Laburnum Rovers was formed in 1956 when a group of lads from a council estate in Atherton decided to form a team. Joe Riley, the elder brother of one of the boys was asked to help and he set about organising the team and facilities. One of the biggest helpers at the time was Sammy Hodgkinson, landlord of the Park Hotel, whose son was in the newly formed team. He allowed fundraising to take place in his establishment and allowed the team to use a shed on his allotment, lit by a Tilley Lamp, as changing rooms. The new team played on Laburnum Playing Fields, hence the name chosen by the youngsters in a meeting at Joes house. The team played in yellow and black quartered shirts and a local bookmaker, Harry Heathcote bought them their first caseball.

Progress was initially slow, with the team suffering some heavy defeats in the Briarcroft Junior League but the arrival of Paddy Mulcahy changed their fortunes and he scored the goals against Astley & Tyldesley Juniors to earn the club it’s first ever win. It was clear things had to change if the team was to progress and a number of new players arrived for the following season and the team finished runners up. After winning numerous trophies the club moved to the Leigh & District League and moved grounds to Norfolk Road. In 1961 a second team was formed with the first team moving to the Bolton Combination while the second XI remained in the Leigh & District League. The team progressed on the pitch but their facilities held them back from promotion so a lease was obtained on a rather unpromising farmers field and hard work by everyone at the club transformed it into a football pitch which allowed them promotion to the Premier Division.

Ground improvements continued over the years and various trophies were won and in 1980 the club was invited to join the Cheshire County League. One of the stipulations of the League was that the town’s name had to be in the clubs title, so to retain links with the past the club was renamed Atherton Laburnum Rovers.

In 1982 Atherton LR joined the newly formed North West Counties League where they competed without much success until the arrival of Dave Morris and Peter Lee as managers in 1991. They transformed the team and in 1992/93 the club went on an unbeaten run of 39 league games to win the title. They were denied promotion to the UniBond League because of their facilities, but undaunted the team repeated their title winning performance the following season as well as reaching the semi-finals of the FA Vase. With a smart new stand in place the club took the step up to the UniBond League.

Initially the team did well but after a while it became apparent that the club was overspending and cut backs were needed. This inevitably led to relegation for the first time in the clubs history. Back in the NWCL a new regime took over both on and off the pitch but following a tip off from Haslingden officials, the previous directors investigated the clubs position and found that the bank was on the verge of closing the clubs because of unpaid debts. Fortunately the Directors shares had not yet been bought from them so they were able to retake control of the club.

With big debts to pay off, money was very tight and after a couple of seasons the team was relegated again. However, the arrival of Alan Lord as manager turned things round and a 9 match winning streak late in the season saw the club promoted back to division one at the first attempt. Since then the club has seen many ups and downs, from the trauma of all bar 3 first team players walking out in a week, to winning numerous local cup competitions at Bolton Wanderers Reebok Stadium, including one Goldline Trophy final against Blackrod which attracted a 2,500 crowd.

At the end of last season it was clear once again that the clubs expenses were greater than its income and a decision was made to cut the playing budget for 2005/06. The Directors were determined that the club would never again be at risk of closure.

The joint managers felt they couldn’t take the club forward on the new budget and resigned. Initially Andy Nelson and Stuart Humphreys came in as the new managers but a month before the new season started they left to take over at Leigh RMI. The club moved immediately to appoint Mike Lester as the new manager and he brought Darren Ford in as his assistant.

With a month to go before the new season Mike and Darren had a limited budget and no players, so set about the difficult task of building a team. With no pre-season friendlies arranged there was little chance to try out many players before the season began, but on the opening day LR returned from Trafford with all three points.

This season is viewed by everyone at the club as one of rebuilding both on and off the pitch. Mike and Darren have built the basis of a very good team which has shown its ability in games such as the defeat of league leaders Skelmersdale United and holding UniBond League side Goole to a draw in the FA Cup. The team features a number of promising youngsters with a few 16 and 17 year olds having played in the first team. While the main aim is to ensure survival in division one the managers are already looking to next season when they should be able to build on what they have achieved so far.

Off the pitch the club has regained control of its finances and is looking to improve and increase its facilities. The clubhouse is a popular venue for parties for the local community as well as having been used for adult education classes and by the local pool team.

While it is likely the club will finish in a mid-table position this season, the foundations have been laid for next season.