a draw.

[Clarets4me]

At the same time there was a well known Burnley character who was a doorman at the Falcon / Bojangles / Kestrel Suite.

He wanted to play so we had him as a sub against Dorma.

Upon arrival he was rather animated on the sidelines and was itching to get on the pitch. I saved a penalty and he ran the on to hug me wearing his trademark Sheepskin coat.

Moments later he was introduced as a 'tactical' substitution and kicked one of their players about 20 feet in the air. A yellow card resulted. Once the free kick was taken he kicked the same bloke about 40 yards towards the next pitch.

An immediate red card followed and then things got a bit interesting when he attacked the ref. It took both sides to 'save' the ref but then it all boiled over and ended with a free for all between anyone involved. I think that the match was abandoned due to the lack of officials prepared to continue as the mayhem ensued.

Good times. I think we got a draw.

Initials " DO " ?

[ClaretsPadiham]

The dust is beginning to settle after a very busy week for the league...

2023/24 SEASON OVERVIEW

Started the season with 12 teams
Voted for 1 division, playing each other twice. On completion of the league games the league split in 2 to make 2 league cup competitions and then the Towneley Cup for all teams
Lost Casual Minds after 8 games and finished the season with 11 teams
A season hampered with postponements due to the weather and lack of 3G pitches
Williams FC won the league in a close battle with Daneshouse all the way up to the final game of the season
Daneshouse went on to win the Premier Division League Cup
Globe FC won the Second Division League Cup
Craven Heifer and Daneshouse made it to the Towneley Cup Final but we all know how that ended

For each of the 3 season's we have been on the committee, we have had to learn and adapt and deal with everything thrown our way. In fairness, that is the only way we are going to learn and evolve and hopefully that is the case as we encourage all teams to have a voice.

2024/25 SEASON

At the AGM on the 31st July, we knew we had interest from new teams wanting to the join the league. Some brand new and some from the Pendle Charity League
After the meeting, we had confirmed 18 teams, to us and great improvement on the 11 from the previous season
Lost one team (Thornton) and gained 8 new teams.
At the point of the meeting, we had voted on 2 divisions with 8 in the Premier Division and 10 in the Championship
Two days after the meeting, we get a further 5 teams wanting to join and we had to completely re-think the structure of the league
Unbelievably we now have 23 teams confirmed and for the first time in years, the Burnley District League is back to 3 Divisions!!
The process of deciding who went in what league has proven to be the most painful as you can't please everyone, especially when some teams are an unknown quantity

Here are the 3 divisions....

PREMIER DIVISION
Inn on the Wharf (formerly Williams)
Daneshouse
Craven Heifer
Globe FC
100FC
Colne Athletic - NEW TEAM
Pendle Blues - NEW TEAM

CHAMPIONSHIP
AFC 2010
AFC Accrington
Hoddlesden FC
Oswaldtwistle Wolves
Kudos Utd - NEW TEAM
Pendle Utd - NEW TEAM
Sabden - NEW TEAM
AFC Veterans - NEW TEAM

SECOND DIVISION
Dewhurst
Dog Inn - NEW TEAM
Mavericks FC - NEW TEAM
FC Globe - NEW TEAM
Belvedere - NEW TEAM
Park View Clarets - NEW TEAM
FC Hyndburn - NEW TEAM
Royal Dyche - NEW TEAM

With more teams come more fixtures...

I constantly pepper Burnley Council with calls and emails and try to build relationships with the likes of Prairie Sports Village, Nelson College and Marsden Heights to secure 3G pitches when the weather causes grass pitches to be called off. The junior leagues monopolise the 3G pitches from November to March but we did manage to get some slots.

This constant communication has paid off!! This season we have the following pitches available to league to cover the 11 games we have every Sunday and I can’t thank them enough

Towneley - 3 pitches
Prairie - 2 pitches
Fennyfold - 1 pitch - Back in use for the first time in years!
Marsden Heights - Block booking for the full season from 12 till 4pm giving us 2 games guaranteed every week
Prairie 3G - One pitch booked from the 1st September till the end of October

To ease the pain of getting games played each week, we also have teams with their own pitches!!

Globe FC and FC Globe - Mount Carmel (Accrington)
AFC Accrington - Livingston Road (Accrington)
Belvedere - Belvedere
Sabden - Sabden
(Potentially Roebuck in Clitheroe as well)

We are completely in line with all LFA/FA requirements in terms of team affiliations, rules, qualifications
We have added to the committee to give us more structure and balance across everything from fixtures, player registrations, transfers, finance and secretarial duties
We are building stronger relations with the referees within the league to ensure they have a voice and get the respect they deserve

We are hopeful of getting the league started on the 1st September and I just want to say a big thank you to everyone involve.

Some great teams have joined the league and it makes for a very exciting season with 3 league winners, 3 league cup winners and the Towneley Cup for which I will not stop pestering Burnley Football Club to get the final back at Turf Moor!!!

All the best for season!

Cheers

Chairman

[ClaretsPadiham]

Up to 23 teams now !

Be good if they can get the cup final back on the Turf.

[jrgbfc]

Maybe the lack of nightlife these days has got lads back playing footy?
But with our current owners i think the chances of playing Sunday league finals on the Turf are non existent unfortunately.

[longsidetrumpet]

The dust is beginning to settle after a very busy week for the league...

2023/24 SEASON OVERVIEW

Started the season with 12 teams
Voted for 1 division, playing each other twice. On completion of the league games the league split in 2 to make 2 league cup competitions and then the Towneley Cup for all teams
Lost Casual Minds after 8 games and finished the season with 11 teams
A season hampered with postponements due to the weather and lack of 3G pitches
Williams FC won the league in a close battle with Daneshouse all the way up to the final game of the season
Daneshouse went on to win the Premier Division League Cup
Globe FC won the Second Division League Cup
Craven Heifer and Daneshouse made it to the Towneley Cup Final but we all know how that ended

For each of the 3 season's we have been on the committee, we have had to learn and adapt and deal with everything thrown our way. In fairness, that is the only way we are going to learn and evolve and hopefully that is the case as we encourage all teams to have a voice.

2024/25 SEASON

At the AGM on the 31st July, we knew we had interest from new teams wanting to the join the league. Some brand new and some from the Pendle Charity League
After the meeting, we had confirmed 18 teams, to us and great improvement on the 11 from the previous season
Lost one team (Thornton) and gained 8 new teams.
At the point of the meeting, we had voted on 2 divisions with 8 in the Premier Division and 10 in the Championship
Two days after the meeting, we get a further 5 teams wanting to join and we had to completely re-think the structure of the league
Unbelievably we now have 23 teams confirmed and for the first time in years, the Burnley District League is back to 3 Divisions!!
The process of deciding who went in what league has proven to be the most painful as you can't please everyone, especially when some teams are an unknown quantity

Here are the 3 divisions....

PREMIER DIVISION
Inn on the Wharf (formerly Williams)
Daneshouse
Craven Heifer
Globe FC
100FC
Colne Athletic - NEW TEAM
Pendle Blues - NEW TEAM

CHAMPIONSHIP
AFC 2010
AFC Accrington
Hoddlesden FC
Oswaldtwistle Wolves
Kudos Utd - NEW TEAM
Pendle Utd - NEW TEAM
Sabden - NEW TEAM
AFC Veterans - NEW TEAM

SECOND DIVISION
Dewhurst
Dog Inn - NEW TEAM
Mavericks FC - NEW TEAM
FC Globe - NEW TEAM
Belvedere - NEW TEAM
Park View Clarets - NEW TEAM
FC Hyndburn - NEW TEAM
Royal Dyche - NEW TEAM

With more teams come more fixtures...

I constantly pepper Burnley Council with calls and emails and try to build relationships with the likes of Prairie Sports Village, Nelson College and Marsden Heights to secure 3G pitches when the weather causes grass pitches to be called off. The junior leagues monopolise the 3G pitches from November to March but we did manage to get some slots.

This constant communication has paid off!! This season we have the following pitches available to league to cover the 11 games we have every Sunday and I can’t thank them enough

Towneley - 3 pitches
Prairie - 2 pitches
Fennyfold - 1 pitch - Back in use for the first time in years!
Marsden Heights - Block booking for the full season from 12 till 4pm giving us 2 games guaranteed every week
Prairie 3G - One pitch booked from the 1st September till the end of October

To ease the pain of getting games played each week, we also have teams with their own pitches!!

Globe FC and FC Globe - Mount Carmel (Accrington)
AFC Accrington - Livingston Road (Accrington)
Belvedere - Belvedere
Sabden - Sabden
(Potentially Roebuck in Clitheroe as well)

We are completely in line with all LFA/FA requirements in terms of team affiliations, rules, qualifications
We have added to the committee to give us more structure and balance across everything from fixtures, player registrations, transfers, finance and secretarial duties
We are building stronger relations with the referees within the league to ensure they have a voice and get the respect they deserve

We are hopeful of getting the league started on the 1st September and I just want to say a big thank you to everyone involve.

Some great teams have joined the league and it makes for a very exciting season with 3 league winners, 3 league cup winners and the Towneley Cup for which I will not stop pestering Burnley Football Club to get the final back at Turf Moor!!!

All the best for season!

Cheers

Chairman

Very well done Mr Chairman and your committee. As a former vice-chairman and long-time results secretary of the league I wish you good luck. It ain’t easy running a league. Like life itself it’s the bad apples who make it hard work

[basil6345789]

Initials " DO " ?

Could play football too!

[Dressinggown]

Initials 'DO' ?

No.

[beeholeclaret]

The dust is beginning to settle after a very busy week for the league...

2023/24 SEASON OVERVIEW

Started the season with 12 teams
Voted for 1 division, playing each other twice. On completion of the league games the league split in 2 to make 2 league cup competitions and then the Towneley Cup for all teams
Lost Casual Minds after 8 games and finished the season with 11 teams
A season hampered with postponements due to the weather and lack of 3G pitches
Williams FC won the league in a close battle with Daneshouse all the way up to the final game of the season
Daneshouse went on to win the Premier Division League Cup
Globe FC won the Second Division League Cup
Craven Heifer and Daneshouse made it to the Towneley Cup Final but we all know how that ended

For each of the 3 season's we have been on the committee, we have had to learn and adapt and deal with everything thrown our way. In fairness, that is the only way we are going to learn and evolve and hopefully that is the case as we encourage all teams to have a voice.

2024/25 SEASON

At the AGM on the 31st July, we knew we had interest from new teams wanting to the join the league. Some brand new and some from the Pendle Charity League
After the meeting, we had confirmed 18 teams, to us and great improvement on the 11 from the previous season
Lost one team (Thornton) and gained 8 new teams.
At the point of the meeting, we had voted on 2 divisions with 8 in the Premier Division and 10 in the Championship
Two days after the meeting, we get a further 5 teams wanting to join and we had to completely re-think the structure of the league
Unbelievably we now have 23 teams confirmed and for the first time in years, the Burnley District League is back to 3 Divisions!!
The process of deciding who went in what league has proven to be the most painful as you can't please everyone, especially when some teams are an unknown quantity

Here are the 3 divisions....

PREMIER DIVISION
Inn on the Wharf (formerly Williams)
Daneshouse
Craven Heifer
Globe FC
100FC
Colne Athletic - NEW TEAM
Pendle Blues - NEW TEAM

CHAMPIONSHIP
AFC 2010
AFC Accrington
Hoddlesden FC
Oswaldtwistle Wolves
Kudos Utd - NEW TEAM
Pendle Utd - NEW TEAM
Sabden - NEW TEAM
AFC Veterans - NEW TEAM

SECOND DIVISION
Dewhurst
Dog Inn - NEW TEAM
Mavericks FC - NEW TEAM
FC Globe - NEW TEAM
Belvedere - NEW TEAM
Park View Clarets - NEW TEAM
FC Hyndburn - NEW TEAM
Royal Dyche - NEW TEAM

With more teams come more fixtures...

I constantly pepper Burnley Council with calls and emails and try to build relationships with the likes of Prairie Sports Village, Nelson College and Marsden Heights to secure 3G pitches when the weather causes grass pitches to be called off. The junior leagues monopolise the 3G pitches from November to March but we did manage to get some slots.

This constant communication has paid off!! This season we have the following pitches available to league to cover the 11 games we have every Sunday and I can’t thank them enough

Towneley - 3 pitches
Prairie - 2 pitches
Fennyfold - 1 pitch - Back in use for the first time in years!
Marsden Heights - Block booking for the full season from 12 till 4pm giving us 2 games guaranteed every week
Prairie 3G - One pitch booked from the 1st September till the end of October

To ease the pain of getting games played each week, we also have teams with their own pitches!!

Globe FC and FC Globe - Mount Carmel (Accrington)
AFC Accrington - Livingston Road (Accrington)
Belvedere - Belvedere
Sabden - Sabden
(Potentially Roebuck in Clitheroe as well)

We are completely in line with all LFA/FA requirements in terms of team affiliations, rules, qualifications
We have added to the committee to give us more structure and balance across everything from fixtures, player registrations, transfers, finance and secretarial duties
We are building stronger relations with the referees within the league to ensure they have a voice and get the respect they deserve

We are hopeful of getting the league started on the 1st September and I just want to say a big thank you to everyone involve.

Some great teams have joined the league and it makes for a very exciting season with 3 league winners, 3 league cup winners and the Towneley Cup for which I will not stop pestering Burnley Football Club to get the final back at Turf Moor!!!

All the best for season!

Cheers

Chairman

What a fantastic effort Mr Chairman. All the things you are aiming to achieve represent a valuable opportunity for potentially hundreds of local lads to compete and enjoy the facilities which you have fought to obtain. Reading the above reminds me of my playing days and how we all took things for granted and yet before we know it those days have suddenly gone forever. All credit to you and I hope the committee structure helps to maintain the discipline and hence enjoyment of local grass roots football.

[Backforgood]

Started playing in the nets for the Falcon Inn on complete mudbaths down Townley and at the Prairie in the mid to late 80's.

We were rubbish. Our mini bus picked up most of the team from the games room at the Gretna Green pub.

It was interesting playing against The Bridge and Paak United who would bring up to a hundred supporters along.

We played against Burnley Belvedere in the Hospital Cup one season. I was named Man of the Match and had my nose broken by a pile driver from ex Clarets left back Ian Brennan.

We lost 16-1.

The Bridge/Paak United quote brings back memories, we played Paak United on Lower Townley( I think we were called Grey Mare then), top of the table clash, there seemed to be more fans than on the Turf, we won 2-1. I remember the walk along the short river bridge on the way out of the changing rooms was very interesting

[ClaretTony]

What a fantastic effort Mr Chairman. All the things you are aiming to achieve represent a valuable opportunity for potentially hundreds of local lads to compete and enjoy the facilities which you have fought to obtain. Reading the above reminds me of my playing days and how we all took things for granted and yet before we know it those days have suddenly gone forever. All credit to you and I hope the committee structure helps to maintain the discipline and hence enjoyment of local grass roots football.

I’d like to echo that. While never much good when it came to playing football, I benefited from there being a strong local league structure. If it’s giving local lads the opportunity to play football then a huge well done to those involved.

[claretbonkers]

Initials 'DO' ?

No.

NJ ?

[Dressinggown]

Initials " DO " ?

I'm unsure as to who DO might be but think more on the lines of Metacarpophalangeal Joints for the character in question.

[Dressinggown]

That's the one !

[Dressinggown]

That's the one !

[FCBurnley]

I’d like to echo that. While never much good when it came to playing football, I benefited from there being a strong local league structure. If it’s giving local lads the opportunity to play football then a huge well done to those involved.

I agree about the whole of this post