The 2018–19 North West Counties Football League season (known as the Hallmark Security League for sponsorship reasons) was the 37th in the history of the North West Counties Football League, a football competition in England.
The league comprised three divisions, the Premier Division (at level 9 of the English football league system, Step 5 National League System) and for the first occasion, rather than a single First Division, there were two regional divisions at level 10 or Step 6: the First Division North and First Division South. At the end of the season, three clubs in total were promoted from the North and South first divisions, the champions of each plus the runner-up from either with the highest points per game ratio. The champions of each of the two First Division leagues competed in a single match for the First Division Champions Cup. Additionally this season 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, a knockout trophy competition for First Division clubs only.
Premier Division
At the end of the previous season 6 clubs had left the division: AFC Darwen, relegated to First Division North AFC Liverpool, relegated to First Division North Barnton, relegated to First Division South Maine Road, relegated to First Division South Runcorn Linnets, promoted to Northern Premier League Division One West Widnes, promoted to Northern Premier League Division One West
The 2018–19 Premier Division club allocations from the FA Leagues Committee (subject to appeal) were announced on 25 May 2018 and the league constitution was ratified at the league's AGM on 16 June 2018. The division comprised 20 clubs, 17 remaining from the previous season plus 3 additions (all promoted from the First Division:
Litherland REMYCA, promoted as runners-up Silsden, promoted as champions Whitchurch Alport, promoted as promotion play-off winners
At the end of the season the champions City of Liverpool were promoted to Northern Premier League Division One North West. Three other clubs left the division: Silsden were transferred laterally to the Northern Counties East League Premier Division; and both Abbey Hey and West Didsbury & Chorlton were relegated to the First Division South.
Table
Results
Stadia and locations
Team Stadium 1874 Northwich Barton Stadium (groundshare with Winsford United) Abbey Hey The Abbey Stadium, Gorton Ashton Athletic Brockstedes Park Barnoldswick Town Greenberfield Lane Bootle New Bucks Park Burscough Victoria Park Charnock Richard Mossie Park City of Liverpool New Bucks Park (groundshare with Bootle) Congleton Town Ivy Gardens Hanley Town Abbey Lane Irlam Silver Street Litherland REMYCA Litherland Sports Park Northwich Victoria Wincham Park (groundshare with Witton Albion) Padiham Arbories Memorial Sports Ground Runcorn Town Pavilions Sports Complex Silsden Keighley Road Stadium Squires Gate School Road West Didsbury & Chorlton Brookburn Road, Chorlton Whitchurch Alport Yockings Park Winsford United Barton Stadium
First Division At the end of the previous season 3 clubs left the division, all promoted to the Premier Division: Silsden, promoted as champions Litherland REMYCA, promoted as runners-up Whitchurch Alport, promoted as promotion play-off winners
Prior to the 2018–19 season the remaining 19 clubs were split into the two newly formed regional divisions – the First Division North and the First Division South.
First Division North
The club allocations to the newly formed 2018–19 First Division North from the FA Leagues Committee (subject to appeal) were announced on 25 May 2018 and its constitution ratified at the league's AGM on 16 June 2018. The division comprised 20 clubs:
Two clubs relegated from the Premier Division AFC Darwen AFC Liverpool
Ten clubs allocated from the First Division AFC Blackpool Atherton Laburnum Rovers Bacup Borough Carlisle City Chadderton Daisy Hill Holker Old Boys Nelson Prestwich Heys St Helens Town
Eight clubs promoted from National League System Step 7 divisions allocated to the division by the FA Leagues Committee: Ashton Town, from the Cheshire League – returning to the league following a one season absence Avro, from the Manchester League Cleator Moor Celtic, from the Wearside League Garstang, from the West Lancashire League Longridge Town, from the West Lancashire League Lower Breck, from the Liverpool County Premier League Shelley, from the West Yorkshire League Steeton, from the West Riding County Amateur League
At the end of the season, three clubs left the division: the champions Longridge Town and runners-up Avro (who had both joined the league from Step 7 this season) were promoted to the Premier Division; and Carlisle City were transferred laterally to the Northern League Division Two
Over the season a new league record for the highest average goals scored per match of 4.26 was established (exceeding the 4.02 former record from the 1994–95 season); and Longridge Town with 144 goals from 38 matches exceeded the previous highest goals scored in a season by a single club at First Division (formerly Division Two) level (previously the highest was 142 from 36 matches by Cammell Laird in the 2004–05 season).
League table
Results
Stadia and locations
Team Stadium AFC Blackpool The Mechanics AFC Darwen The Anchor Ground AFC Liverpool Rossett Park, Crosby (groundshare with Marine) Ashton Town Edge Green Street Atherton Laburnum Rovers Crilly Park Avro Whitebank Stadium, Oldham Bacup Borough West View Carlisle City Gillford Park Stadium Chadderton MCA Stadium Cleator Moor Celtic McGrath Park Daisy Hill New Sirs, Westhoughton Garstang The Riverside Holker Old Boys Rakesmoor Lane, Barrow-in-Furness Longridge Town Mike Riding Ground Lower Breck Anfield Sports and Community Centre Nelson Victoria Park Prestwich Heys Adie Moran Park Shelley Storthes Hall Park St Helens Town Ruskin Drive Sportsground Steeton Cougar Park
First Division South
The club allocations to the newly formed 2018–19 First Division South from the FA Leagues Committee (subject to appeal) were announced on 25 May 2018 and its constitution ratified at the league's AGM on 16 June 2018. The division comprised 20 clubs:
Two clubs relegated from the Premier Division: Barnton Maine Road
Nine clubs allocated from the First Division: Abbey Hulton United Alsager Town Cammell Laird 1907 Cheadle Town Eccleshall FC Oswestry Town New Mills Sandbach United Stockport Town
Seven clubs promoted from National League System Step 7 divisions, allocated to the division by the FA Leagues Committee: Cheadle Heath Nomads, from the Cheshire League Rylands, from the Cheshire League St Martins, from the West Midlands (Regional) League Stone Dominoes, from the Staffordshire County Senior League – returning to the league after resigning from the Premier Division at the end of the 2012–13 season in which they had conceded a league record 166 goals with a record negative goal difference of −135 over the season. Vauxhall Motors, from the West Cheshire League – returning to the league from which they had been promoted after the 1999–2000 season and following subsequent promotions had progressed to the Conference North from which they had resigned and returned to the West Cheshire League Wythenshawe Amateurs, from the Manchester League Wythenshawe Town, from the Cheshire League
Two clubs allocated to the division by the FA Leagues Committee moved laterally from the West Midlands (Regional) League: Ellesmere Rangers Stone Old Alleynians
At the end of the season two clubs, who had both been promoted to the division this season, left from opposite ends of the league table: champions Rylands were promoted to the Premier Division and Stone Dominoes were relegated back to the Staffordshire County Senior League.
League table
Results
Stadia and locations
Team Stadium Abbey Hulton United Birches Head Road Alsager Town Wood Park Stadium Barnton Townfield Cammell Laird 1907 Kirklands, Birkenhead Cheadle Heath Nomads The Heath Cheadle Town Park Road Stadium Eccleshall Pershall Park Ellesmere Rangers Beech Grove FC Oswestry Town Park Hall Stadium Maine Road Brantingham Road, Chorlton New Mills Church Lane Rylands Gorsey Lane, Warrington Sandbach United Sandbach Community Football Centre St Martins The Venue, Oswestry Stockport Town Stockport Sports Village Stone Dominoes Yarnfield Lane Stone Old Alleynians Yarnfield Lane Vauxhall Motors Rivacre Park, Ellesmere Port Wythenshawe Amateurs Hollyhedge Park Wythenshawe Town Ericstan Stadium
League Challenge Cup The 2018–19 League Challenge Cup (known as the Macron Challenge Cup for sponsorship reasons) was a knockout competition open to all the league's 60 clubs. The final, played at Altrincham F.C. contested by Premier Division clubs, was won 1–0 by 1874 Northwich who defeated City of Liverpool who were thus denied a league and cup double.
First round From the 60 clubs in the draw 28 first round ties featuring 56 clubs were drawn. Four clubs, Atherton Laburnum Rovers , Barnoldswick Town , Wythenshawe Amateurs and Wythenshawe Town received byes to the second round.
(Appended to club names in the results listings below: =Premier Division club; =First Division North club; =First Division South club)
Home team ScoreAway team Abbey Hey 3–3 Daisy Hill Bacup Borough 2–3 Avro Barnton 0–4 Congleton Town Bootle 2–2 Vauxhall Motors Burscough 5–1 New Mills Chadderton 3–4 1874 Northwich Charnock Richard 0–0 Runcorn Town Cheadle Heath Nomads 3–1 Litherland REMYCA City of Liverpool 3–1 Ashton Athletic Cleator Moor Celtic 5–2 Winsford United Eccleshall 3–2 AFC Darwen FC Oswestry Town x–W West Didsbury & Chorlton Holker Old Boys 0–9 Lower Breck Irlam 1–3 Abbey Hulton United Longridge Town 1–3 Squires Gate Maine Road 4–0 Steeton Nelson 2–1 Hanley Town Northwich Victoria 5–1 Alsager Town Padiham void Shelley Rylands 5–1 Carlisle City Sandbach United 4–1 AFC Liverpool Silsden 0–2 Garstang St Helens Town 0–2 Cheadle Town St Martins 2–4 Cammell Laird 1907 Stockport Town 3–2 Ellesmere Rangers Stone Dominoes W–x Ashton Town Stone Old Alleynians 1–3 AFC Blackpool Whitchurch Alport 1–1 Prestwich Heys
Second round Home team ScoreAway team 1874 Northwich 5–0 AFC Blackpool Abbey Hey 2–0 Atherton Laburnum Rovers Abbey Hulton United bye – Avro 7–0 Wythenshawe Town Barnoldswick Town 3–0 Wythenshawe Amateurs Burscough 3–1 Sandbach United Cammell Laird 1907 0–0 Lower Breck Cheadle Town 5–0 Bootle City of Liverpool 1–0 Squires Gate Eccleshall W–x West Didsbury & Chorlton Maine Road 0–5 Nelson Northwich Victoria 3–1 Runcorn Town Prestwich Heys 5–0 Cleator Moor Celtic Rylands 5–0 Cheadle Heath Nomads Stockport Town 2–2 Garstang Stone Dominoes 0–4 Congleton Town
Third round Home team ScoreAway team Abbey Hey 1–4 1874 Northwich Abbey Hulton United 0–1 Congleton Town Avro 7–2 Garstang Barnoldswick Town 9–4 Eccleshall Cammell Laird 1907 3–1 Rylands City of Liverpool 6–2 Burscough Nelson 2–1 Prestwich Heys Northwich Victoria 5–2 Cheadle Town
Quarter-finals Home team ScoreAway team 1874 Northwich 3–2 Barnoldswick Town Avro 3–1 Nelson City of Liverpool 2–1 Northwich Victoria Congleton Town 6–0 Cammell Laird 1907
Semi-finals The semi-finals were decided on aggregate score from two legs played TieHome team ScoreAway team 1Avro 1–3City of Liverpool City of Liverpool 3–1Avro City of Liverpool won 6–2 on aggregate2Congleton Town 0–51874 Northwich 1874 Northwich 2–0Congleton Town 1874 Northwich won 7–0 on aggregate
Final Team ScoreTeam Played 4 May 2019 at Altrincham F.C., Moss Lane stadium1874 Northwich 1–0City of Liverpool source:
First Division Trophy