After a series of friendly matches against clubs like Wigan, Preston North End and Blackburn Rovers in the 1880s, Chorley joined the Lancashire Junior League in 1889 and the following year the league became the Lancashire Alliance then left for the Lancashire League in 1894.

Since those early days the Magpies have also competed in the Lancashire Combination, Cheshire County League, Northern Premier League and the Football Conference.

Since topping the Alliance in 1892-93 they have been among the honours many times, including 11 Combination titles, two Lancashire League championships and one NPL title win, along with a record 14 Lancashire FA Trophy successes.

Chorley have been at their present base since 1920, after playing at Dole Lane, Rangletts Park and St George's Park. Victory Park, was named to commemorate the end of the First World War.

The main stand was destroyed by fire in November 1945 shortly after a crowd of 4,000 had watched the Magpies beat League club Accrington Stanley in the first leg of an FA Cup First Round tie.

Chorley were founder-members of the Northern Premier League in 1968 and have lifted the championship trophy twice, 1987/88 and 2013/14.

They went into the Conference as NPL champions in 1987-88 and topped the table briefly, but came back down after two seasons.

After our first spell in the Football Conference, which last just two seasons up to 1989/90, the club slowly declined and slipped down the divisions and too often flerted with relegation to the North West Counties league; thankfully we avoided dropping to the fifth tier of non-league football, what would have been the lowest level the club had ever played at.

In 2010 probably the most important managerial appointment in the clubs history was made when Garry Flitcroft joined the club from Leigh Genesis.

The Magpies have tasted glory down the years in the FA Cup and the FA Trophy. They knocked out Wolverhampton Wanderers, twice postwar Wembley winners, 3-0 in the First Round second replay at Burnden Park, Bolton, in 1986-87.

In the Second Round they took Preston North End to a replay at Deepdale before going out 5-0 on an artificial pitch before a crowd of 16,308.

Chorley have appeared in the FA Cup First Round Proper nine times, in 1899-1900, 1938-39, 1945-46, 1963-64, 1978-79, 1985-86, 1986-87, 1987-88 and 1990-91.

In that last season they reached the Second Round with a 2-1 win over Bury at Victory Park before going out 1-0 to Shrewsbury Town at Gay Meadow.

The club's best season in the FA Trophy was 1995-96, when they reached the semi-finals, losing over two legs to eventual winners Macclesfield Town. Chorley reached the Trophy quarter-finals in 1976-77, going out to Dagenham, who went on to Wembley.

The Magpies had knocked out non-league giants Wimbledon in a Second Round replay at Fellows Park, Walsall. The first replay, at Victory Park, attracted Chorley's highest Trophy attendance of 6,310.

Over the years many Chorley players have progressed to the Football League, including two who went on to play for England winger Arthur Cunliffe (to Blackburn Rovers in 1927) and striker Paul Mariner (to Plymouth Argyle in 1972).

Mariner played in the World Cup and helped Ipswich Town to FA Cup and UEFA Cup successes. Winger Magpie Steve Jones had a brief spell at Chorley in 1999 before going on win Northern Ireland honours four years later. Former Chorley forward Teddy Hodgson was in Burnley's 1914 FA Cup-winning side.

Lee Trundle also appeared for the Magpies, during the time of the 1995-96 FA Trophy run as a teenager, and went onto a successful football league career with Wrexham and Swansea City before moving to Bristol Rovers for £1 million in the summer of 2007, and helped City reach the Championship play-off final.