Editing Lancashire (section)

=== Sport ===

==== Cricket ====
[[Lancashire County Cricket Club]] has been one of the most successful [[county cricket]] teams, particularly in the [[one-day cricket|one-day]] game. It is home to [[England cricket team]] members [[James Anderson (cricketer)|James Anderson]] and [[Jos Buttler]]. The [[County Ground, Old Trafford]], [[Trafford]], has been the home cricket ground of LCCC since 1864.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lccc.co.uk/index.php?p=contact |title=LCCC contact details |publisher=Lccc.co.uk |date=16 January 2009 |access-date=25 September 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100924003212/http://lccc.co.uk/index.php?p=contact |archive-date=24 September 2010 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

Local cricket leagues include the [[Lancashire League (cricket)|Lancashire League]], the [[Central Lancashire League]] and the [[North Lancashire and Cumbria League]].

Since 2000, the designated [[England and Wales Cricket Board|ECB]] [[ECB Premier Leagues|Premier League]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ecb.co.uk/news/non-first-class/premier-leagues/premier-leagues,1443,BP.html |title=List of ECB Premier Leagues |publisher=Ecb.co.uk |access-date=25 September 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081015120858/http://www.ecb.co.uk/news/non-first-class/premier-leagues/premier-leagues%2C1443%2CBP.html |archive-date=15 October 2008 }}</ref> for Lancashire has been the [[Liverpool and District Cricket Competition]].

====Football====
[[File:Red Rose Badge of Lancaster.svg|thumb|upright|right|The Red Rose of Lancaster]]
Football in Lancashire is governed by the [[Lancashire County Football Association]] which, like most [[county football association]]s, has boundaries that are aligned roughly with the [[Historic Counties of England|historic counties]]. The [[Manchester Football Association]] and [[Liverpool County Football Association]] respectively operate in [[Greater Manchester]] and [[Merseyside]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.manchesterfa.com/AboutUs/ |title=Manchester FA &#124; About Us |publisher=Manchesterfa.com |access-date=25 September 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101007185050/http://www.manchesterfa.com/AboutUs/ |archive-date=7 October 2010 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.liverpoolfa.com/AboutUs/ |title=Liverpool FA &#124; About Us |publisher=Liverpoolfa.com |access-date=25 September 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110614225956/http://www.liverpoolfa.com/AboutUs/ |archive-date=14 June 2011 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

Lancashire clubs were prominent in the formation of the [[English Football League|Football League]] in 1888, with the league being officially named at a meeting in Manchester.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/21492352 |website=BBC Sport |title=One letter, two meetings and 12 teams – the birth of league football |date=26 February 2013 |first=Paul |last=Fletcher |access-date=2018-08-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181015155241/https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/21492352 |archive-date=15 October 2018 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.efl.com/news/2016/march/on-this-day-in-1888-the-letter-that-led-to-the-formation-of-the-football-league/ |website=EFL Official Website |title=On this day in 1888: The letter that led to the formation of The Football League |date=2 March 2016 |access-date=2018-08-12}}</ref> Of the twelve founder members of the league, six were from Lancashire: [[Accrington F.C.|Accrington]], [[Blackburn Rovers F.C.|Blackburn Rovers]], [[Bolton Wanderers F.C.|Bolton Wanderers]], [[Burnley F.C.|Burnley]], [[Everton F.C.|Everton]], and [[Preston North End F.C.|Preston North End]].

The Football League is now based in Preston.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.efl.com/-more/all-about-the-efl/contact-us/ |title=Contact Us |website=English Football League |access-date=2018-08-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180913185551/https://www.efl.com/-more/all-about-the-efl/contact-us |archive-date=13 September 2018 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}</ref> The [[National Football Museum]] was founded at [[Deepdale]], [[Preston, Lancashire|Preston]] in 2001, but moved to Manchester in 2012.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-manchester-18725667|title=Why football museum moved to Manchester|last=Airey|first=Tom|date=2012-07-06|work=BBC News|access-date=2018-08-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171202100648/http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-manchester-18725667|archive-date=2 December 2017|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

Seven professional full-time teams were based in Lancashire at the start of the 2024–25 season:

* [[Football League Championship|Championship]]: [[Blackburn Rovers F.C.|Blackburn Rovers]], [[Burnley F.C.|Burnley]] and [[Preston North End F.C.|Preston North End]]
* [[Football League One|League One]]: [[Blackpool F.C.|Blackpool]]
* [[Football League Two|League Two]]: [[Accrington Stanley F.C.|Accrington Stanley]], [[Fleetwood Town F.C.|Fleetwood Town]] and [[Morecambe F.C.|Morecambe]]

The county's most prominent football rivalries are the [[East Lancashire derby]] between Blackburn Rovers and Burnley, and the [[West Lancashire derby]] between Blackpool and Preston North End.

A further nine professional full-time teams lie within the historical borders of Lancashire but outside of the current ceremonial county. These include the Premier League clubs [[Everton F.C.|Everton]], [[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]], [[Manchester City F.C.|Manchester City]] and [[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]].

====Rugby league====
{{main|Rugby league in Lancashire}}
Along with Yorkshire and Cumberland, Lancashire is recognised as the heartland of Rugby League. The county has produced many successful top flight clubs such as [[St Helens R.F.C.|St. Helens]], [[Wigan Warriors|Wigan]], [[Warrington Wolves|Warrington]], [[Oldham RLFC|Oldham]], [[Salford Red Devils|Salford]] and [[Widnes Vikings|Widnes]]. The county was once the focal point for many of the sport's professional competitions including the [[Rugby league county leagues|Lancashire League]] competition which ran from 1895 to 1970, and the [[Rugby league county cups|Lancashire County Cup]] which ran until 1993. Rugby League has also seen a representative fixture between [[Rugby League War of the Roses|Lancashire and Yorkshire]] contested 89 times since its inception in 1895.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rugbyleaguehonours.co.uk/roses.html |title=Rugby League Honours – War of the Roses |access-date=15 May 2010 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20080930084834/http://www.rugbyleaguehonours.co.uk/roses.html |archive-date=30 September 2008 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}</ref> In recent times there were several [[rugby league]] teams that are based within the ceremonial county which include [[Blackpool Panthers]], [[East Lancashire Lions]], and [[Blackpool Sea Eagles]].

====Archery====
There are many archery clubs located within Lancashire.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lancashire-archery.org.uk/ |title=Archery clubs in Lancashire |publisher=Lancashire-archery.org.uk |access-date=25 September 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101107191535/http://www.lancashire-archery.org.uk/ |archive-date=7 November 2010 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all }}</ref> In 2004 Lancashire took the winning title at the Inter-counties championships from [[Yorkshire]] who had held it for 7 years.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bowmenofskelmersdale.co.uk/ |title=Bowmen of Skelmersdale |publisher=Bowmen of Skelmersdale |access-date=25 September 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110615025522/http://www.bowmenofskelmersdale.co.uk/ |archive-date=15 June 2011 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

====Wrestling====
Lancashire has a centuries-long history of combat sports and wrestling, developing its own style called [[Lancashire wrestling]], and becoming a breeding ground for many of Britain's best amateur and professional wrestlers.<ref>{{cite web |title=The summary on Lancashire wrestling by Ruslan C Pashayev, based on his book "The Story of Catch" (2019) |url=https://www.traditionalsports.org/traditional-sports/europe/lancashire-wrestling-england.html |website=Traditionasports.org |access-date=30 November 2023}}</ref> Through travelling performers and immigration, the style spread abroad to British colonies, Europe, the United States, and other countries. It was a primary influence on [[catch wrestling]] and its descendants including [[freestyle wrestling]], American [[folkstyle wrestling]], theatrical [[professional wrestling]], and [[mixed martial arts]]. It was preserved due to the influence of Lancashire native [[Billy Riley]] and his gym, popularly known as [[The Snake Pit (Wigan)|The Snake Pit]], and students such as [[Karl Gotch]] and [[Billy Robinson]]. It became particularly influential in Japan, where catch wrestling is popularly referred to as "Lancashire style" {{Nihongo|2=ランカシャースタイル}}.<ref name=":9">{{Cite web |last=Gould |first=KJ |date=24 November 2011 |title=Interview: The Return of Catch Wrestling's Snake Pit |url=https://bloodyelbow.com/2011/11/24/interview-andrea-wood-return-of-catch-wrestling-snake-pit/ |access-date=5 March 2024 |website=Bloody Elbow |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=U.W.F.スネークピットジャパンの「キャッチ アズ キャッチ キャンとは？」 |url=http://www.uwf-snakepit.com/catch.html |access-date=3 March 2024 |website=uwf-snakepit.com |language=ja}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last= |title=ランカシャースタイル(らんかしゃーすたいる)とは？ 意味や使い方 |url=https://kotobank.jp/word/%E3%83%A9%E3%83%B3%E3%82%AB%E3%82%B7%E3%83%A3%E3%83%BC%E3%82%B9%E3%82%BF%E3%82%A4%E3%83%AB-1435092 |access-date=3 March 2024 |website=[[Kotobank|Kotobank.jp]] |language=ja}}</ref>