South Ribble: the home of grassroots sport
South Ribble's expansive urban landscape makes it the perfect home for grassroots sport in Lancashire.
Grassroots sport is a cornerstone of society, offering people an opportunity to socialise and integrate while playing and watching the teams that they love.
When it comes to sport teams, clubs, and facilities, South Ribble has a lot to offer...
Football
Almost every town in South Ribble being home to a grassroots team and some hosting semi-professional clubs.
Bamber Bridge, or 'brig', are the region's most successful football team, with the men's first team playing in the Northern Premier League Premier Division: the seventh tier of English football.
Home matches are played at the Sir Tom Finney Stadium, either on Saturdays at 3pm or Tuesdays at 7.45pm. The stadium was given its name in 2014, shortly after local footballing legend Tom Finney's death.
Brig, like most other parts of South Ribble, have grassroots teams starting from under-8s all the way through to under-16s and then into adult football, going by Bamber Bridge United with matches played regularly.
Parks and leisure centres within South Ribble are home to many football teams in the area.
Penwortham Holme hosts under-8s to under-10s from all over West Lancashire on Saturday mornings under the name Central Venue, while the leisure centre hosts Penwortham St Teresa's above those age categories.
Worden Park, Gregson Green and New Longton Park host Leyland Albion, Gregson Lane and New Longton Rovers respectively.
Arguably the most obscure sporting venue in the region is Hutton Police HQ, which is the venue for LanCon Junior Football Club. LanCon - short for Lancashire Constabulary - was set up in 1995 with the aim of diverting local youth from anti-social behaviour through football.
Tennis
In a region with so many leisure centres, it's hardly surprising that tennis is extremely popular within South Ribble.
The South Ribble Tennis and Fitness Centre in Bamber Bridge nurtured the sport's popularity in the area, boasting state-of-the-art indoor facilities with matches and training played on Thursday evenings.
Leyland Tennis Club hosts their league matches on a Tuesday, while Penwortham and Longton both play their matches on Mondays.
Despite tennis being perceived as an 'affluent' sport, South Ribble's facilities have made it accessible to all.
Cricket
Featuring in Freddie Flintoff's recent BBC cricket documentary, there are still a number of clubs in South Ribble that compete in a variety of league and cup competitions.
Penwortham CC play against fellow Lancastrian sides as well as Cumbrian outfits in Sunday fixtures, while Lostock and Euxton play against teams in and around the eastern end of Greater Manchester.
Netball
Netball is extremely popular across South Ribble.
Matches are usually played in the evenings throughout the week, thanks to the allowance of all-weather courts and indoor facilities.
South Ribble Netball Club has several different teams, playing in a variety of leagues across Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings at Leyland Leisure Centre.
Preston Netball Club is a close rival of South Ribble's and likewise has a number of teams to account for the sport's popularity.
Both club's play their league fixtures against teams from around Lancashire and have teams ranging from junior to adult level.
To find out more about the various sports, take a look at your local leisure centre or sports club for more details.