The 2017–18 North West Counties Football League season (known as the Hallmark Security League for sponsorship reasons) was the 36th in the history of the North West Counties Football League, a football competition in England.
The league comprised two divisions, the Premier Division and the First Division (at levels 9 and 10 of the English football league system, Steps 5 and 6 of the National League System respectively) – this was the final season the league operated a single Step 6 First Division, from next season 2 first divisions, designated North and South were in existence. Additionally there were two cup competitions: the League Challenge Cup (known as the Macron Challenge Cup for sponsorship reasons), a knockout competition open to all the league's clubs; and the First Division Trophy (known as the LWC Drinks First Division Cup for sponsorship reasons), a knockout trophy competition for First Division clubs only.
Premier Division
At the end of the previous season the following four clubs left the division: Atherton Collieries, promoted to Northern Premier League Division One North Cammell Laird 1907, relegated to the First Division Nelson, relegated to the First Division New Mills, relegated to the First Division
The 2017–18 Premier Division club allocations from the FA Leagues Committee (subject to appeal) were announced on 26 May 2017 and included the provisional placement of Northwich Victoria – the club had been relegated from Step 4 but was a new entity having recently been reconstituted under the ownership of its supporters association. Following a vote of acceptance of Northwich Victoria the constitution was ratified by the league at its AGM on 17 June. The division comprised 23 clubs, 18 remaining from the previous season plus 5 additions:
Burscough, relegated from Northern Premier League Division One North Charnock Richard, promoted as runners-up from the First Division City of Liverpool, promoted as First Division promotion play-off winners Northwich Victoria, relegated from Northern Premier League First Division South Widnes, promoted as champions from the First Division
At the end of the season the champions Runcorn Linnets and runners-up Widnes (with their second successive promotion) were promoted to the Northern Premier League Division One West. Widnes were beneficiaries of a National League System restructure which saw fourteen Step 5 clubs promoted (initially only twelve of the fourteen Step 5 runners-up were to be promoted however, owing to resignations and mergers in the leagues above they were all promoted). To reduce the division to twenty clubs for the next season four clubs were relegated to the two new regional First Division leagues: AFC Darwen and AFC Liverpool to the First Division North, and Barnton and Maine Road to the First Division South. Barnton set a new league record for goals conceded over a season with 171 from 44 matches exceeding the previous high set by Stone Dominoes – 166 from 42 matches in the 2012–13 Premier Division. For the third successive season the average goals scored per divisional match increased to a new high for the Premier Division (formerly Division One) of 3.93 goals per match (exceeding the 3.76 of the 2016–17 season).
League table
Results
Stadia and locations
Team Stadium Capacity Widnes Select Security Stadium(groundshare with Widnes Vikings Rugby League Club) 13,350 AFC Darwen The Anchor Ground 4,000 AFC Liverpool Marine Travel Arena, Crosby (groundshare with Marine) 3,185 Burscough Victoria Park 3,054 1874 Northwich * Barton Stadium (groundshare with Winsford United) 3,000 Winsford United Barton Stadium 3,000 Bootle Delta Taxis Stadium 2,500 City of Liverpool Delta Taxis Stadium (groundshare with Bootle) 2,500 Maine Road Brantingham Road, Chorlton 2,000 Padiham Arbories Memorial Sports Ground 1,688 Runcorn Linnets Millbank Linnets Stadium 1,600 Runcorn Town Pavilions Sports Complex 1,530 Congleton Town Richborough Estates Stadium 1,450 Abbey Hey The Abbey Stadium, Gorton 1,000 Ashton Athletic Brockstedes Park 1,000 Irlam Silver Street 1,000 Squires Gate School Road 1,000 West Didsbury & Chorlton Brookburn Road, Chorlton 1,000 Hanley Town Abbey Lane 750 Barnoldswick Town Silentnight Beds Stadium Barnton Townfield Charnock Richard Mossie Park 1,000 Northwich Victoria 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.
First Division
At the end of the previous season four clubs 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 2017–18 First Division club allocations from the FA Leagues Committee (subject to appeal) were announced on 26 May 2017 and its constitution ratified at the league's AGM on 17 June 2017. The division comprised 22 clubs, 18 remaining from the previous season plus 4 additions:
Abbey Hulton United, promoted as champions of the 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
At the end of the season the champions Silsden, runners-up Litherland REMYCA and promotion play-off winners Whitchurch Alport (who had been fourth in the division) were promoted to the Premier Division. The twenty clubs remaining in the division were evenly allocated to next season's newly instigated First Division North or First Division South.
League table
Results
Promotion play-offs The 2017–18 First Division promotion play-offs contested by the clubs that finished third to sixth in the league table were won by Whitchurch Alport who had been fourth-placed in the division.
Source=
Semi-finals
Final
Stadia and locations
Team Stadium Capacity Carlisle City Gillford Park Stadium 4,000 Atherton Laburnum Rovers Crilly Park 3,000 Bacup Borough West View 3,000 Holker Old Boys Rakesmoor Lane Barrow-in-Furness 2,500 Stockport Town Stockport Sports Village 2,384 FC Oswestry Town Park Hall Stadium 2,034 Cammell Laird 1907 North West Construction Stadium, Birkenhead 2,000 Cheadle Town Park Road Stadium 2,000 Daisy Hill New Sirs Westhoughton 2,000 Eccleshall Pershall Park 2,000 Nelson Victoria Park 2,000 AFC Blackpool The Mechanics 1,500 Alsager Town Wood Park Stadium 1,500 Chadderton MCA Stadium 1,500 Silsden Keighley Road Stadium 1,500 New Mills Church Lane 1,400 Abbey Hulton United Birches Head Road Litherland REMYCA Litherland Sports Park Prestwich Heys Adie Moran Park Sandbach United Sandbach Community Football Centre St Helens Town Ruskin Drive Sportsground Whitchurch Alport Yockings Park
League Challenge Cup The 2017–18 League Challenge Cup (known as the Macron Challenge Cup for sponsorship reasons) was a knockout competition open to all the league's 45 clubs. The final, played at Fleetwood Town F.C. contested by Premier Division clubs, was won 2–1 by Widnes who defeated Burscough.
First round For the first three rounds of the competition the clubs were divided into North and South Sections. The first round comprised thirteen ties, six in the North section and seven in the South section.
(Appended to club names in the results listings below: =Premier Division club; =First Division club)
Home team ScoreAway team North Section AFC Blackpool 0–0 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 South Section Cammell Laird 1907 2–1 Congleton Town FC Oswestry Town 2–1 Chadderton Runcorn Town 3–3 Alsager Town Sandbach United 2–3 Irlam Stockport Town 7–1 Maine Road Whitchurch Alport 1–1 Northwich Victoria Winsford United 4–3 Barnton The remaining 19 clubs received byes to the second round
Second round Home team ScoreAway team North Section AFC Darwen W–x 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 x–W Prestwich Heys Squires Gate 1–2 Burscough Widnes 1–1 Carlisle City South Section 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 Cammell Laird 1907 Stockport Town 2–1 Runcorn Linnets Winsford United 5–1 West Didsbury & Chorlton
Third round Home team ScoreAway team North SectionBootle 1–3Charnock Richard Burscough 1–1Prestwich Heys AFC Liverpool 1–4Ashton Athletic Widnes 2–1AFC Darwen South SectionCheadle Town 1–1Northwich Victoria Irlam 3–1FC Oswestry Town Stockport Town 2–1Abbey Hey Winsford United 3–11874 Northwich
Quarter-finals From this round the division of clubs into two geographic sections was discontinued. Home team ScoreAway team Ashton Athletic 0–2Widnes Burscough 2–1Northwich Victoria Stockport Town 0–4Irlam Winsford United 1–1Charnock Richard
Semi–Finals The semi-finals were decided on aggregate score from two legs played TieHome team ScoreAway team 1Irlam 0–0Burscough Burscough 3–0Irlam Burscough won 3–0 on aggregate2Widnes 5–0Winsford United Winsford United 2–2Widnes Widnes won 7–2 on aggregate
Final Team ScoreTeam Played 15 May 2018 at Fleetwood Town F.C., Highbury StadiumBurscough 1–2Widnes source:
First Division Trophy The 2017–18 First Division Trophy (known as the LWC Drinks First Division Cup for sponsorship reasons) was a knockout competition for the 22 First Division clubs only. The final, played at Runcorn Linnets F.C., was won 2–1 by Prestwich Heys who defeated Cammell Laird 1907.
First round The competition was split into North and South groups up and including the quarter-finals. Twelve clubs (six from each group) were drawn into first round matches, the remaining 10 clubs received byes to the second round.
Home teamScoreAway teamNorth Section Atherton Laburnum Rovers2–1 Carlisle City Daisy Hill0–0 Litherland REMYCA Holker Old Boys1–2 St. Helens TownSouth Section Chadderton0–1 Cheadle Town New Mills2–2 Alsager Town Sandbach United6–1 FC Oswestry TownThe remaining ten clubs received byes to the second round
Second round Home teamScoreAway teamNorth Section AFC Blackpool4–0 Silsden Nelson0–1 Atherton Laburnum Rovers Prestwich Heys3–1 Bacup Borough St. Helens Town3–3 Daisy HillSouth Section Cammell Laird 19072–0 Stockport Town Cheadle Town3–1 Abbey Hulton United Sandbach United4–2 Eccleshall Whitchurch Alport0–3 Alsager Town
Quarter-finals Home teamScoreAway teamNorth SectionDaisy HillW–xAtherton Laburnum RoversPrestwich Heys3–1AFC BlackpoolSouth SectionAlsager Town0–4Cammell Laird 1907Sandbach United4–1Cheadle Town
Semi–Finals The semi-finals were decided on aggregate score from two legs played TieHome teamScoreAway team1Cammell Laird 19073–1Daisy HillDaisy Hill1–2Cammell Laird 1907Cammell Laird 1907 won 5–2 on aggregate2Sandbach United1–2Prestwich HeysPrestwich Heys3–2Sandbach UnitedPrestwich Heys won 5–3 on aggregate
Final TeamScoreTeamPlayed 9 May 2018 at Runcorn Linnets F.C., Millbank Linnets StadiumCammell Laird 19071–2Prestwich Heys source:
References
External links nwcfl.com The Official Website of The North West Counties Football League