They were second in 1956, 1960 and most recently in 1987, when they went into the last game at Essex in a similar position - having won their last five, but needing leaders Notts to lose to give them a chance.
Lancashire won, but so did Notts - a case of so near, and yet so far. Chairman Jack Simmons recalls similar situations in 1970, 1971 and 1975, when Lancashire were in the thick of the race but could not get the results they needed at the end of the season.
``Either we were totally stuffed by the weather, which I remember all too vividly happening once against Sussex at Hove, or the other teams just did too much for us,'' he reflected.
Simmons will be an avid, nervous spectator at Old Trafford for the next four days - although with one eye on the weather and another on the television coverage from The Oval, he might be pushed to see any cricket at all.
And he is not the only Lancashire great who will be willing the latest Red Rose heroes to an historic success this weekend. Brian Statham, who made his county debut in Nigel Howard's 1950 championship season and is now the club president, said: ``It has been a great team effort. ``They are a talented squad, and they have taken a more positive approach to their cricket.''
Clive Lloyd, another committee man who despite his one day success never managed to add the championship in his playing days with Lancashire, added: ``Our team has been one of the best in the country for several seasons, so it's not a great surprise to see them doing so well, although it has been a great effort to keep winning in all three competitions.''
Finally, David Lloyd, the England coach who captained Lancashire to fourth place in 1975 and was county coach when they last went close, finishing fourth again in 1995, enthused: ``They have done terrifically well. They have come of age together.''
Bumble might remember being asked by one Lancashire member at the annual general meeting in late 1995: ``When are we going to win the championship, David? I've been coming here 40 years and I'm running out of time.''
For that member, and tens of thousands of other Lancashire cricket players and supporters, that time is now tantalisingly close.