Long Preston FC are back after 58-year hiatus (From Craven Herald)

Long Preston FC are back after 58-year hiatus

1:55pm Thursday 3rd July 2008

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Long Preston Football Club are back after an absence of 58 years. The new club will play in Division Three of the Craven League for the upcoming 2008/09 season.

Originally formed in 1946 it is believed that there are only five surviving members from the 1948/49 team - Frank Irvine, Tom Clay, Bill Rogerson, John Metcalfe and Robert Slater, who the new team would like to invite to their opening match.

The club started its first ever season in 1947/48 in the Craven League playing against Horton-in-Ribblesdale.

The score of that was 3-3 with Gane, Irving and Bicknell being the scorers.

The following season Long Preston went on to win the Second Division league title and the Second Division League Cup beating Lothersdale 4-1 in a match held at Hellifield FC, which is where the present day Long Preston team will be playing until a pitch solution is resolved.

A team of young men in the village have worked long and hard to put the team together, receiving shirt sponsorship from The Maypole Inn in Long Preston and badge sponsorship from Magna Large Print Books.

They are currently looking at match and ball sponsorship for up and coming games and they are approaching all businesses in the area.

They will be playing in the original club colours of black and yellow stripes - a nice touch from a new team to players of old.

For further information please visit the club's website longprestonfc. co.uk.

It is good to see in this era of internet and TV to see the youth of the village joining in with the footballers of yesteryear and to find that they still have a lot in common with one another and that things don't change too much.

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