The Liverpool and District Cricket Competition is the top level of competition for recreational club cricket in the Liverpool area and since 2000 has been a designated ECB Premier League, one of two in Lancashire, the other being the Northern League.
The Competition operates a three division system and has feeder leagues, the Merseyside Competition and the Southport and District Cricket League.
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Although many of the district's clubs had met regularly as far back as 1850, or earlier, it was not until 1892 that a Liverpool newspaper began publishing a weekly table and calling it the Liverpool Competition in order to create more interest in the game.
The eleven senior clubs making up the original table were Birkenhead Park, Bootle, Formby, Huyton, Liverpool, New Brighton, Northern, Ormskirk, Oxton, Rock Ferry and Sefton.
Neston were offered first team fixtures in 1908 and, in 1919, Hightown and Southport and Birkdale joined whilst Wallasey took over the fixtures of the Rock Ferry club who did not resume after the First War. Boughton Hall (later known as Chester Boughton Hall) were invited to join in 1923.
The Competition continued until 1947 when it was decided to admit a sixteenth club and Preston were voted in. Two years later, fixtures were standardised by all clubs agreeing to meet each other, and although there was no suggestion of a league, it was decided to regard the table as official.
Preston resigned at the end of the 1952 season to be replaced by St Helens Recs in 1953.
In recent years, the Liverpool and District Cricket Competition has changed radically. There was an expansion in 1996 that introduced clubs from further afield in Lancashire and North Wales but saw founder members Birkenhead Park, Chester Boughton Hall, Neston and Oxton resign to join the Cheshire County Cricket League for the 1998 season. Of the four, only Oxton had failed to be Champions of the Liverpool and District Cricket Competition.
In 1999 a two division structure was introduced, and in 2000 the 1st XI Premier Division was awarded ECB Premier League status.
From the end of the 2004 season, promotion from and relegation to the Merseyside and Southport Cricket Alliance feeder league was introduced, but was then curtailed from the end of the 2009 season. At this time, additional clubs from the Alliance were 'invited' to join, to form a new three divisional structure.
2nd XIs play in a similar three divisional structure but independent of the 1st XIs.
There is a two divisional structure for Saturday 3rd XIs and below, with another structure for those clubs preferring to play on Sundays. They have a Premier Division and two First Divisions, East and West.
ECB Premier League: Bootle, Colwyn Bay, Highfield, Hightown, Lytham, New Brighton, Newton le Willows, Northern, Northop Hall, Ormskirk, Prestatyn, Wallasey.
First Division: Fleetwood Hesketh, Formby, Leigh, Liverpool, Maghull, Orrell Red Triangle, Rainford, Rainhill, Sefton Park, Skelmersdale, Southport and Birkdale, Wigan.
Second Division: Ainsdale, Alder, Birkenhead St Mary's, Burscough, Caldy, Moorfield, Parkfield Liscard, St Helens, St Helens Recs, Southport Trinity, Sutton, Wavertree.
ECB Premier League: Bootle, Colwyn Bay, Highfield, Hightown, Leigh, Lytham, New Brighton, Newton le Willows, Northern, Northop Hall, Ormskirk, Rainford.
First Division: Alder, Formby, Liverpool, Maghull, Orrell Red Triangle, Prestatyn, Rainhill, St Helens Recs, Sefton Park, Southport and Birkdale, Wallasey, Wigan.
Second Division: Ainsdale, Birkenhead St Mary's, Burscough, Caldy, Fleetwood Hesketh, Moorfield, Parkfield Liscard, St Helens, Skelmersdale, Southport Trinity, Sutton, Wavertree.
Moorfield and Southport Trinity resigned to return to the Merseyside Competition and Southport League respectively for 2012. Birkenhead Park (returning) and Old Xaverians (Merseyside Competition) elected to replace them.
ECB Premier League: Bootle, Colwyn Bay, Highfield, Hightown, Leigh, Lytham, Maghull, New Brighton, Northern, Southport and Birkdale, Ormskirk, Rainford.
First Division: Ainsdale, Alder, Fleetwood Hesketh, Formby, Liverpool, Newton le Willows, Northop Hall, Orrell Red Triangle, Rainhill, Sefton Park, Wallasey, Wigan.
Second Division: Birkenhead Park, Birkenhead St Mary's, Burscough, Caldy, Old Xaverians, Parkfield Liscard, Prestatyn, St Helens, St Helens Recs, Skelmersdale, Sutton, Wavertree.
| year | 1st XI Division | 2nd XI Division | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1949 | Bootle | Southport and Birkdale | ||||
| 1950 | Bootle | Southport and Birkdale | ||||
| 1951 | Boughton Hall | Boughton Hall | ||||
| 1952 | Liverpool | Birkenhead Park | ||||
| 1953 | Liverpool | Liverpool | ||||
| 1954 | Liverpool and Southport and Birkdale (joint) | New Brighton | ||||
| 1955 | Birkenhead Park | Sefton | ||||
| 1956 | Bootle | Southport and Birkdale | ||||
| 1957 | Chester Boughton Hall and Neston (joint) | Southport and Birkdale | ||||
| 1958 | Hightown and Ormskirk (joint) | Southport and Birkdale | ||||
| 1959 | Liverpool | Southport and Birkdale | ||||
| 1960 | Birkenhead Park | Liverpool | ||||
| 1961 | Birkenhead Park | Neston | ||||
| 1962 | Birkenhead Park | Oxton | ||||
| 1963 | Birkenhead Park | Northern | ||||
| 1964 | Birkenhead Park | Neston | ||||
| 1965 | Neston | Southport and Birkdale | ||||
| 1966 | Birkenhead Park | Neston | ||||
| 1967 | Sefton | Liverpool | ||||
| 1968 | Liverpool | Liverpool | ||||
| 1969 | Neston | Oxton | ||||
| 1970 | Neston | Liverpool | ||||
| 1971 | Ormskirk | Birkenhead Park | ||||
| 1972 | Sefton | Ormskirk | ||||
| 1973 | Ormskirk | Liverpool | ||||
| 1974 | New Brighton | New Brighton | ||||
| 1975 | Southport and Birkdale | Sefton | ||||
| 1976 | Ormskirk | Huyton | ||||
| 1977 | Ormskirk | Sefton and Birkenhead Park (joint) | ||||
| 1978 | St Helens Recs | Liverpool | ||||
| 1979 | Southport and Birkdale | Chester Boughton Hall | ||||
| 1980 | Ormskirk | Bootle | ||||
| 1981 | Liverpool | St Helens Recs | ||||
| 1982 | New Brighton | Liverpool | ||||
| 1983 | New Brighton | Sefton | ||||
| 1984 | Bootle | Birkenhead Park | ||||
| 1985 | Chester Boughton Hall | St Helens Recs | ||||
| 1986 | Birkenhead Park | Birkenhead Park | ||||
| 1987 | Bootle | Birkenhead Park | ||||
| 1988 | Birkenhead Park | Sefton | ||||
| 1989 | Bootle | Northern | ||||
| 1990 | Bootle | Chester Boughton Hall | ||||
| 1991 | New Brighton | Bootle | ||||
| 1992 | Neston | New Brighton | ||||
| 1993 | New Brighton | Neston | ||||
| 1994 | Chester Boughton Hall | New Brighton and Wallasey (joint) | ||||
| 1995 | Bootle | New Brighton | ||||
| 1996 | Southport and Birkdale | Oxton | ||||
| 1997 | Bootle | Neston | ||||
| 1998 | New Brighton | Southport and Birkdale | ||||
| year | 1st XI Premier Division | 1st XI First Division | 2nd XI Premier Division | 2nd XI First Division | ||
| 1999 | Bootle | Lytham | Sefton | Liverpool | ||
| year | 1st XI ECB Premier League | 1st XI First Division | 2nd XI Premier Division | 2nd XI First Division | ||
| 2000 | Wallasey | Sefton Park | Liverpool | Newton le Willows | ||
| 2001 | Ormskirk | Maghull | Bootle | Huyton | ||
| 2002 | Wallasey | Newton le Willows | Bootle | Colwyn Bay | ||
| 2003 | Bootle | Southport and Birkdale | Bootle | Liverpool | ||
| 2004 | Bootle | Hightown | Bootle | Sefton Park | ||
| 2005 | Northern | Maghull | Bootle | Fleetwood Hesketh | ||
| 2006 | Bootle | St Helens Recs | Bootle | Highfield | ||
| 2007 | Bootle | Formby | Bootle | Northop Hall | ||
| 2008 | Ormskirk | Northop Hall | New Brighton | Formby | ||
| 2009 | Bootle | Highfield | Bootle | Orrell Red Triangle | ||
| year | 1st XI ECB Premier League | 1st XI First Division | 1st XI Second Division | 2nd XI Premier Division | 2nd XI First Division | 2nd XI Second Division |
| 2010 | Lytham | Leigh | St Helens Recs | Bootle | Maghull | St Helens |
| 2011 | Ormskirk | Maghull | Ainsdale | Bootle | Colwyn Bay | Burscough |