Lancaster City

Lancaster City FC is a non-league football club from the pretty county town of Lancashire of the same name. The club came into being in 1911 as Lancaster Town FC after Lancaster Athletic had led the way from 1905 following a meeting at the town’s Temperance Hall.

Town joined the second division of the Lancashire Combination, where the previous club had also plied their trade. After securing promotion the club won the league title in 1921-22, 1929-30, 1934-35 and 1935-36 as well as finishing runners up on another couple of occasions. 

They also twice reached the first round of the FA Cup during this period. In 1937 the club became Lancaster City after the granting of the Royal Charter to Lancaster. City remained in the Lancashire Combination until 1970 when they joined the Northern Premier League ahead of the 1970-71 campaign.

At the end of the 1981-82 season City resigned from the league owing to financial reasons and joined the newly formed North West Counties League as a Division One club with Dickie Danson as manager. Lancaster suffered relegation in 1985 to Division Two of the competition.

However, they regrouped and were accepted as members in the extended Northern Premier League for 1987-88, where they were placed in Division One. Under the stewardship of Alan Tinsley City won the divisional title in 1995-96 and were promoted to the Premier Division.

Tinsley was replaced by Gordon Raynor for a couple of years before he returned for a second spell in 1998. A year later Tony Hesketh was appointed as manager. He was replaced by Phil Wilson in 2003.

Following restructuring of non-league football the 'Dolly Blues’ found themselves placed in the newly formed Conference North for the 2004-05 campaign. After their debut season Pater Ward became manager, eventually replaced by Barrie Stimpson in 2006.

Further financial troubles hit the club in 2006-07, which led to the club entering administration and being deducted ten points. Consequently, City restructured were relegated to Division One North of the Northern Premier League. 

Hesketh returned for a second spell in charge of the team at the end of the 2008-09 season. The following campaign saw City reach the playoff final, but they lost the promotion showdown 1-0 to Colwyn Bay at The Giant Axe after earlier defeating Skelmersdale United.

After finishing just outside the play off places for two consecutive seasons, Hesketh left the club 2012 to be replaced by joint bosses Neil Wainwright and Michael Stringfellow. However, after the club cut the playing budget in February 2013 the pair departed. 

The new manager appointed in April 2013 was former Newcastle United, Blackburn Rovers and Queens Park Rangers star Darren Peacock. Peacock and his assistant Trevor Sinclair departed in September 2015 after a disappointing start to the new season to be replaced by former City player Phil Brown.

His side won the Division One title in 2016-17 to return to the Premier Division where they completed a series of midtable finishes around the two abandoned seasons owing to the worldwide pandemic. Mark Fell arrived as the new Lancaster manager in October 2018.

 

He was replaced in November 2023 after a breakdown in his relationship with chairman Andy Baker. Chris Willcock was appointed in his place, as his side ended the 2023-24 campaign in ninth spot.

Lancaster City FC will play in the Northern Premier League Premier Division in the 2024-25 season.

My visit

Friday 18^th April 2014

My visit to Lancaster City came completely by chance on a stunning Good Friday early afternoon. I was on my way to see the match between Morecambe and Scunthorpe United which would see me reach ninety-one Football League grounds. 

When planning the day I noted that The Giant Axe was a couple of hundred metres from Lancaster railway station. As I had thirty minutes to kill between connecting trains, I wasn’t going to turn down the opportunity to pop down and take some photos.

An exit from the station conveniently brought me out onto the playing field adjoining the ground, so I walked down the hill. I was delighted to find the gate in the far corner open as a couple of gents worked on the pitch ahead of their home against Padiham the following day.

The Giant Axe had been the clubs home since its formation. Before the football ground became fully enclosed the whole fields staged cricket and tennis as well as football. The name came about because when the exterior wall was viewed from above, it resembled the same shape as an axe head.

I'd seen it before it was properly developed as it was photographed on the front page of the club programme, back when City and Scarborough were regular Northern Premier League rivals. It was a venue that always intrigued me.

The ground had been quite clearly been modernised over the years and was now an impressive non-league venue. The neat main seated John Bagguley Stand stood back from the pitch down one side. Further up stood the changing rooms as well as the bar, refreshments and other facilities. 

Opposite was the Long Side, a small open terrace with the dug outs, directors lounge and a raised sponsors box and TV gantry with Lancaster Castle in the background at the other side of the railway. 

At the far end The Shed contained a low covered terrace. At the entrance end was the modern open West Road Terrace. It was a very smart set up. One thing I did consider was that I had seen it at its best on a lovely day, but it could possibly be very cold in the depths of winter.

I left a happy man to have visited such a neat stadium, especially as it was unexpected until a day or so before. The whole town looked very nice. Perhaps one day I would return for a match and a proper look?