The 2026–27 North West Counties Football League season is the 45th 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
Seven clubs had left the division after the previous season: Cheadle Town, transferred laterally to the Midland League Premier Division City of Liverpool, resigned from the league owing to lack of a ground Padiham, promoted as promotion play-off winners to the Northern Premier League Division One West Pilkington, resigned from the league (discontinued their first team) Stockport Town, resigned from the league owing to sustainability considerations West Didsbury & Chorlton, transferred laterally to the Midland League Premier Division Wythenshawe, promoted as champions to the Northern Premier League Division One West
The 2026–27 Premier Division club allocations from the FA Leagues Committee (subject to appeal) were announced on 15 May 2026. Subsequent to this Pilkington announced their resignation which reprieved Litherland REMYCA from relegation; the revised constitution of the division was adopted at the league's AGM on 20 June 2026. The division comprises 20 clubs, 17 remaining from the previous season plus 3 additions:
Droylsden, promoted as promotion play-off winners from the First Division North Nelson, promoted as champions from the First Division North Trafford, relegated from Northern Premier League Division One West
League Table
Results Table
Stadia and locations
ClubLocationHome groundAbbey HeyGorton, ManchesterAbbey StadiumAFC LiverpoolBootleBerry Street Garage Stadium (groundshare with Bootle)Atherton Laburnum RoversAthertonCrilly ParkBarnoldswick TownBarnoldswickSilentnight StadiumBurscoughBurscoughThe Community GroundChaddertonChadderton, OldhamEmplas Commercial North StadiumCharnock RichardCharnock Richard, ChorleyMossie ParkDroylsdenDroylsdenButcher's Arms GroundEuxton VillaEuxtonJim Fowler Memorial GroundFC Isle of Man DouglasThe BowlFC St HelensSt HelensThe Kay Welding StadiumGlossop North EndGlossopThe Asgard Engineering StadiumIrlamIrlam, SalfordThe Silver Street StadiumLitherland REMYCALitherlandLitherland Sports ParkLongridge TownLongridgeTwo10 Investment Services GroundNelsonNelsonThe Daisy ArenaPrestwich HeysPrestwich, BuryAdie Moran ParkRamsbottom UnitedRamsbottomThe Harry Williams Riverside StadiumSouth LiverpoolLiverpoolJericho Lane Trafford Flixton Shawe View
First Division North
Two clubs had left the division after the previous season: Nelson, promoted as champions to the Premier Division Droylsden, promoted as promotion play-off winners to the Premier Division
The 2026–27 First Division North club allocations from the FA Leagues Committee (subject to appeal) were announced on 15 May 2026. Subsequent to this announcement, Litherland REMYCA were reprieved from relegation into the division, while Maine Road were reprieved from relegation out of it; the revised constitution of the division was adopted at the league's AGM on 20 June 2026. The division comprises 22 clubs, 16 remaining from the previous season plus 6 additions:
AFC Knowsley, promoted from fourth in the West Cheshire League Ashville, transferred laterally from the First Division South Cammell Laird 1907, transferred laterally from the First Division South Flixton, a reformed club who had resigned from the Premier Division after the 2011–12 season Halewood Apollo, promoted from fifth in the Liverpool County Premier League Uppermill, promoted as runners-up from the Manchester Football League
League Table
Results Table
Stadia and locations
ClubLocationHome groundAFC BlackpoolSquires Gate, BlackpoolThe Mechanics GroundAFC KnowsleyKnowsley, MerseysideLord Derby PavilionAshton AthleticAshton-in-Makerfield, WiganBrocstedes ParkAshton TownAshton-in-Makerfield, WiganThe Bartons Group StadiumAshvilleWallaseyRay Parker StadiumBacup BoroughBacupBrian Boys West View StadiumCammell Laird 1907Rock FerryThe OWS Engineering Ltd StadiumColneColneDM Pies StadiumDaisy HillWesthoughton, BoltonThe Ginge Power StadiumDarwenDarwenMultevo Group Anchor GroundFlixton Flixton Valley Road Stadium Fulwood AmateursFulwoodLightfoot Green LaneGarstangGarstangThe RiversideHalewood ApolloHalewood, MerseysideVolair HalewoodHolker Old BoysBarrow-in-FurnessThe Handmark Engineering StadiumMaghullMaghullDT Hughes Community StadiumMaine RoadChorlton-cum-Hardy, ManchesterBrantingham RoadSquires GateSquires Gate, BlackpoolThe Skiddle Community StadiumSteetonKeighleyMarley StadiumThornton CleveleysThornton-CleveleysGamble Road Uppermill Mossley, Tameside Seel Park (groundshare with Mossley)MSB WooltonWoolton, LiverpoolSimpsons Sports Ground
First Division South
Five clubs had left the division after the previous season: Ashville, transferred laterally to the First Division North Cammell Laird 1907, transferred laterally to the First Division North Haughmond, relegated to the Shropshire County League Runcorn Town, promoted as champions to the Midland League Premier Division Stockport Georgians, promoted as promotion play-off winners to the Midland League Premier Division
The 2026–27 First Division South club allocations from the FA Leagues Committee (subject to appeal) were announced on 15 May 2026 and adopted at the league's AGM on 20 June 2026. The division comprises 20 clubs, 13 remaining from the previous season plus 7 additions:
AFC Bridgnorth, transferred laterally from the Midland League Division One Bilston Town, transferred laterally from the Midland League Division One Brereton Social, promoted as champions of the Staffordshire County Senior League Crewe, promoted from fifth in the Cheshire Football League Dawley Town, promoted as champions of the Shropshire County Football League Wednesfield Community, transferred laterally from the Midland League Division One Widnes Town, a newly founded club
League Table
Results Table
Stadia and locations
ClubLocationHome groundAFC BridgnorthBridgnorth, ShropshireCrown MeadowAllscott HeathAllscottThe Peter Ford StadiumAlsager TownAlsagerWood ParkBarntonBarntonThe Creative Hut StadiumBilston TownBilston, West MidlandsQueen Street GroundBrereton SocialBrereton, StaffordshireRed Lion GroundCheadle Heath NomadsCheadle HeathIdeal Building Systems StadiumCreweCrewe, CheshireThe ExcelDawley TownDawley, Telford, ShropshireTheatre of JockeysEccleshallEccleshallStoke Signage StadiumFoley MeirStoke-on-TrentTrentham Foods StadiumMarket Drayton TownMarket DraytonBalufab StadiumNew MillsNew MillsChurch LaneSandbach UnitedSandbachSandbach Community Football CentreShawbury UnitedShawburyShawbury United Community Sports and Recreation GroundStafford TownStaffordEvans ParkTelford TownTelfordLionheart Security Services StadiumWednesfield CommunityWednesfield, WolverhamptonCottage GroundWidnes TownWidnes, CheshireDCBL StadiumWolverhampton CasualsFeatherstoneBrinsford Stadium
League Challenge Cup The 2026–27 NWCFL League Challenge Cup (known for sponsorship reasons as The Macron Cup) was open to all 62 clubs from the Premier and First Divisions North & South (indicated in the results listings below by , and ).
For the early rounds clubs were drawn into four regional groupings: Group A the most northern section comprised five Premier Division and ten First Division North clubs and included Darwen who received a first round bye; Group B comprised six Premier Division, eight First Division North and one First Division South clubs and included cup holders AFC Liverpool who received a bye to the next round; Group C comprised nine Premier Division, four First Division North and three First Division South clubs; and Group D, the most southerly group comprised 16 clubs all from the First Division South.
First round TieHome team ScoreAway team Group A 1 Squires Gate 2–4 Euxton Villa 2 Fulwood Amateurs 5–0 Colne 3 Bacup Borough 3–0 Thornton Cleveleys 4 Steeton 1–4 Nelson 5 Barnoldswick Town 3–1 AFC Blackpool 6 Charnock Richard 4–2 Longridge Town 7 Holker Old Boys 3–0 Garstang Darwen received a bye to the next roundGroup B 8 MSB Woolton 2–1 Ashville 9 Halewood Apollo 3–0 Ashton Town 10 Litherland REMYCA 3–1 Ashton Athletic 11 FC Isle of Man 6–0 Widnes Town 12 South Liverpool 1–4 FC St Helens 13 Maghull 4–0 AFC Knowsley 14 Burscough 1–0 Cammell Laird 1907 AFC Liverpool received a bye to the next roundGroup C 15 Daisy Hill 1–2 Barnton 16 Abbey Hey 2–5 Atherton Laburnum Rovers 17 Ramsbottom United 4–0 Cheadle Heath Nomads Played at Cheadle Heath Nomads 18 Flixton 4–0 Uppermill 19 Irlam 1–0 Glossop North End 20 New Mills 5–0 Maine Road 21 Droylsden 0–2 Chadderton 22 Prestwich Heys 2–1 Trafford Group D 23 Market Drayton Town 1–3 Allscott Heath 24 Wednesfield Community 1–1 Dawley Town 25 Stafford Town 0–2 Bilston Town 26 Foley Meir 1–1 Wolverhampton Casuals 27 Crewe 6–0 Brereton Social 28 Telford Town 1–1 AFC Bridgnorth 29 Eccleshall 4–2 Shawbury United 30 Sandbach United 0–0 Alsager Town
Second round TieHome team ScoreAway team Group A 1 Bacup Borough v Charnock Richard 2 Fulwood Amateurs v Euxton Villa 3 Holker Old Boys v Nelson 4 Barnoldswick Town v Darwen Group B 5 FC Isle of Man v Maghull 6 MSB Woolton v Litherland REMYCA 7 AFC Liverpool v FC St Helens 8 Burscough v Halewood Apollo Group C 9 Flixton v Atherton Laburnum Rovers 10 Prestwich Heys v New Mills 11 Irlam v Barnton 12 Ramsbottom United v Chadderton Group D 13 Wolverhampton Casuals v Crewe 14 Alsager Town v Bilston Town 15 Telford Town v Allscott Heath 16 Wednesfield Community v Eccleshall
Updated to match(es) played on 26 September 2026
Source: NWCFL:Macron Cup Results
First Division Cup The 2026–27 NWCFL First Division Cup (known as The Edward Case Cup, the name of the trophy) was open to all 42 clubs from the First Divisions North and South.
For the initial rounds the clubs were divided into North and South groups (per the divisions). The competition commenced with a preliminary round for twenty clubs (12 North and 8 South First Division clubs) which comprised from each section's corresponding division a combination of both clubs new to the league and those with the lowest league positions from the 2025–26 season.
Preliminary round TieHome teamScoreAway teamNorth Group 1 Garstang 0–3 Colne 2 Fulwood Amateurs 8–2 Halewood Apollo 3 Steeton 3–1 AFC Knowsley 4 Uppermill 1–1 Daisy Hill 5 Flixton 4–0 Ashton Athletic 6 Maine Road 4–0 AFC BlackpoolSouth Group 7 Market Drayton Town 3–0 Crewe 8 Wednesfield Community 1–1 Widnes Town 9 Dawley Town 2–3 Brereton Social 10 AFC Bridgnorth 2–2 Bilston Town First round TieHome teamScoreAway teamNorth Group 1 Bacup Borough 3–0 Ashville 2 Fulwood Amateurs 1–1 Ashton Town 3 Maghull 0–0 Cammell Laird 1907 4 Squires Gate 1–3 Steeton 5 Flixton 5–3 Darwen 6 Maine Road 1–4 Holker Old Boys 7 MSB Woolton 3–3 Colne 8 Uppermill 1–5 Thornton CleveleysSouth Group 9 Market Drayton Town v Alsager Town 10 Sandbach United 4–1 Foley Meir 11 Telford Town v Shawbury United 12 Wednesfield Community v New Mills 13 Cheadle Heath Nomads 1–2 Wolverhampton Casuals 14 Brereton Social v AFC Bridgnorth 15 Stafford Town v Allscott Heath 16 Barnton 6–0 Eccleshall Updated to match(es) played on 7 October 2026
Source: NWCFL: Edward Case Cup Results
References
External links