The 2022–23 North West Counties Football League season was the 41st 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 two regional divisions at level 10 or Step 6. The latter were designated the First Division North and First Division South, with the champions of each division competing in a single match for the First Division Champions Cup. 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 Edward Case Cup, named after the trophy), a knockout trophy competition for First Division clubs only.
Premier Division
Three clubs had left the division after the previous season: Macclesfield, promoted as champions to the Northern Premier League Division One West Runcorn Town, relegated to First Division North Skelmersdale United, promoted as winners of an inter-step promotion/relegation play-off to the Northern Premier League Division One West
The 2022–23 Premier Division club allocations from the FA Leagues Committee (subject to appeal) were announced on 12 May 2022 and its constitution was adopted at the league's AGM on 18 June 2022. The division comprised 22 clubs, 18 remaining from the previous season plus 4 additions: Bury AFC, promoted as champions from the First Division North FC Isle of Man, promoted as promotion play-off winners from the First Division South Kendal Town, relegated from the Northern Premier League Division One West West Didsbury & Chorlton, promoted as champions from the First Division South
At the end of the season the champions Vauxhall Motors were promoted directly to the Northern Premier League Division One West where they were joined by runners-up Avro who defeated Lincoln United of the Step 4 Northern Premier League Division One East 2–1 in an inter-step promotion/relegation play-off. Bottom placed club Ashton Athletic were relegated to the First Division North whilst Burscough were reprieved from relegation owing to their points per game ratio being better than other Step 5 relegation candidates.
Also leaving the division, via a lateral transfer mandated by the FA Leagues Committee in the 2023–24 league allocations, to the Midland League Premier Division were Congleton Town and Northwich Victoria (the latter club was transferred following a failed appeal). Also slated for transfer to the same league were Winsford United who appealed the decision but were unsuccessful; however, they were unwilling to accept the transfer and through a strategy of applying for and being granted voluntary relegation to Step 6 they remained in the North West Counties League following their demotion to the First Division South.
As the season was ending in May 2023 the members of Bury AFC and those of Bury FC Supporters' Society voted to merge the two entities into a single club, Bury F.C.. The reconstituted club continued in the division next season and resumed playing at Gigg Lane the home of the former Bury FC club expelled from the Football League in 2019.
League table
Results Table
Inter-step promotion/relegation play-off The Inter-step promotion/relegation play-off matches were between National League System Step 4 and Step 5 clubs, with the winner to play next season at the higher level and the loser at the lower. The division runners-up Avro defeated Lincoln United of the Step 4 Northern Premier League Division One East 2–1 to achieve promotion to the Northern Premier League Division One West.
Stadia and locations
Team Stadium AFC Liverpool Rossett Park, Crosby (groundshare with Marine) Ashton Athletic Brockstedes Park Avro Whitebank Stadium, Oldham Barnoldswick Town Greenberfield Lane Burscough Victoria Park Bury AFC Stainton Park, Radcliffe (groundshare with Radcliffe) Charnock Richard Mossie Park Congleton Town Ivy Gardens FC Isle of Man The Bowl, Douglas Irlam Silver Street Kendal Town Parkside Road Litherland REMYCA Litherland Sports Park Longridge Town Mike Riding Ground Lower Breck Anfield Sports and Community Centre Northwich Victoria Wincham Park (groundshare with Witton Albion) Padiham Arbories Memorial Sports Ground Prestwich Heys Adie Moran Park Squires Gate School Road Vauxhall Motors Rivacre Park, Ellesmere Port West Didsbury & Chorlton Brookburn Road, Chorlton Winsford United Barton Stadium Wythenshawe Town Ericstan Stadium
First Division North
Four clubs had left the division after the previous season: Bury AFC, promoted as champions to the Premier Division Campion, transferred laterally to the Northern Counties East League Division One Golcar United, promoted as play-off winners and transferred to the Northern Counties East League Premier Division St Helens Town, relegated to the Liverpool County Premier League
The 2022–23 First Division North club allocations issued by the FA Leagues Committee (subject to appeal) were announced on 12 May 2022 and its constitution adopted at the league's AGM on 18 June 2022. The division comprised 18 clubs, 15 remaining from the previous season plus 3 additions: Euxton Villa, promoted as third from the West Lancashire League FC St Helens, promoted as champions from the Cheshire League Runcorn Town, relegated from the Premier Division
Prior to the season AFC Darwen changed their name to Darwen.
At the end of the season champions Pilkington and promotion play-off winners Chadderton (who had finished as runners-up of the division) were promoted to the Premier Division. Bottom club Cleator Moor Celtic were relegated to the West Lancashire League. The two clubs finishing above them Ashton Town and Runcorn Town were both reprieved from relegation owing to a points per game (PPG) ratio better than other Step 6 relegation candidates and the number of clubs being promoted from the County Feeder Leagues being lower than anticipated.
League table
Results Table
Promotion play-offs The 2022–23 First Division North promotion play-offs, contested by the clubs that finished second to fifth position in the league table, were won by Chadderton who had been runners-up of the division – they required extended penalty shoot-outs to win both their matches in the play-offs.
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Semi-finals
Final
Stadia and locations
Team Stadium AFC Blackpool The Mechanics Ashton Town Edge Green Street Atherton Laburnum Rovers Crilly Park Bacup Borough West View Chadderton MCA Stadium Cleator Moor Celtic McGrath Park Daisy Hill New Sirs, Westhoughton Darwen The Anchor Ground Euxton Villa Jim Fowler Memorial Ground FC St Helens Windleshaw Sports Garstang The Riverside Holker Old Boys Rakesmoor Lane, Barrow-in-Furness Ilkley Town MPM Lane Nelson Victoria Park Pilkington Ruskin Drive Sportsground Runcorn Town Pavilions Sports Complex South Liverpool Jericho Lane Steeton Cougar Park
First Division South
Three clubs had left the division after the previous season: FC Isle of Man, promoted as promotion play-off winners to the Premier Division St Martins, relegated to the Shropshire County Football League West Didsbury & Chorlton, promoted as champions to the Premier Division
The 2022–23 First Division South club allocations from the FA Leagues Committee (subject to appeal) were announced on 12 May 2022, and its constitution adopted at the league's AGM on 18 June 2022. The division comprised 20 clubs, 17 remaining from the previous season plus 3 additions (all promoted from County Feeder Leagues): Ashville, promoted as runners-up from the West Cheshire League Foley Meir, promoted as champions from the Staffordshire County Senior League Stockport Georgians, promoted as third from the Manchester League
At the end of the season champions Wythenshawe Amateurs and promotion play-off winners Cheadle Town (who had finished fifth in the division) were promoted to the Premier Division. The bottom two clubs Foley Meir (who had joined the league this season) and Rocester were relegated to the Staffordshire County Senior League. The club finishing above them Stafford Town were reprieved from relegation. Also belatedly leaving the division were Ellesmere Rangers, with news of their resignation announced on 21 June 2023.
League table
Results Table
Promotion play-offs The 2022–23 First Division South promotion play-offs, contested by the clubs that finished second to fifth position in the league table, were won by Cheadle Town who had been fifth-placed in the division.
Source=
Semi-finals
Final
Stadia and locations
Team Stadium Abbey Hey The Abbey Stadium, Gorton Abbey Hulton United Birches Head Road Alsager Town Wood Park Stadium Ashville Villa Park, Wallasey Barnton Townfield Brocton Silkmore Lane Cammell Laird 1907 Kirklands, Birkenhead Cheadle Heath Nomads The Heath Cheadle Town Park Road Stadium Eccleshall Pershall Park Foley Meir Whitcombe Road Ellesmere Rangers Beech Grove Maine Road Brantingham Road, Chorlton New Mills Church Lane Rocester Hillsfield Sandbach United Sandbach Community Football Centre Stafford Town Evans Park Stockport Georgians Cromley Road Stockport Town Stockport Sports Village Wythenshawe Amateurs Hollyhedge Park
League Challenge Cup The 2022–23 League Challenge Cup (known for sponsorship reasons as the Macron Cup) was open to all 60 clubs from the Premier and First Divisions North and South (indicated in the results listings below by , and respectively). The final, played at Chorley F.C., was won 4–3 on penalties after a 2–2 draw after 90 minutes by Premier Division Congleton Town who defeated First Division North Bacup Borough (who the previous week had won the First Division Trophy).
For the first two rounds clubs were drawn into four regional groups that all initially contained fifteen clubs. One club in each group received a bye to the second round: these were the cup holders Charnock Richard (in Group 1) and the three highest-ranked clubs in the 2021–22 Premier Division that didn't achieve promotion: Wythenshawe Town (Group 2), Northwich Victoria (Group 4) and Avro (Group 3).
First round TieHome team ScoreAway team Group One 1 Ashton Athletic 3–2 Longridge Town 2 Daisy Hill 0–2 Euxton Villa 3 Holker Old Boys 1–1 Burscough 4 Atherton Laburnum Rovers 1–2 Kendal Town 5 FC St Helens 2–1 AFC Blackpool 6 Cleator Moor Celtic 1–3 Squires Gate 7 Garstang 2–1 Ashton Town Group Two 8 AFC Liverpool 1–0 FC Isle of Man 9 Cammell Laird 1907 2–1 Ashville 10 Vauxhall Motors 1–1 South Liverpool 11 Litherland REMYCA 0–4 Lower Breck 12 Maine Road 0–0 Wythenshawe Amateurs 13 Pilkington 3–0 West Didsbury & Chorlton 14 Irlam 4–0 Runcorn Town Group Three 15 Stockport Georgians 1–0 Prestwich Heys 16 Ilkley Town 0–1 Bacup Borough 17 Darwen 1–5 Steeton 18 Barnoldswick Town 2–1 Stockport Town 19 Abbey Hey 1–1 Nelson 20 New Mills 6–1 Chadderton 21 Bury AFC 3–1 Padiham Group Four 22 Alsager Town 1–4 Abbey Hulton United 23 Eccleshall 2–2 Cheadle Heath Nomads 24 Foley Meir 2–5 Brocton 25 Cheadle Town 6–1 Rocester 26 Ellesmere Rangers 1–2 Congleton Town 27 Winsford United 3–0 Sandbach United 28 Stafford Town 0–5 Barnton
Second round TieHome team ScoreAway team Group One 1 Ashton Athletic 1–3 Euxton Villa 2 Burscough 1–4 Kendal Town 3 Charnock Richard 2–2 FC St Helens 4 Squires Gate 1–0 Garstang Group Two 5 Cammell Laird 1907 1–4 South Liverpool 6 Lower Breck 4–0 Wythenshawe Amateurs 7 Wythenshawe Town 5–1 AFC Liverpool 8 Pilkington 1–1 Irlam Group Three 9 Avro 0–0 Stockport Georgians 10 Bacup Borough 1–1 Steeton 11 Barnoldswick Town 1–1 Abbey Hey 12 New Mills 0–0 Bury AFC Group Four 13 Abbey Hulton United 3–0 Eccleshall 14 Barnton 3–1 Winsford United 15 Brocton 1–2 Congleton Town 16 Northwich Victoria 2–0 Cheadle Town
Third round The groupings from the previous rounds were discontinued.