Welcome to Through the Turnstile, this series of features are intended to shine the light on some of non-leagues leading stars. This time we are venturing through the turnstile looking at Skelmersdale United.

A brief history of the Club

Skelmersdale United, originally formed as “Skelmersdale Young Rovers” by teachers of Skelmersdale Wesleyan Day School, evolved through several name changes before settling on “Skelmersdale United.” Joining the Lancashire Combination in 1891, the club, hailing from a small mining community, saw early success, including their first major trophy win in 1908. Between 1909 and 1955, United dominated the Liverpool County Combination, winning multiple championships and cups.

The post-1955 period marked significant changes, with the club moving to the Lancashire Combination’s 2nd Division and later to White Moss Park. The designation of Skelmersdale as a new town in 1961 catalyzed a restructuring of the club, which bore fruit in the mid-1960s with notable achievements, including an FA Amateur Cup final appearance in 1967 and victory in 1971. United’s prominence continued with a stint in the Northern Premier League, though they experienced a decline, dropping back to the Lancashire Combination by 1976.

In 1982, the North West Counties League (NWCL) was formed, and Skelmersdale initially struggled, only to bounce back with promotion and victories like the League Challenge Trophy in 2000. The early 2000s saw a resurgence, with the club moving to Stormy Corner in 2004 and achieving success under managers like Paul Gallagher and Tommy Lawson, culminating in promotion to the Northern Premier League Premier Division in 2013.

Despite challenges, including financial struggles and managerial changes, the club continued to compete, with notable achievements like a high attendance record in 2011 and consistent play-off finishes. However, financial issues and the loss of their ground led to relegation and a period of instability. A ground share with Prescot Cables and managerial shifts, including the recent hiring and firing of Pascal Chimbonda, have marked the club’s recent history.

Currently, Skelmersdale United finds itself in a precarious position. Following relegation due to ground grading issues and a tumultuous 2023-24 season, the club has rehired former manager Tommy Lawson in an attempt to stabilize and rebuild. This signifies a period of rebuilding as they aim to reclaim their past glory while navigating the challenges of non-league football.

(Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skelmersdale_United_F.C.#:~:text=The%20club%20had%20its%20genesis,Helens%2C%20a%20keen%20football%20enthusiast..)

Club legends (as told by Fan Darren Carr)

Current manager who has returned Tommy Lawson He’s been involved in the club for a long time and loves the club, managed us years ago . We had great run winning trophies and flying high delighted he is back home.

Wally Bennett, Skelmersdale United legend Part of the team that won the 1970-71 Amateur cup. He passed away recently but did manage to meet him last season when the winning team came to a game.

Kit

2024/25 Replica Kit – £35

Can be bought from the stadium

Stadium info

The Community Ground (L40 0SW)
Capacity – 945 (100💺)
Number of stands – 1
Artificial Pitch

Entry Price

Adult – £7
Concessions – £5
Children (11-16) – £3
Children (5-10) £1
Children (Under 5’s) – Free

Season Ticket Prices:

Adult – £99
Concession – £70

Children Aged 11-16 – £42
Children Aged 5-10 – £15
Children Under 5s= – Free

Matchday Programme
£2 Printed
FREE – Online

Stadium Shop

The club has a physical store on the way with a whole host of items planned to be stocked for you to buy!

In the meantime you will just have to manage with picking up either a Replica shirt, Historical Programs or Crest stickers at the ground on a matchday.

Itssssss pin badge corner…and although they do have this lovely pin badge , they are no longer in stock at the club as they are currently waiting on a brand new pin to arrive!

So coming soon is a brand new pin badge – keep your beady eyes peeled!

Drinks

The club is currently ground sharing with Burscough – this is the bar area in which both clubs use during matchdays. Now a summer game with that rooftop terrace sounds to me like a perfect combination, a cracking view of the pitch and you can still enjoy a nice cold pint whilst watching the game from up top!

Food

This is not the love shack but you may well love it once you have eaten the foods from it. Proper proper football food. Burgers, Pies, Chips and Hot Dogs – no fluff, no fuss and no worries. The ‘love’ shack has got you covered whatever your meaty needs.

Now lets all gather round and have a little look as to where Skelmersdale sits on our food and drink league tables. I know for some of you this is the make or break it section for if you visit or not…I completely understand i do!

Nothing here to upset those of you who look at the food and drink prices, very competitive prices all-round!

Whos round is it anyway…!

Top Current players (as told by Fan Lucas )

Ben Barnes , Tom Smith & Leyton Baines

One of the overall fan favourites is our goalkeeper Ben Barnes, who is an absolute giant (literally) and a great leader for the club. He is now entering his 6th season at the club which just shows his loyalty for Skem.

In addition, Tom Smith and Leyton Baines set a high standard for the younger talent coming through. I am excited to see them progress with Tommy pushing them to their full potential.

Press play

The club have a very smart Youtube channel with full highlights from all of the recent matches available to watch. I was actually watching a few making notes on elements I could incorporate into my own editing as I found the highlights really professional with so many little high quality touches that you generally dont see amongst this level of football.

Very impressive content for you all to have a look over and they are 1 subscriber off of 100 so head over there now and give them a follow! (Click image below)

Views from the Staff

Q) What is your role at the club and what does it entail?
I manage the club finances as well as marketing, sponsorships etc

Q) What does each day look like for you, do you enjoy the fact that no two days are the same?My day starts with checking the club account for any unexpected incomings or outgoings and noting them down on my accounts spreadsheet accordingly if necessary. I’ll then spend half an hour browsing LinkedIn and checking emails for any responses to various messages I have sent people regarding sponsorship opportunities at the club the night before. I’ll then go to work at 8:30, in communication with the committee and Frank (the chairman) throughout the day when able, Frank and I tend to bounce a lot of ideas off each other about commercial opportunities and marketing ideas!

When I get home at about 5:30, I’ll respond to any queries I have received throughout the day, I’ll then spend an hour or so researching online for potential opportunities for the club and ideas for stocking the club shop! In addition to ordering anything the club or committee needs.

I also recently managed the new club sponsor and junior blues club (watch this space!)

On a matchday, I will set up the gate person with the matchday float and ensure our card machines are up and running, I’ll collect the gate money at halftime and the ref’s expense cards, then pay the refs after the game. On a Sunday I’ll do a rec of the previous day’s gate takings, reporting it to the chairman and vice chairman. I’ll then bank it on a Monday or Tuesday.

Q) What is the most challenging aspect of what you do?
Managing my time, my wife has the patience of a saint, managing a full-time job as well as working for the club, often leaves me stressed and knackered! She is an angel though and puts up with me!

Q) What has given you the most satisfaction in your role at the club to date?
Playing a small part in keeping the club alive after the way the 22/23 season ended, which was the committee, the coaches and all the players leaving the club all at once after the club was relegated from the Northern Premier due to ground grading issues, we finished mid-table that season as well! The only person who remained was Gordon Johnson our Vice Chairman who with Frank Hughes started the rebuild from the ashes! We are now in a far better position on and off the pitch, but the work isn’t done yet!

Q) What is a matchday like for you, when does the prep start?
I’ll get to the ground at 11-12 and prep the float and card machines for the gate person. I’ll assist in putting up pitch side banners and flags, I’ll have a chat with whoever happens to be there at the time, usually Frank, Gordon, Craig and club legend Derek ” Del Boy” Hunt. Craig is a genuine club hero, a lot of the work he does goes unnoticed, and he’s always doing something for the club! but without him, we would all be lost!

I’ll then leave at 1:30, and have a chat with James (Franks’ son) who manages the car parking, which is a thankless task at times but he is always there with a smile on his face! I’ll meet my father-in-law Les and the rest of the “Skem Ultras”, Les took me to my first Skem game almost 14 years ago now. Back to the ground for kick-off, collect the cash tin at half time, pay the refs at the end of the game then off home!

Q) Why should someone come and give Skelmersdale a go?
We are the most historic non-league club in the northwest and even have a European trophy to our name. You won’t find a more welcoming team behind the scenes and the fans are genuinely family. Some of the best friends I have ever had I met through being a fan of Skelmersdale United.

The Skelmersdale United fans are pound-for-pound the best in the league, and the club is on the way up! The Comeback is on!

View from the fans

Q) How long have you been a fan of Skelmersdale?
I had been a couple of times through the years before but started going regularly about 18 years ago now go most home games and have been a few great away days as well.

Q) What can you tell us about a matchday at Skelmersdale, what stands out to you?
What stands out on matchday well, the fans at Skelmersdale United are brilliant and always loud.backing the team win or lose. Also, big up the volunteers who go above and beyond to keep the club running and do it just for the love of the club.

Q) What does the club as a whole mean to you?
The club as a whole. I love being a part of this club,I am just a fan and have made my son and nephew fans,they go with their mates all the time and love going.

Q) What is the single best thing about non-league football?
The single best thing about non-league is the die-hard fans go every game home and away.love the club no matter what! We have Big Nev amazing, Guy.

Q) Why should more people come to watch the team?
I know that once you go to a non-league game,it’s different from football at higher levels, The players and coaches are playing Purley for the love of football and just wating to play.being so close to the players and able to interact with them in a cheeky and fun way,they give it back when getting stick which I love. Most players are happy to talk to fans, and the banter between supporters is always brilliant. It’s also cheap as chips most stadiums at this level

Q) What does football mean to you and what makes it so special?
Football means to escape from the mundane pace of life or if you work.Non league football is special because it does not cost the earth to watch,you feel part of a family after you have been going a while,you can talk to the players,committee. I would like to see you try that at a premier league clud not a chance.

Q) What is your favourite moment as a fan of the club to date?
My favourite moment are many not just one,getting to wembley the first time in 1967 and playing Enfield fc (amatuer cup)in front of 75,000 supporters and then taking them to a replay a Man citys ground(lost 3-0).Another is wembley 1971 playing Dagenam (amateur cup)in front of 55,000 supporters.(winning 4-1).

Q) Would you say a matchday is value for money ?
There is no question about non league match value,you go and pay £40-£60 to watch premier league ,that money is going to a player on £100,000 a week,how long would you have to work to earn that(along time) and they get that in a week.

Q) Why should someone come and watch Skelmersdale play?
If you go to any low non league club afer a bit you feel part of a family and even some of the away fans you can have a great chat.i love to give my top three players but there has been that much change a Skem utd players comming and going half of the time you do not know who is who so i can not answer that sorry. I hope that has help you a bit,you can always have a chat at one of the games if you want.

Q) What do you love about Skelsmerdale?
I love the feel of going to watch Skem. There’s always a great atmosphere and everyone is made to feel welcome. It really is a family-friendly club.

Q) How would you describe your fan base?
Loyal and passionate, no matter the result, our fans turn up week after week.

Q) Would you say it is value for money on a matchday?
It is definitely value for money, just a few pounds to have an exciting day out spent with like-minded people.

Q) Why should people come to watch your club?
People should come to watch Skem because this club is going to be on the up, especially with the return of a very successful former skem manager, Tommy Lawson. I’m looking forward to him bringing in some of the young local talent, and growing them to be great players who will bring lots of positive results for the team

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Future plans as told by Chairman – Frank Hughes

It’s really difficult to have a five-year plan when you haven’t got a stadium of your own, and no solid idea of if or when it will change.

For those that don’t know, we are currently ground-sharing with our West Lancashire rivals Burscough FC. It’s a long story, but in a nutshell, we were playing at the JMO (a privately owned business in Skelmersdale) a couple of seasons ago until we failed the FIFA bounce test. Burscough kindly offered their venue as an alternative which we gladly accepted. At this point, a return to Skelmersdale is beyond our control. But the good thing is we are still talking which means there is a potential deal in the pipeline.

Being in limbo has meant that we can put things into perspective. The club has in many ways been far too successful on the field, without much consideration for its infrastructure. And this is something I’ve looked at since I returned to the club a little over twelve months ago. You can’t run a club on a song and a prayer, but that pretty much sums things up for the club. It’s one thing being an enthusiastic hardworking volunteer, but to run a business you do need a plan of sorts. With that in mind, we have focused on the root and branch aspects of the club.

We are currently working on the basics of the club, and finding out what we are good at and what we are not so good at. Where we are good we are aiming to be even better, and where we are failing we are trying to learn and improve.

We are engaging with local businesses on a level we have never done before. So rather than ask what they can do for us, we are picking their brains so that we understand how best to approach them as well as potential sponsors or investors. There’s always a doorman preventing you from getting close to the marketing department, never mind the CEO, so you have to find a way to navigate around them. You’ll be surprised by the amount of marketing departments that don’t even know what subliminal marketing is, and what we have learnt in the last 9-months is that it doesn’t matter how big or small a football club is, you can create millions of impressions on social media if you use the right tools. This is an area most underrated by non-league football clubs, yet it is a gateway to breaking down the snobbery that exists firstly with marketing agencies/departments and secondly with businesses in general. I don’t want to take thousands of pounds off someone unless they are sold on the idea of buying into the ethos of the club, because they won’t hang around for long.

Our profile within the town has suffered as a direct result of playing away from the town, but that doesn’t mean to say that we can’t stay engaged with people, and as such we have linked up with some local charities and schools, to strengthen our position within the community. It’s important to build good relationships as we aim to hit the ground running when we do eventually return to playing in Skelmersdale. We are the second oldest institution in the town. At 142 years of age, we have to continue to add to that rich history, but we also have to show people why that is important. Recently “Skem Legend’ Wally Bennett passed away. He played in both Amateur FA Cup Finals at Wembley. He played as a centre forward in the first one and as a centre half in the winning final in 1971. We need to remind people about legends like Wally and why he meant so much to this historic club.

We are looking into setting up an academy, but this has to be done with careful precision. It has to make sense first of all, then it has to work. There are many bad examples of how not to run an academy, where private enterprise is put above who it’s allegedly providing for. We’ve had a lot of talks, and when we feel the time is right we will put something into action, but we’re not rushing into things.

In summary, we have a plan. We are working hard to return to Skelmersdale, and when we eventually do we will be better equipped for the future financially and physically, by implementing some of the actions that I’ve already mentioned.


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So that brings us to the end yet another ‘Through the Turnstile’. This has been a joy for me to delve into, the club are ever so welcoming and they have so much good going for them in what they are trying to achieve and do.

However the ugly flipside is that the pressure on them at the moment is huge and the need for more fans to come through the gate and help them is palpable, the club needs a break and I hope that they get just that, I hope they start to see the numbers they require in order to start to turn those losses into some profits and that they can reinvest that back into securing the overall future security of the team.

I am rooting for them to get back to playing football in Skelmersdale and start to climb up that ladder, come on Skem!

Until next time!