Burscough Football Club was formed in 1946 and now play in the UniBond League Premier Division, having gained three promotions over the past twelve years and then going on to win the FA Trophy at Villa Park in May 2003.

During the 1990s the club introduced a youth development programme that is now the most successful of any non-league club in England based on results in the FA Youth Cup.

Over the recent past Burscough have reached the first round proper of the FA Youth Cup on seven occasions, including reaching the second round proper on three occasions and the third round once.. After beating Bradford City away the youngsters eventually missed out on a trip to Arsenal following a narrow 1-0 defeat by Preston North End, playing with only ten men during the second half and hitting a post in the final minute.

No other non-league club in the country can match this record over the same period.

During that period the youth team have won the Lancashire Under 18 Youth Cup twice, the Liverpool County Youth Cup four times and the Lancashire Floodlight Youth League on four occasions.

The rewards for the club have been enormous. Of the squad that won 2-0 at Yeovil Town in the 2003 F.A. Trophy quarter-final in front of 5,000 spectators eight players had progressed from the youth team.

One graduate of the youth development programme, striker Lee McEvilly, joined Rochdale for a £20,000 fee and within 116 days of leaving Burscough had won a full international cap for Northern Ireland against Spain at Windsor Park, Belfast.

FA YOUTH CUP RECORD SINCE 1998

1998-1999

2nd Qual Rd Billingham Town 1 Burscough 2

3rd Qual Rd Burscough 1 Farsley Celtic 0

1st Rd Proper Burscough 2 York City 3

1999-2000

1st Qual Rd Burscough 3 Farsley Celtic 2

2nd Qual Rd Leigh RMI 0 Burscough 2

3rd Qual Rd Scarborough 2 Burscough 2

Burscough 3 Scarborough 2

1st Rd Proper Burscough 1 Rotherham United 3

2000-2001

2nd Qual Rd Burscough 1 Northwich Victoria 0

3rd Qual Rd Warrington Town 0 Burscough 2

1st Rd Proper Burscough 1 Stoke City 3

2001-2002

1st Qual Rd Ossett Town 1 Burscough 5

2nd Qual Rd Burscough 7 New Mills 0

3rd Qual Rd Burscough 2 Marine 0

1st Rd Proper Scarborough 1 Burscough 2

2nd Rd Proper Port Vale 2 Burscough 1

2002-2003

2nd Qual Rd Burscough 2 Altrincham 1

3rd Qual Rd Scarborough 2 Burscough 3

1st Rd Proper Burscough 2 Rochdale 1

2nd Rd Proper Burscough 1 Blackpool 2

2003-2004

Prelim Rd Burscough 2 Penrith 1

1st Qual Rd Witton Albion 0 Burscough 2

2nd Qual Rd Chester-le-Street T 2 Burscough 1

2004-2005

Prelim Rd Burscough 5 Willington 1

1st Qual Rd Worksop Town 1 Burscough 4

2nd Qual Rd Stalybridge Celtic 1 Burscough 6

3rd Qual Rd Ryton 0 Burscough 2

1st Rd Proper Bradford City 2 Burscough 3

2nd Rd Proper Lye Town 0 Burscough 1

3rd Rd Proper Burscough 0 Preston North End 1

2005-2006

1st Qual Rd Northwich Victoria 0 Burscough 3

2nd Qual Rd Ryton 0 Burscough 2

3rd Qual Rd Workington 0

Burscough 11

1st Rd Proper Huddersfield Town 3

Burscough 0