North West Counties Football League
Country | England |
---|---|
Confederation | FA |
Founded | 1982 |
Divisions |
Premier Division First Division |
Number of teams |
40 22 (Premier Division) 18 (First Division) |
Level on pyramid | 9β10 |
Feeder to |
Northern Premier League Division One North and Division One South |
Domestic cup(s) |
Men United Cup Reusch First Division Cup FA Cup FA Vase |
Current champions |
Glossop North End (Premier Division) Atherton Collieries (First Division) (2014β15) |
Website | Official website |
2015β16 season |
The North West Counties Football League is a football league in the North West of England. As of 2015β16, the league covers Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Merseyside, Southern Cumbria, Northern Staffordshire, Northern Shropshire, and the far west of West Yorkshire. In the past, the league has also hosted clubs from the High Peak area of Derbyshire. and from North Wales. The league currently has two divisions: the Premier Division, at level nine in the English football league system, and the First Division at level ten. 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]
In the 2008β09 season, Division One was renamed the Premier Division and Division Two became the First Division.
Four clubs have won a league and cup double, Ashton United in 1991β92, Kidsgrove Athletic in 1997β98, F.C. United of Manchester in 2006β07 and Glossop North End in 2014β15, while Atherton Laburnum Rovers are the only club to have won consecutive championships in 1992β93 and 1993β94. For three consecutive seasons in the 1980s Clitheroe won each of the NWCFL divisions. In 1983β84 they were Division Three champions, the following season they won the Division Two championship and then in 1985β86 they were crowned Division One champions.[1]
The league is currently home to one former Football League clubs; Nelson, while AFC Darwen are a continuation of Darwen. The Bootle club is not the same one as the former Football League club. Former NWCFL members Accrington Stanley have risen to play in the Football League.
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 1982β83 season. In the 1998β99 season a crowd of 2,281 saw Workington's championship deciding match with Mossley at Borough Park. In the 2005β06 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 NWCFL has two cup competitions β the League Cup which is open to all clubs and the First Division Trophy. For the 2014β15 season, the League Cup is known as The Men United Cup, and the First Division Trophy as The Reusch First Division Cup.[2][3] Until it was disbanded in 2014, the league also ran a reserve league together with its own dedicated League Cup.[4] From 1990β91 to 1999β2000 the league also ran a Floodlit Trophy competition.[1]
Current clubs (2015β16)
Premier Division |
First Division |
|
Previous divisional champions
1982β87
The league was formed with three divisions.
Season | Division One | Division Two | Division Three |
---|---|---|---|
1982β83 | Burscough | Radcliffe Borough | Colne Dynamoes |
1983β84 | Stalybridge Celtic | Fleetwood Town | Clitheroe |
1984β85 | Radcliffe Borough | Clitheroe | Kirkby Town |
1985β86 | Clitheroe | Kirkby Town | Blackpool Mechanics |
1986β87 | Stalybridge Celtic | Droylsden | Atherton Collieries |
1987β2008
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 instigated, a format that still remains in place.
2008βpresent
In the 2008β09 season, the league renamed their divisions to the Premier Division and First Division.
Season | Premier Division | First Division |
---|---|---|
2008β09 | AFC Fylde | Bootle |
2009β10 | Newcastle Town | Stone Dominoes |
2010β11 | New Mills | AFC Blackpool |
2011β12 | Ramsbottom United[6] | Wigan Robin Park[7] |
2012β13 | Padiham | Formby |
2013β14 | Norton United | Nelson |
2014β15 | Glossop North End | Atherton Collieries |
League Cup winners
The NWCFL League Cup is for all members of the Premier and First divisions.
|
|
First Division Trophy winners
The First Division Trophy is for all members of the First Division. It was known as the Second Division Trophy from 1989 to 2008.
|
|
Floodlit Trophy winners
The NWCFL Floodlit Trophy was for all members of the Premier and First divisions.
|
|
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "LEAGUE HISTORY β A Brief History of the North West Counties Football League". North West Counties Football League. Retrieved 2009-02-15.
- β "Introducing The Men United Cup". NWCFL. 12 September 2014. Retrieved 12 September 2014.
- β "Introducing The Reusch First Division Cup". NWCFL. 10 November 2014. Retrieved 10 November 2014.
- β "News from the League AGM". NWCFL. Retrieved 15 June 2014.
- β Note that the Fleetwood Town club that won the Division Two title in 1983β84 is not the same club as the one of the same name who won the Division One Championship in 2004β05. 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.
- β "Ramsbottom Are Champions". NonLeagueDaily.com. Retrieved 29 April 2012.
- β "Double Celebration For Wigan Robin Park". NWCFL. Retrieved 29 April 2012.
External links
|