North West Counties Football League
Founded1982
CountryEngland
Other club(s) fromIsle of Man
DivisionsPremier Division
Division One North
Division One South
Number of teams60
24 (Premier Division)
18 (Division One North)
18 (Division One South)
Level on pyramid9–10 (Steps 5 & 6 in the National League System)
Feeder toNorthern Premier League Division One West
Domestic cup(s)League Challenge Cup
First Division Challenge Cup
First Division Champions Cup
FA Cup
FA Vase
Current championsVauxhall Motors (Premier Division)
Pilkington (Division One North)
Wythenshawe Amateurs (Division One South)
(2022–23)
Websitenwcfl.com
Current: 2023–24 season

The North West Counties Football League is a football league in the North West of England. Since 2019–20, the league has covered the Isle of Man, Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Merseyside, Cumbria, northern Staffordshire, northern Shropshire, the far west of West Yorkshire, and the High Peak area of Derbyshire. In the past, the league has also hosted clubs from North Wales such as Caernarfon Town, Colwyn Bay and Rhyl. As from season 2018–19 the league increased from two, to three divisions: the Premier Division, at level nine (Step 5 in the NLS) in the English football league system, and two geographically separate Division Ones, North and South, at level ten (Step 6 in the NLS). The league is a member of the Joint Liaison Council which administers the Northern arm of the National Football System in England.[1]

History

The league was formed in 1982 by the merger of the Cheshire County League and the Lancashire Combination. It originally consisted of three divisions, but this was reduced to two in 1987, partly because of the creation of an extra division in the Northern Premier League (NPL). At the same time, promotion and relegation between the two leagues was introduced, with either the first or second placed club in the North West Counties Football League (NWCFL) being entitled to a place in the NPL, subject to their ground meeting that league's requirements.[1]

The NWCFL has six feeder leagues of its own with eligibility for promotion to the First Division being accorded to champions of the Cheshire Association Football League, Liverpool County Premier League, West Cheshire Amateur Football League, Staffordshire County Senior League, West Lancashire Football League, and Manchester Football League, subject to their grounds meeting the NWCFL's requirements.[1]

The first sponsorship of the NWCFL came in with Bass who remained the league sponsors until 1995. In 1998, the regional train operating company, First North Western became the new sponsor in a two-year deal.[1] Hallmark Security were a commercial Partner to the League for three years between 2015 and 2018.

In the 2008–09 season, Division One was renamed the Premier Division and Division Two became the First Division. A new division at level ten was announced for the 2018–19 season,[2] therefore the First Division was recreated as North and South divisions.[3]

Four clubs have won a league and cup double, Ashton United in 1991–92, Kidsgrove Athletic in 1997–98, F.C. United of Manchester in 2006–07 and Glossop North End in 2014–15, while Atherton Laburnum Rovers are the only club to have won consecutive championships in 1992–93 and 1993–94. For three consecutive seasons in the 1980s Clitheroe won each of the NWCFL divisions. In 1983–84 they were Division Three champions, the following season they won the Division Two championship and then in 1985–86 they were crowned Division One champions.[1]

The league is currently home to two former Football League clubs, Northwich Victoria, who were founder members of Division 2 of the English Football League in 1892 but they resigned two seasons later (they joined along with Newton Heath FC, who later went on to become Manchester United), and Nelson, while Darwen F.C. are a continuation of Darwen.

Going in the other direction, former NWCFL members Accrington Stanley have risen to play in the Football League as have Fleetwood Town and more recently Salford City, who were last in the league in 2008, were promoted into the EFL at the end of the 2018-19 season via the promotion play-off at Wembley.

For sixteen years the record attendance for a NWCFL match was 1,353 for a First Division championship decider between Radcliffe Borough and Caernarfon Town in the 1982–83 season. In the 1998–99 season a crowd of 2,281 saw Workington's championship deciding match with Mossley at Borough Park. In the 2005–06 season a new record was set, with 6,023 at Gigg Lane for a Division Two match between FC United of Manchester and Great Harwood Town on 23 April 2006. The following season, due mainly to the relatively large support for FC United of Manchester, saw attendances rise and included a record 4,058 for an evening match, with Salford City's Division One home game against FC United of Manchester.[1]

The league has two cup competitions – the League Challenge Cup, which is open to all clubs, and the First Division Challenge Cup. For sponsorship reasons the League Challenge Cup is known as The Macron Challenge Cup.[4] Until it was disbanded in 2014, the league also ran a reserve league together with its own dedicated League Cup.[5] From 1990–1991 to 1999–2000 the league also ran a Floodlit Trophy competition.[1]

Member clubs (2023–24)

Premier Division

Division One North

Division One South

North West Counties Football League is located in England
AFC Liverpool
AFC Liverpool
Barnoldswick Town
Barnoldswick Town
Burscough
Burscough
Bury AFC
Bury AFC
Chadderton
Chadderton
Charnock Richard
Charnock Richard
Cheadle Town
Cheadle Town
Colne
Colne
FC Isle of Man
FC Isle of Man
Glossop North End
Glossop North End
Irlam
Irlam
Kendal Town
Kendal Town
Litherland REMYCA
Litherland REMYCA
Longridge Town
Longridge Town
Lower Breck
Lower Breck
Padiham
Padiham
Pilkington
Pilkington
Prestwich Heys
Prestwich Heys
Ramsbottom United
Ramsbottom United
Skelmersdale United
Skelmersdale United
Squires Gate
Squires Gate
West Didsbury & Chorlton
West Didsbury & Chorlton
Wythenshawe Amateurs
Wythenshawe Amateurs
Wythenshawe Town
Wythenshawe Town
AFC Blackpool
AFC Blackpool
Ashton Athletic
Ashton Athletic
Ashton Town
Ashton Town
Atherton Labernum Rovers
Atherton Labernum Rovers
Bacup Borough
Bacup Borough
Daisy Hill
Daisy Hill
Darwen
Darwen
Droylsden
Droylsden
Euxton Villa
Euxton Villa
FC St Helens
FC St Helens
Garstang
Garstang
Holker Old Boys
Holker Old Boys
Ilkley Town
Ilkley Town
Nelson
Nelson
Route One Rovers
Route One Rovers
Runcorn Town
Runcorn Town
Shelley
Shelley
South Liverpool
South Liverpool
Steeton
Steeton
Abbey Hey
Abbey Hey
Abbey Hulton United
Abbey Hulton United
Alsager Town
Alsager Town
Ashville
Ashville
Barnton
Barnton
Brocton
Brocton
Cammell Laird 1907
Cammell Laird 1907
Cheadle Heath Nomads
Cheadle Heath Nomads
Eccleshall
Eccleshall
Ellesmere Rangers
Ellesmere Rangers
Maine Road
Maine Road
Market Drayton Town
Market Drayton Town
New Mills
New Mills
Sandbach United
Sandbach United
Stafford Town
Stafford Town
Stockport Georgians
Stockport Georgians
Stockport Town
Stockport Town
Winsford United
Winsford United
Locations of the NWCFL member clubs by division (2023–24).
– Premier Division – First Division North – First Division South

Previous divisional champions

1982–87

The league was formed with three divisions.

Season Division One Division Two Division Three
1982–83 Burscough Radcliffe Borough Colne Dynamoes
1983–84 Stalybridge Celtic Fleetwood Town Clitheroe
1984–85 Radcliffe Borough Clitheroe Kirkby Town
1985–86 Clitheroe Kirkby Town Blackpool Mechanics
1986–87 Stalybridge Celtic Droylsden Atherton Collieries

1987–2008

Due to the expansion of the Northern Premier League, and the withdrawal of clubs who could no longer meet the ground requirements, the third division was disbanded and a two division format was instigated, a format that stayed in place until 2018.

F.C. United players gather around the North West Counties League Division Two Trophy while fans take pictures
F.C. United were crowned champions of the North West Counties Football League Division Two in 2005–06
Season Division One Division Two
1987–88 Colne Dynamoes Ashton United
1988–89 Rossendale United Vauxhall G M
1989–90 Warrington Town Maine Road
1990–91 Knowsley United Great Harwood Town
1991–92 Ashton United Bamber Bridge
1992–93 Atherton Laburnum Rovers Maghull
1993–94 Atherton Laburnum Rovers Haslingden
1994–95 Bradford Park Avenue Flixton
1995–96 Flixton Vauxhall G M
1996–97 Trafford Ramsbottom United
1997–98 Kidsgrove Athletic Oldham Town
1998–99 Workington Fleetwood Freeport
1999–2000 Vauxhall GM Woodley Sports
2000–01 Rossendale United Warrington Town
2001–02 Kidsgrove Athletic Stand Athletic
2002–03 Prescot Cables Bacup Borough
2003–04 Clitheroe Colne
2004–05 Fleetwood Town[lower-alpha 1] Cammell Laird
2005–06 Cammell Laird FC United of Manchester
2006–07 FC United of Manchester Winsford United
2007–08 Trafford New Mills

2008–18

Glossop North End NWCFL Champions 2015

In the 2008–09 season, the league renamed their divisions to the Premier Division and First Division.

Season Premier Division First Division
2008–09 AFC Fylde Bootle
2009–10 Newcastle Town Stone Dominoes
2010–11 New Mills AFC Blackpool
2011–12 Ramsbottom United[6] Wigan Robin Park[7]
2012–13 Padiham Formby
2013–14 Norton United Nelson
2014–15 Glossop North End Atherton Collieries
2015–16 Colne Hanley Town
2016–17 Atherton Collieries Widnes
2017–18 Runcorn Linnets Silsden

2018–present

As from the 2018–19 the league has operated three divisions, the Premier Division at Step 5 and Division one - the Step 6 division being split geographically into North and South components both with promotional slots to Step 5. This was retained for the 2019-20 season.

Season Premier Division Division One North Division One South
2018–19 City of Liverpool Longridge Town Rylands
2019–20 Season abandoned due to coronavirus pandemic
2020–21 Season curtailed due to lockdown regulations
2021–22 Macclesfield Bury AFC West Didsbury & Chorlton
2022–23 Vauxhall Motors Pilkington Wythenshawe Amateurs

[8]

NWCFL Challenge Cup winners

The NWCFL Challenge Cup is for all members of the league. Teams shown in italics are no longer in existence.

Results by team

Teams shown in italics are no longer in existence, teams in bold are members of the NWCFL as of 2023–24.

Club Wins Last final won Runners-up Last final lost
Warrington Town 2 1988 2 1990
Burscough 1996 2018
Vauxhall Motors 1999 1 1998
Bacup Borough 2012 2023
1874 Northwich 2020
Newcastle Town 1 1997 2 2004
Skelmersdale United 2000 2005
Maine Road 2008 2014
Atherton Collieries 2016 2015
Darwen 1983 1 1991
Colwyn Bay 1989 1988
Nantwich Town 1995 1993
Formby 2001 2013
Prescot Cables 2002 1999
Cammell Laird 2005 2006
New Mills 2009 2011
Winsford United 2011 2010
Runcorn Linnets 2013 2009
City of Liverpool 2017 2019
Ellesmere Port & Neston 1984
Leek Town 1985
Colne Dynamoes 1987
Knowsley United 1990
Ashton United 1992
Rossendale United 1994
Kidsgrove Athletic 1998
Mossley 2003
Salford City 2006
F.C. United of Manchester 2007
Abbey Hey 2010
Ashton Athletic 2014
Glossop North End 2015
Widnes 2018
Charnock Richard 2022
Congleton Town 2023

First Division Challenge Cup winners

The First Division Challenge Cup is for all members of the First Division. It was known as the Second Division Trophy from 1989 to 2008.

First Division Champions Cup winners

The First Division Champions Cup is for the winners of the two geographical divisions within Division One. Its inaugural season was 2018–19.

Floodlit Trophy winners

The NWCFL Floodlit Trophy was for all members of the Premier and First divisions.

Notes

  1. Note that the Fleetwood Town club that won the Division Two title in 1983–84 is not the same club as the one of the same name who won the Division One Championship in 2004–05. The earlier club folded in 1993, and the new club was not formed until 1997 as Fleetwood Wanderers, then Fleetwood Freeport before taking the Fleetwood Town name in 2002.
  2. The 2020 final was delayed to and played in July 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic in England.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "LEAGUE HISTORY – A Brief History of the North West Counties Football League". North West Counties Football League. Archived from the original on 16 April 2018. Retrieved 15 February 2009.
  2. "FA National League System Restructure – season 2018/19". NWCFL. 18 July 2017. Archived from the original on 12 March 2018. Retrieved 12 March 2018.
  3. "FA Announcement: New Step 6 Divisions allocated". NWCFL. 8 October 2017. Archived from the original on 12 March 2018. Retrieved 12 March 2018.
  4. "League announces 4-year partnership deal with Macron". NWCFL. 7 June 2016. Archived from the original on 23 July 2020. Retrieved 7 June 2016.
  5. "News from the League AGM". NWCFL. Archived from the original on 12 September 2014. Retrieved 15 June 2014.
  6. "Ramsbottom Are Champions". Non League Daily. Archived from the original on 26 April 2012. Retrieved 29 April 2012.
  7. "Double Celebration For Wigan Robin Park". NWCFL. Retrieved 29 April 2012.
  8. "League Tables". Archived from the original on 9 April 2020. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
  9. "Congleton Town - Macron Cup Winners 2022–23". NWCFL.com. 8 May 2023. Archived from the original on 9 May 2023. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
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