Lincolnshire Football League
| Founded | 1948[1] |
|---|---|
| Country | England |
| Number of clubs | 17 |
| Level on pyramid | 11 |
| Promotion to | Level 10 Northern Counties East League United Counties League |
| Domestic cup | Lincolnshire Football League Challenge Cup |
| Current champions | Nettleham (2024–25) |
| Website | FA Full-Time |
The Lincolnshire Football League is an English football league. The league has one division, which stands at level 11 of the English football league system).
History
There are records of a Lincolnshire football league taking place as early as the 1884–1885 season but before the Second World War the league had several different formats, including being a reserve league for Football League clubs in Lincolnshire from 1933 to 1939.
The league officially formed at the start of the 1948–49, following a proposal from Grimsby Town Football club back in 1947 to create a county wide league offering a higher level of football than the Grimsby Football League.[2] Discussions took place throughout the football season and the league was formed on Monday 2 February 1948 with 14 clubs initially joining.[3]
The league also ran a "Lincolnshire Premier Division" from 1961 to 1968 again catering for Reserve sides of Football League Clubs.[4]
The League runs a representative side that competes in the FA Inter League Cup. In their first venture into the competition, they reached the quarter-final stage where they lost to the Cheshire League. In the 2012–13 campaign, they also lost in the quarter-finals to the Humber Premier League.
In May 2017 the Lincolnshire League became a member of the English football league system and initially National League System (NLS) following the FA elevating it to Step 7 status (level 11 overall),[5] which was abolished in 2020 and the league redesignated as an NLS feeder, subject to the league champions having the necessary ground grading and desire to do so. Clubs had, in recent years, moved up to the Northern Counties East Football League, Central Midlands League and the United Counties League.
Member clubs (2025–26)
- Barton Town Reserves
- Cleethorpes Town Reserves
- Fulbeck United
- Grimsby Borough Reserves
- Horncastle Town
- Immingham Town
- Lincoln Moorlands Railway
- Lincoln United Development
- Louth Town Reserves
- Nettleham (Sat)
- Ruston Sports FC
- Skegness Town Reserves
- Sleaford Town Development
- Spilsby Town
- Wyberton
Champions
| Season | Champions |
|---|---|
| 1948–49 | Alford United |
| 1949–50 | Brigg Town |
| 1950–51 | Alford United |
| 1951–52 | Skegness Town |
| 1952–53 | Grimsby Town A |
| 1953–54 | Brigg Town |
| 1954–55 | Gainsborough Trinity Reserves |
| 1955–56 | Skegness town |
| 1956–57 | Ashby Institute |
| 1957–58 | Louth United |
| 1958–59 | Grimsby Borough Police |
| 1959–60 | Grimsby Borough Police |
| 1960–61 | Barton Town |
| 1961–62 | Grimsby Borough Police |
| 1962–63 | Appleby Frodingham |
| 1963–64 | Lincoln United |
| 1964–65 | Boston United |
| 1965–66 | Ashby Institute |
| 1966–67 | Louth United |
| 1967–68 | Louth United |
| 1968–69 | Brigg Town |
| 1969–70 | Brigg Town |
| 1970–71 | Brigg Town |
| 1971–72 | Brigg Town |
| 1972–73 | Louth United |
| 1973–74 | Brigg Town |
| 1974–75 | Ruston Buycrus |
| 1975–76 | Brigg Town |
| 1976–77 | Appleby Frodingham |
| 1977–78 | Appleby Frodingham |
| 1978–79 | Drewery Sports Grimsby |
| 1979–80 | Gainsborough United |
| 1980–81 | Sleaford Town |
| 1981–82 | Hykeham Town |
| 1982–83 | Ross Sports |
| 1983–84 | Ross Sports |
| 1984–85 | Skegness Town |
| 1985–86 | Louth United |
| 1986–87 | Louth United |
| 1987–88 | Ruston Sports |
| 1988–89 | Ruston Sports |
| 1989–90 | Bottesford Town |
| 1990–91 | Bottesford Town |
| 1991–92 | Bottesford Town |
| 1992–93 | Humberside United |
| 1993–94 | Appleby Frodingham |
| 1994–95 | Wyberton |
| 1995–96 | Lincoln United Colts |
| 1996–97 | Barton Town Old Boys |
| 1997–98 | Lincoln United Reserves |
| 1998–99 | Limestone Rangers |
| 1999–00 | Boston United Reserves |
| 2000–01 | Grantham Town Reserves |
| 2001–02 | Lincoln United Reserves |
| 2002–03 | Grimsby Amateurs |
| 2003–04 | Sleaford Town |
| 2004–05 | Wyberton |
| 2005–06 | Hykeham Town |
| 2006–07 | Skegness Town |
| 2007–08 | Skegness Town |
| 2008–09 | CGB Humbertherm |
| 2009–10 | Harvest |
| 2010–11 | Boston United Reserves |
| 2011–12 | Cleethorpes Town |
| 2012–13 | Skegness United |
| 2013–14 | Skegness Town |
| 2014–15 | Hykeham Town |
| 2015–16 | Skegness Town |
| 2016–17 | Skegness Town |
| 2017–18 | Ruston Sports |
| 2018–19 | Lincoln Moorlands Railway |
| 2019–20 | None, seasons curtailed |
| 2020–21 | |
| 2021–22 | Wyberton |
| 2022–23 | Louth Town |
| 2023–24 | Nettleham |
| 2024–25 | Nettleham |
References
- ^ https://www.nonleaguematters.co.uk/nlmnet/Aarg3EE/Linc48.html
- ^ https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001121/19470417/003/0003
- ^ https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001520/19480207/176/0008
- ^ https://www.nonleaguematters.co.uk/nlmnet/Aarg3EE/Linc48.html
- ^ "Promotion party! Lincolnshire League elevated to step 7 status". Boston Standard. Johnston Publishing Ltd. 17 May 2017.