Cammell Laird 1907

Cammell Laird 1907 FC from Birkenhead in Merseyside is the replacement club, set up in 2014 to replace the former Cammell Laird FC who were originally formed as Cammell Laird Institute FC in 1907 for workers of the shipbuilding yard. 

The club was based in Conway Street, Birkenhead with the team playing their games at Old Prenton Park on Temple Road in the West Cheshire League.

In September 1909, the club moved to their newly enclosed ground in Park Road North, Birkenhead Park. After the First World War shipbuilding decreased and the company took the football club in-house.

In 1922 the club were re-established as Kirklands FC and joined the local Birkenhead League playing at Kirklands Stadium in Rock Ferry before they folded in 1935. In 1944 they were once again brought back and they rejoined the West Cheshire League. They went on to lift the title on a magnificent nineteen occasions.

The 'Shipyarders' joined the pyramid in 2004 by becoming members of the North West Counties League. Consecutive promotions were then incredibly achieved to find Laird in the Northern Premier League as well as reaching the semifinals of the FA Vase before Nantwich Town ended their run.

A fourth successive promotion was only foiled by Eastwood Town in the playoff final. The following season they finished second but were automatically promoted as champions Retford Town didn't meet the ground grading requirements. However, in a cruel twist of fate Laird were demoted the following season despite finishing in a safe position as they failed to upgrade Kirklands.

Laird suffered a terrible 2011-12 season, finishing bottom of the table. However, fortune was to favour the club as Durham City departed to the Northern League and Woodley Sports were thrown out of the league for ground grading issues, meaning their status remained intact.

A runners-up place in 2012-13 led to a playoff spot where Mossley were defeated before Trafford came out on top on penalties in the final. At the end of the following campaign, the original Laird was disbanded and replaced by a new entity because of ownership issues at the club.

Tony Sullivan started the new regime as manager before being replaced shortly after by Paul McNally as the team was placed in Division One of the North West Counties League. Promotion to the Premier Division was won at the first attempt in 2014-15.

The 2015-16 campaign saw Sullivan return to the hot seat before being replaced by Neil Prince for the following season who was then succeeded by Mick McGraa as the Shipyarders were relegated to Division One and then placed in Division One South after league expansion.

Phil Burton took on the manager’s job before he departed in December 2020 with Stuart Keir replacing him. In May 2023 Andy Cass was appointed, remaining in place until he resigned in October 2024. Glyn Norman was the man to succeed him.

Cammell Laird 1907 FC will play in the North West Counties League Division One South in the 2024-25 season.

My visit

Tuesday 19th October 2010

It was a gloomy and showery final day of my few days of groundhopping, beer tasting and sightseeing on Merseyside. I had left my fine guest house north of the river in Waterloo and deposited my travel bag at Lime Street Station. A Merseyrail train dropped me at Rock Ferry.

I left the station and surveyed a rather run-down area. I turned left down the hill and into Chester New Road before taking a turn after half a mile and ending up in St Peter's Road. To my dismay, the ground was locked up and there was no sign of life over the road in the social club. I did my best to take some limited photos but I didn't get much of a view. I needed a plan B.

I walked back to the main road and noticed that the bus garage and large yard formed the boundary to the stadium. It only had a high rail fence and the ground could be seen through it. There was nothing else to do. I walked into the yard where there were many private cars. 

Nobody questioned me so I took some reasonable photos of the sides I hadn't previously seen. The near St Peter's Road side had a low seated covered stand straddling the halfway line with facilities towards the corner flag including the changing rooms. 

The Chester New Road or Bus Garage Side had two low-covered stands, one offering seats and the other room for standing spectators. The rest of the ground consisted of flat open standing with a hard standing path around the pitch and then grass.

I left the bus yard and took a bus back past Rock Ferry station and some of the way to my next port of call, Prenton Park Tranmere.