Lancaster football historian remembers one of the oldest clubs in the North Lancs football league

Under the pale, yellow glint of a Nun Street gas lamp standard around 1920, on any Tuesday night, could have been seen an earnest little group of men engaged on serious business.

Across the way a band of anxious young men kicked their heels. Suddenly the meeting under the lamp would disperse and the two groups would combine to learn the constitution of Dry Dock United’s team for the following Saturday’s game.

This epitomised the spirit which had animated through the years all those who had been connected with one of the oldest and one of the most distinguished clubs in membership of the North Lancashire and District Football League.

Except for the break during the war years when, through lack of officials and players, the club had to temporarily suspend its activities the Dock as it is affectionately termed had one of the longest continuous memberships of the league.

The club was formed shortly after the Armistice of 1918 by keen young ex-servicemen. Friendly games were played on Cook’s Field, now the site of the Ridge Estate. In the following season they crossed over the canal and played on one of several pitches on the Bulk Road enclosure which is now Newton Estate. Here they had as neighbours such well-known clubs (now, alas no more) as P.S.A., Lancaster Discharged and Freehold Athletic.

Since season 1924-25 the Dockers played their home games on the Far Moor. It has had its ups and downs but its achievements rank with the best and it worthily carried the banner of the League into many parts of Lancashire through its past triumphs in the Lancashire Junior Shield competition reaching the semi final stage twice in the 1950s. This was not the limit of their achievements.

The wearers of the amber and black striped jerseys, they always remained faithful throughout their history to their original colours, came to the assistance of Lancaster City on many occasions and worthily upheld the traditions of the City’s senior side.

When Lancaster City ran a reserve side before the war Dry Dock several times helped them out, and teams found them worthy opponents in those days including Prescot Cables Reserves, Leyland Motors and Wigan Athletic Reserves, and when Chorley Reserves were champions of the West Lancashire League the Dock held them to a creditable 2–2 draw.

The Dock had always been fortunate with their officials and for decades they had no keener advocate and supporter than Mr James (Jimmy) Brown of Wolseley Street, a Docker by residence, conviction and inclination. He had probably seen more North Lancashire League matches than anybody else in his long career, which goes back to the days of its founding when he shouted for the team as a schoolboy, being the ball boy.

I recall Jimmy with affection. When you played the Dock and Jimmy was running the line you had to be five yards onside or the flag would be up and you would be offside.

Also, when I was suspended for a game by the League Management Committee (Jimmy was a member), Jimmy called to see me where I lived on Cable Street, Lancaster, and asked me to play for the Dockers under an assumed name at Milnthorpe. A win for the Dock and Jimmy was delighted and asked me to transfer from the Lancaster Lads Club Old Boys – I refused, but unfortunately men like Jimmy who were so committed to the game and their clubs are extremely rare, but they made the North Lancashire League of the early 1950s into one of the strongest in Lancashire – 3 wins in 10 years in the Lancashire Junior Shield are testimony to this.