Chronological History of Morecambe Football Club
Click On Decades
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.