Club History
St Michael’s DHFC was formed in 1966 by Norman Hignett. He was initially trying to form a rugby league team but when the group of lads got together, there wasn’t enough for a rugby squad so decided they would turn to football instead.
They started playing in the Widnes Alliance League along with most other open age teams within the town. The standard of football was very good at that time and St Michael’s always held their own within the league.
The first St Michael’s DHFC team going on tour to Ireland.
Because of the growth of the team and the club, they then formed a Reserve team, having two teams in the Widnes Alliance, one in the First Division, one in the Second. Both teams were very successful within their own divisions.
The teams continued the late 1960s and early 1970s in the Widnes Alliance Leagues before both the First and Reserve teams progressed into the Central Cheshire Leagues in the early 1980s. In 1977, the First team also qualified for the Runcorn F.A. Challenge Cup final (below).
The growth of the club was such that during the mid 1980s, there was a rise in the development of the Junior section.
In 1984, the club was featured in the Widnes Weekly News for securing one of the biggest sponsorship deals in amateur club history. The Weekly News reported that the club had: “Scooped a tremendous sponsorship package worth no less than £4,200 which, they claim is the largest such deal for a single amateur club in Britain."
At this time, the club had the following teams:
U11s, U12s, U13s, U14s, U15s, U17s, Sunday XI, Reserve, First Team
During this time, St Michael’s started to play their fixtures on a pitch on Cunningham Road. The late 1980s saw both the First and Reserve teams progress into the Warrington and District Leagues. The First Team played in the Warrington Premier League while the Reserves played in Reserves Section 1.
Throughout the 1990s the club reached several Warrington League Cup finals. The club strengthened, forming a Third team that had come through from the junior section under Norman. With the success of the team, a number of players progressed to playing First Team football.
Around the millennium, the club moved to a new pitch on St Michael’s primary school and ran from St Michael’s Parish Center. The 2012/13 saw the First team win the Warrington and District Premier Division (below).
In the 2018/19 and 2019/20 seasons, the First Team were runners-up in the Widnes Cup.
Also during this time, the U21s enjoyed success winning the Runcorn District F.A Cup in 2018/19 and gaining promotion to the Premier Division of the North West U21 Development League after finishing as runners-up in the Championship. Although covid affected the league in 2020/21, the U21s become North West Under 21 Development League Cup winners.
In 2021/22, the First Team won the Warrington and District Premier League for the second time in the club’s history and won the Warrington Guardian Cup. They were also runners-up in the Warrington Jubilee Cup and the Runcorn District F.A District Cup. This season also saw the Reserves win the Reg Oliver Warrington Cup.
The First team and the Reserve Team joined the Mid Cheshire League in 2022/23. The First Team gained back-to-back promotions in the Cheshire League, to the Premier Division. In 2023/24, the First Team won the Derek Roylance Widnes Cup while the Reserves also won the Billy Jones Widnes Cup.