The following year they joined the Lancashire Combination but never experienced the same level of success and began to run into financial difficulties, finally folding in 1935.

The club completed a hat-trick of Junior Cup successes against South Liverpool at Wigan, and regained the Lancashire Combination First Division title in 1969–70.

In national competition, the club reached the FA Cup first round proper three times in four seasons, beginning with a 1–0 defeat at Blyth Spartans in 1977.

A new grandstand seating 250 was built in 1986 to replace the sixty-year-old wooden stand which no longer met ground safety regulations.

The appointment of Russ Perkins as manager in 1991 brought about a change in the club's fortunes as Burscough reached the League Cup final and gained promotion back to Division One.

1993–94 was one of the most eventful seasons in Burscough's history as three players, Gary Martindale, Kevin Formby and Alex Russell, joined Football League clubs for substantial fees.

In July 1999 nineteen-year-old striker Michael Yates signed for Scottish Premier League side Dundee for a five-figure transfer fee which was a club record at the time.

1999–2000 saw the Linnets gain promotion to the Premier Division after losing only two games all season and remaining unbeaten away from home, finally finishing in runners-up spot.

Played in front of a crowd of 14,296, it was the Linnets' twelfth game in the competition, which included a 2-0 quarter-final win over holders, and eventual Conference champions, Yeovil.

The 2003–04 season saw Burscough finish with a run of victories that allowed them to move from the relegation zone into the promotion play-off positions.

The 2004–05 season ended in controversy as the Linnets were denied a play-off place, following a decision to award three points to other teams for unplayed games against Spennymoor United who could not complete their fixtures.

Further success came in the Lancashire Junior Cup, won for the first time in forty years with a win over Marine, and in the Peter Swales Shield where First Division champions Buxton were defeated 3–1.