By 1878, the club mostly played rugby only, but in April 1878 played a friendly against Queen's Park because "it has lately been practising the dribbling as well as the Rugby game",[1] due to a former Queen's Park player (James Strang) joining the club.
The club entered the FA Cup the next season, but scratched when drawn at home to Darwen.
[2] In 1879 the association part of the club broke away to form Manchester Wanderers[3] In 1881 Birch was a founder member of the Lancashire County Rugby Football Union.
[5] Thomas Slaney, the first Stoke City manager, guested for the team against Queen's Park.
This article about a defunct English football club is a stub.