2017–18 North West Counties Football League Explained

The 2017–18 North West Counties Football League season (known as the Hallmark Security League for sponsorship reasons^[1]) was the 36th in the history of the North West Counties Football League, a football competition in England. It was also the last season to have a single Division One. Teams were divided into two divisions: Premier Division and Division One.

The constitution for Step 5 and Step 6 divisions for 2017–18 was announced by the FA on 26 May 2017,^[2] and ratified by the league at its AGM on 17 June.^[3]

Premier Division

Competition:	North West Counties Football League Premier Division
Season:	2017–18
Winners:	Runcorn Linnets
Promoted:	Runcorn Linnets Widnes
Relegated:	AFC Liverpool Maine Road Barnton AFC Darwen
Prevseason:	2016–17
Nextseason:	2018–19

At the end of season 2016–17, the following four teams left the division:

• Atherton Collieries, promoted to NPL Division One North
• Cammell Laird 1907, relegated to Division One
• Nelson, relegated to Division One
• New Mills, relegated to Division One

The remaining 18 teams, together with the following, formed the Premier Division for season 2017–18:

• Burscough, relegated from NPL Division One North
• Charnock Richard, promoted from the First Division
• City of Liverpool, promoted from the First Division
• Northwich Victoria, relegated from NPL Division One South
• Widnes, promoted from the First Division

League table

Stadia and locations

Team	Stadium	Capacity
	Select Security Stadium (groundshare with Widnes Vikings Rugby League Club)	13,350
	The Anchor Ground	4,000
	Marine Travel Arena, Crosby (groundshare with Marine)	3,185
	Victoria Park	3,054
1874 Northwich *	Barton Stadium (groundshare with Winsford United)	3,000
	Barton Stadium	3,000
	Delta Taxis Stadium	2,500
	Delta Taxis Stadium (groundshare with Bootle)	2,500
		2,000
	Arbories Memorial Sports Ground	1,688
	Millbank Linnets Stadium	1,600
	Pavilions Sports Complex	1,530
	Richborough Estates Stadium	1,450
		1,000
	Brockstedes Park	1,000
	Silver Street	1,000
	School Road	1,000
		1,000
	Abbey Lane	750
	Silentnight Beds Stadium
	Townfield
	Mossie Park	1,000
	Townfield (groundshare with Barnton)

• Due to ground conditions and acute fixture congestion, 1874 Northwich played some home matches, notably in the latter stages of the FA Vase and the league programme, at Wincham Park, Northwich, home of Witton Albion.^[4]

Division One

Competition:	North West Counties Football League Division One
Season:	2017–18
Winners:	Silsden
Promoted:	Silsden Litherland REMYCA Whitchurch Alport
Prevseason:	2016–17
Nextseason:	2018–19

At the end of season 2016–17, the following four teams left the division:

• Ashton Town, relegated to the Cheshire Association Football League Premier Division.
• Charnock Richard, promoted to the Premier Division
• City of Liverpool, promoted to the Premier Division
• Widnes, promoted to the Premier Division

The remaining 18 teams, together with the following, formed Division One for the 2017–18 season:

• Abbey Hulton United, promoted from Staffordshire County Senior League
• Cammell Laird 1907, relegated from the Premier Division
• Nelson, relegated from the Premier Division
• New Mills, relegated from the Premier Division

Results

• Bacup Borough v FC Oswestry Town: visitors failed to fulfil fixture on 5 May, result declared a 3–0 home win
• St Helens Town v Abbey Hulton United: result declared a draw following investigation^[5]

Playoffs

Source for this subsection: NWC website

Stadia and locations

Team	Stadium	Capacity
	Gillford Park Stadium	4,000
	Crilly Park	3,000
	West View	3,000
		2,500
	Stockport Sports Village	2,384
	Park Hall Stadium	2,034
		2,000
	Park Road Stadium	2,000
		2,000
	Pershall Park	2,000
	Victoria Park	2,000
	The Mechanics	1,500
	Wood Park Stadium	1,500
	MCA Stadium	1,500
Silsden	Keighley Road Stadium	1,500
	Church Lane	1,400
	Birches Head Road
	Litherland Sports Park
	Aide Moran Park
	Sandbach Community Football Centre
	Ruskin Drive Sportsground
	Yockings Park

League Challenge Cup

Also called the Macron Challenge Cup for sponsorship reasons.^[6] Source for this section: NWCFL web site

First round

Northern Section

Home team	Score	Away team
AFC Blackpool	0–0 (2–3 p)	Nelson
AFC Darwen	1–0	City of Liverpool
Ashton Athletic	6–3	Daisy Hill
Atherton Laburnum Rovers	0–4	Carlisle City
Prestwich Heys	4–0	St. Helens Town
Silsden	0–3	Burscough

Southern Section

Home team	Score	Away team
Cammell Laird 1907	2–1	Congleton Town
FC Oswestry Town	2–1	Chadderton
Runcorn Town	3–3 (3–4 p)	Alsager Town
Sandbach United	2–3	Irlam
Stockport Town	7–1	Maine Road
Whitchurch Alport	1–1 (4–5 p)	Northwich Victoria
Winsford United	4–3	Barnton

All remaining teams received byes to the second round.

Second round

Northern Section

Home team	Score	Away team
AFC Darwen	1–2 * †	Padiham
Bacup Borough	1–6 **	Ashton Athletic
Barnoldswick Town	0–4	Charnock Richard
Bootle	4–2	Litherland REMYCA
Holker Old Boys	2–7 ***	AFC Liverpool
Nelson	1–1 (3–0 p) **** †	Prestwich Heys
Squires Gate	1–2	Burscough
Widnes	1–1 (3–1 p)	Carlisle City

• Played at Padiham, following two postponements

• • Played at Ashton, following two postponements

• • • Played at Crosby, following two postponements

• • • • Played at Prestwich, following two postponements

† Padiham and Nelson eliminated, having fielded ineligible playersSouthern Section

Home team	Score	Away team
1874 Northwich	4–1 *	Abbey Hulton United
Abbey Hey	5–3	New Mills
Cheadle Town	2–1	Alsager Town
Eccleshall	0–3	FC Oswestry Town
Hanley Town	3–5	Northwich Victoria
Irlam	1–1 (5–4 p) **	Cammell Laird 1907
Stockport Town	2–1	Runcorn Linnets
Winsford United	5–1	West Didsbury & Chorlton

• Played at Abbey Hulton, following two postponements

• • Played at Birkenhead, following two postponements

Third round

Northern Section

Home team	Score	Away team
Bootle	1–3	Charnock Richard
Burscough	1–1 (8–7 p)	Prestwich Heys
AFC Liverpool	1–4	Ashton Athletic
Widnes	2–1	AFC Darwen

Southern Section

Home team	Score	Away team
Cheadle Town	1–1 (3–4 p)	Northwich Victoria
Irlam	3–1	FC Oswestry Town
Stockport Town	2–1	Abbey Hey
Winsford United	3–1	1874 Northwich

Quarter-finals

Home team	Score	Away team
Ashton Athletic	0–2	Widnes
Burscough	2–1	Northwich Victoria

Home team	Score	Away team
Stockport Town	0–4	Irlam
Winsford United	1–1 (4–2 p)	Charnock Richard

Semi-finals

Second leg

Final

Played at Highbury Stadium, home of Fleetwood Town.

Division One Trophy

Also called the LWC Drinks First Division Cup for sponsorship reasons.^[7] Source for this section: NWCFL web site

First round

Northern Section

Home team	Score	Away team
Atherton Laburnum Rovers	2–1 ^*	Carlisle City
Daisy Hill	0–0 (5–4 p)	Litherland REMYCA
Holker Old Boys	1–2	St. Helens Town

• Played at Carlisle following two postponements

Southern Section

Home team	Score	Away team
Chadderton	0–1	Cheadle Town
New Mills	2–2 (3–4 p)	Alsager Town
Sandbach United	6–1	FC Oswestry Town

All the remaining First Division teams received a bye to the second round.

Second round

Northern Section

Home team	Score	Away team
AFC Blackpool	4–0	Silsden
Nelson	0–1	Atherton Laburnum Rovers
Prestwich Heys	3–1	Bacup Borough
St. Helens Town	3–3 (2–4 p)	Daisy Hill

Southern Section

Home team	Score	Away team
Cammell Laird 1907	2–0	Stockport Town
Cheadle Town	3–1	Abbey Hulton United
Sandbach United	4–2	Eccleshall
Whitchurch Alport	0–3	Alsager Town

Quarter-finals

Northern Section

Home team	Score	Away team
Daisy Hill	0–1 *	Atherton Laburnum Rovers
Prestwich Heys	3–1	AFC Blackpool

• Atherton LR disqualified for fielding an ineligible player^[8]

Southern Section

Home team	Score	Away team
Alsager Town	0–4	Cammell Laird 1907
Sandbach United	4–1	Cheadle Town

Semi-finals

Second leg

Final

Played at the Millbank Linnets Stadium, home of Runcorn Linnets.

External links

• nwcfl.com (The Official Website of The North West Counties Football League)

Notes and References

1. News: 6 June 2016. The NWCFL agree headline sponsorship deal with Hallmark Security. NWCFL. 6 June 2016.
2. Web site: Club Allocations for Step 5–6 . 26 May 2017 . 26 May 2017 . The FA .
3. Web site: News from the AGM . 17 June 2017 . 17 June 2017 . NWCFL.
4. News: Venue switch for 1874 Northwich. 12 February 2018. North West Counties Football League. 12 February 2018.
5. News: Lights go out. 20 August 2017. Stoke Sentinel. 18 August 2017.
6. News: 7 June 2016. League announces 4-year partnership deal with Macron. NWCFL. 7 June 2016.
7. Web site: News from the AGM . 17 June 2017 . 17 June 2017 . NWCFL.
8. News: LWC Drinks First Division Cup update. 5 March 2018. NWC. 4 March 2018.