LWC Drinks First Division Cup Final
Wed 9th May 2018 | The Edward Case Cup | By Ian Templeman
Prestwich Heys and Cammell Laird 1907 go head to head in the final of the LWC Drinks First Division Cup final at the Millbank Linnets Stadium this evening.
For both clubs, it's an opportunity to lift the trophy for the first time, and add their name to a list of winners that goes all the way back to 1989, which includes Cammell Laird in their previous incarnation, when they defeated Flixton in the 2005 final.
The competition was formed in 1989 following the loss of a number of clubs to the Northern Premier League a few years earlier, which left both the First and Second Divisions, as they were known at the time, running short on members.
As a result, the Second Division was left with just 16 sides, and with just 30 league games being played in season 1989, it was felt an additional cup competition would help to increase the number of games for clubs.
For the first number of years the competition ran in a regionalised league format, with four groups of four teams meeting each other home and away over a short timescale at the start of the season with the group winners going on to the quarter-final stages later in the season.
The first side to get their name on the trophy were Great Harwood Town who beat Bacup Borough in the inaugural final. Since then, a further 24 clubs have managed to lift the trophy and only two sides have won the competition twice, AFC Liverpool in 2009 and 2010, and Formby in 1994/95 and 2013/14.
Tonight's final, of course, has added spice with Prestwich Heys due to host Lairds in Saturday's Division One play off semi-final, so tonight's winner will strike a psychological blow before the big game at the weekend.
Admission to tonight's game is by cash payment at the turnstiles, with adult admissions priced at £6, concessions £3, and under 12s £2.
A match programme has been produced by the League for the game, and is priced at £2.
LWC Drinks First Division Cup Final
Wed 9th May 2018 | The Edward Case Cup
By Ian Templeman
Prestwich Heys and Cammell Laird 1907 go head to head in the final of the LWC Drinks First Division Cup final at the Millbank Linnets Stadium this evening.
For both clubs, it's an opportunity to lift the trophy for the first time, and add their name to a list of winners that goes all the way back to 1989, which includes Cammell Laird in their previous incarnation, when they defeated Flixton in the 2005 final.
The competition was formed in 1989 following the loss of a number of clubs to the Northern Premier League a few years earlier, which left both the First and Second Divisions, as they were known at the time, running short on members.
As a result, the Second Division was left with just 16 sides, and with just 30 league games being played in season 1989, it was felt an additional cup competition would help to increase the number of games for clubs.
For the first number of years the competition ran in a regionalised league format, with four groups of four teams meeting each other home and away over a short timescale at the start of the season with the group winners going on to the quarter-final stages later in the season.
The first side to get their name on the trophy were Great Harwood Town who beat Bacup Borough in the inaugural final. Since then, a further 24 clubs have managed to lift the trophy and only two sides have won the competition twice, AFC Liverpool in 2009 and 2010, and Formby in 1994/95 and 2013/14.
Tonight's final, of course, has added spice with Prestwich Heys due to host Lairds in Saturday's Division One play off semi-final, so tonight's winner will strike a psychological blow before the big game at the weekend.
Admission to tonight's game is by cash payment at the turnstiles, with adult admissions priced at £6, concessions £3, and under 12s £2.
A match programme has been produced by the League for the game, and is priced at £2.
