Haslingden St Marys - St Marys Community Sports Hub

Haslingden St Mary's FC

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Ground Number: 1581

Monday 31st August 2026

Haslingden St Marys 2-2 Lostock St Gerards

West Lancs Premier

HASLINGDEN ST MARYS FC - A BRIEF HISTORY

The club was established back in 1887 and tasted early success with the Haslingden District Amateur League title. After the First World War, they won the Haslingden Sunday School League in 1920 & 1921. They dominated the Rossendale Sunday School League between 1929 & 1935, creating an unbeatable record in 1933/34 by winning all their league matches. Next up was the Rossendale League, where they won the title in 1940. After the war, Haslingden joined the Blackburn Combination, winning the Division 2 title in 1954. They stayed here for a long time, progressing through the divisions to challenge at the top of the Premier. In 1996, they joined the West Lancashire League, starting in Division 2, which was renamed Division 1 two years later. They tended to struggle, and in 2004, Haslingden finished bottom of the table, going down to Division 2 of the expanded league. However, this was a blessing in disguise as they regrouped and were champions two seasons in a row, getting to the West Lancs Premier in 2006. In their debut season, they were runners-up to Kirkham & Wesham (soon to become AFC Fylde). It was a series of top-half finishes until they were relegated in 2010 after finishing bottom. They were relegated to Division 2 in 2013, taking two years to come back up as champions. The Division 1 title followed in 2017, after which two seasons were spent in the Premier before relegation. In 2024, they were promoted after finishing as runners-up to Eagley and have remained in the Premier Division ever since.

Local cup wins include the Bailey Cup in 1920, the FR Cashell Cup in 1921, the Eddlesden Cup in 1954 and the West Lancs League Richardson Cup in 2008. Haslingden is a town in the borough of Rossendale, Lancashire, England. It lies 16 miles north of Manchester. The town population (including Helmshore) is just under 16,000. The town is surrounded by high moorland: 370 metres to the north; 396 metres at Cribden to the east; and 418 metres at Bull Hill to the south. The name Haslingden means 'valley of the hazels' or 'valley growing with hazels'. Some evidence of Bronze Age human presence exists in the Haslingden area. Thirteen Stones Hill is west of the town and probably dates from about 3000BC. There is now just one stone visible. Haslingden was once connected to Accrington and Bury Bolton Street by railway. The East Lancashire Railway built a station here, which remained open to passengers under British Railways until November 1960 and to goods until November 1964. The Bury–Accrington line itself remained in use until December 1966.

MY BLOG

It was a case of winding down once I'd got my blogs up on Sunday, with me getting into bed around 11. I wasn't tired though and carried on watching YouTube. I must have got to bed around 12.30, waking around 6.45. It was going home day, so I started packing up for the trip home. We left at 8.45, handing the key in and meeting Shaun in reception. It was just under half an hour drive to Heywood, where we parked up in Morrisons and walked a few minutes to the Edwin Waugh Wetherspoons. This is named after the dialect poet Edwin Waugh, described as the ‘Burns of Lancashire’. In 1847, he became assistant secretary to the Lancashire Public Schools Association and moved to Manchester, which he hated. However, his horizons were widened by new acquaintances full of political ideals and wide reading. He earned a living by writing poetry and reciting verses in public. When he died in 1890, he was mourned by thousands as the ‘voice of Lancashire’s homely virtues’.

We met up with Martin in there, who had come up from Peterborough for the day. It was the usual breakfast muffin, black pudding and energy drink for me. It took a while to come, but was tasty as usual. We left at 9.45, going to B&M although they didn't have Colin's yoghurt drink, so he kept us waiting for ten minutes whilst he went in Morrisons. It was then a 20-minute drive to the ground, with us parking up on the nearby industrial estate. It was a hilly but pleasant walk to the ground, where we paid a fiver to get in. I went into the bar and met the Essex hoppers, PuffPuff kindly getting me a shirt as they were only a quid. The mobile signal was rubbish though, and I couldn't check in. The heavens opened too, so I went back to my car to get my umbrella. The rain stopped the moment I had it in my hand, but I took it anyway. At least I was able to use Howden's free wifi to check into the game. I then went back to the ground, arriving five minutes before kickoff.

 

Haslingden St Marys were in 11th place and had won three and lost four. In their last game, they lost 4-2 at Kendal County. Lostock  St Gerards were in 5th. They'd won four, drawn one and lost two so far. Last Saturday, they'd lost 2-1 at home to Poulton. Haslingden took the lead on 13 minutes, a decent shot from the edge of the area which went in off the post. On 20 minutes it was all square, a deflected shot from just inside the area. Lostock took the lead on 24 minutes, a nicely worked move with the striker unselfishly passing the ball to a better placed man. Lostock were the better side, and they hit the bar and post within the space of seconds just after the hour. On 72 minutes, Haslingden forced a great save out of the keeper. On 81 minutes, a great strike from range made it 2-2, and that was how the game ended.

 

THE GROUND 

ST MARY'S COMMUNITY CENTRE is another picturesque ground with a fully railed pitch but no cover. The clubhouse is behind one goal and has a decent range of food and drink. There was also a decent range of merch. There is plenty of parking nearby too.