Chronological History of Morecambe Football Club 

Click Here For History Index

 

Early History

Click On Decades

1920's    1930's

1940's     1950's

1960's    1970's

1980's    1990's

2000's

O

The 1960's

The 1960-1961 season saw floodlights, costing £4,000, being used for the  first time on October 27th 1960, with a game against an All Star Xl (won 4-3). Also the  Auxiliary Supporters Club, costing £10,000, was built and opened on December 7th with another All Star XI providing the opposition in a 5-5 draw.  Meanwhile in the league the team finished the season in sixth place.

  1961-1962 ~  This season it can be said was the being of the golden years of the 1960's . One of the decade's finest seasons: League champions, Lancashire Junior Cup winners, 3-1 over Wigan Athletic in front of 8,000 at Deepdale. Former Preston North End player  Joe Dunn  was appointed new payer-manager.

  Chester F.A. Cup ~  Also the team had a great run in the F.A. Cup. They had defeated Chester, away 1-0  in the 2nd Round and reached the 3rd Round of the FA, Cup before losing 0-1 to Weymouth in front of a Christie Park record attendance of 9,234.

    The Death of An Old Favorite ~ The Scratchin' Shed

   1962-63, saw the main stand, costing £20,000, opened by Leeds United on 8th August, with John Charles kicking off for the visitors.  Again the team were Lancashire Combination Champions, beating Chorley on goal average. The Lancashire Junior Cup were retained, beating Wigan 3-1 at Deepdale, Preston, in front of a crowd 8,000.  Sadly the team bowed out of the F.A. Cup in the early rounds being beaten by Blyth Spartans. 

   1963-64, season proved to be an anti-climax to past to seasons. The Club finished mid-table in the league and didn't win a cup. The only highlight of the season was the Club were invited to play in the Lancashire Senior Cup or Junior Cup. They played in the Senior Cup losing to Manchester City Reserves in the 1st round. The team faired somewhat better in the 1964-65 season. Geoff Twentyman joined the Club as the new player-manager.

   1965 Under him the team finished third in the league and won the Lancashire Combination Cup  beating Chorley in a two leg final. The 1st leg being 3-1 and wining the 2nd 3-0, 4-3 overall. 

1965-1966 saw another ex Preston North Ender become player-manager, this time Ken Waterhouse took control of the team. He started to rebuild the team which finished seventh, reaching the semi-finals of of the Lancashire Junior Cup losing to Wigan, 3-0. They did however win the Newlands Cup, and play in the Macclesfield FC Floodlight Competition, an attempt to get to best northern non-league team together (a for-runner to the Northern Premier League. Next season  Ken's second season ,1966-1967, saw the club  clinched both the title and the Combination Cup, beating Fleetwood 1-0 at Christie Park in front of 3,719 fans. York City defeated them in an FA. Cup 1st Round 2nd replay, and Wigan defeated them in the final of the Lancashire Floodlit Cup.

  1967-1968 saw the Club play for last time in  Lancashire Combination. This was the 'Golden Year' of the 60's, for many. 

  Champions of the league, Combination Cup winners, 1-0 over Horwich, and the first non-league club to win the Lancashire Senior Cup, defeating Burnley 2-1, having knocked out Blackburn, Bury and Oldham on the way.  Lancashire Senior Cup Memories Record win achieved, 14-0 over Rossendale United, in which Arnold Timmons equaled the individual record for one match of  8.

  1968-1969, the Club entered a new era. The Club became founder members of The Northern Premier League, set up to bring together the best northern non-league teams together in one league.  The opening game  was at home in front of 2,000 in 0-0 draw against Ashinton Town ,from the north-east In the  inaugural season the club finish third . Lost against to York in the FA. Cup away 2-0, but win the Lancashire Junior Cup beating Great Harwood 1-0 at Deepdale. The following season 1969-1970 saw Ken Waterhouse joined the Blackburn Rover staff and Ronnie Clayton was name player-manager. The season was to be a great anti-climax to the end of the 1960's  The faced relegation for most of the season but in the end finished sixth from the bottom. This was the being of the barren years for the Club and supporters alike.