The 2023–24 North West Counties Football League season was the 42nd in the history of the

North West Counties Football League The North West Counties Football League is a association football, football league in the North West England, North West of England. Since 2019–20, the league has covered the Isle of Man, Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Merseyside, ...

, a

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

competition in

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

. Teams are divided into three divisions: Premier Division, at Step 5, and Divisions One North and South, at Step 6. The allocations for Steps 5 and 6 this season were announced by

The Football Association The Football Association (the FA) is the Sports governing body, governing body of association football in England and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Bailiwick of Guernsey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. Formed in 1863, it is the oldest footb ...

on 15 May 2023, and were subject to appeals and FA ratification. Starting this season, the Premier Division (Step 5) in the league promotes two clubs; one as champions and one via a four-team play-off. This replaced the previous inter-step play-off system. For this season only, there was only one club relegated from the division.

Premier Division

The Premier Division comprises 24 teams. The following seven clubs left the Premier Division before the season: * Ashton Athletic – relegated to Division One North *

Avro Avro (an initialism of the founder's name) was a British aircraft manufacturer. Its designs include the Avro 504, used as a trainer in the First World War, the Avro Lancaster, one of the pre-eminent bombers of the Second World War, and the d ...

– promoted to the Northern Premier League Division One West * Bury AFC – merged with Bury * Congleton Town – transferred to the Midland League Premier Division *

Northwich Victoria Northwich is a market town and civil parish in the Cheshire West and Chester borough of Cheshire, England. It lies on the Cheshire Plain, at the confluence of the rivers River Weaver, Weaver and River Dane, Dane, east of Chester, south of Warr ...

– transferred to the Midland League Premier Division *

Vauxhall Motors Vauxhall Motors Limited , ;Company No. 00135767. Incorporated 12 May 1914, name changed from Vauxhall Motors Limited to General Motors UK Limited on 16 April 2008, reverted to Vauxhall Motors Limited on 18 September 2017. is a British Automoti ...

– promoted to the Northern Premier League Division One West *

Winsford United Winsford United Football Club are a football club based in Winsford, Cheshire, England. The club was founded in 1883, they're nicknamed ''The Blues'' and their home ground is ''Barton Stadium''. Their all-time top scorer is Perry Plowman with 25 ...

– requested relegation to Division One South due to financial implications of the FA allocating the club to the Midland League The following nine clubs joined the Premier Division before the season: * Bury – merged with Bury AFC *

Chadderton Chadderton is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham, Greater Manchester, England, on the River Irk and Rochdale Canal. It is located in the foothills of the Pennines, west of Oldham, south of Rochdale and north-east of Manchester. The ...

– promoted from Division One North * Cheadle Town – promoted from Division One South *

Colne Colne () is a market town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Borough of Pendle in Lancashire, England. The town is northeast of Nelson, Lancashire, Nelson, northeast of Burnley and east of Preston, Lancashire, Preston. The ...

– relegated from the Northern Premier League Division One West * Glossop North End – relegated from the Northern Premier League Division One West *

Pilkington Pilkington is a glass-manufacturing company which is based in Lathom, Lancashire, England. It includes several legal entities in the UK, and is a subsidiary of Japanese company Nippon Sheet Glass (NSG). It was formerly an independent company ...

– promoted from Division One North * Ramsbottom United – relegated from the Northern Premier League Division One West * Skelmersdale United – relegated from the Northern Premier League Division One West *

Wythenshawe Wythenshawe () is an area of Manchester, England. Historically part of Cheshire, in 1931 Wythenshawe was transferred to the City of Manchester, which had begun building a large housing estate there in the 1920s. With an area of approximately , ...

– promoted from Division One South, changed name from Wythenshawe Amateurs

Premier Division table

Play-offs

Semifinals

Final

Stadiums and locations

Division One North

Division One North comprises 18 clubs. The following three clubs left Division One North before the season: *

– promoted to the Premier Division * Cleator Moor Celtic – relegated to the West Lancashire League *

– promoted to the Premier Division The following three clubs joined Division One North before the season: * Ashton Athletic – relegated from the Premier Division * Route One Rovers – promoted from the Yorkshire Amateur League Premier Division * Shelley – promoted from the West Yorkshire League Premier Division

Division One North table

Play-offs

Semifinals

Final

Stadia and locations

Division One South

Division One South comprises 18 clubs. The following five clubs left Division One South before the season: * Cheadle Town – promoted to the Premier Division * Ellesmere Rangers - resigned * Foley Meir - relegated to the

Staffordshire County Senior League The Staffordshire County Senior League is a Football (soccer), football competition based in Staffordshire, England. It was formed in 2005 as a merger of the Midland Football League (1994), Midland League (formerly known as the Staffordshire Senio ...

Rocester Rocester is a village and civil parish in the East Staffordshire district of Staffordshire, England. Its name is spelt ''Rowcestre'' in the Domesday Book. It is located on the Derbyshire border. Geography The village is about north of Utto ...

- relegated to the Staffordshire County Senior League *

– promoted to the Premier Division The following three clubs joined Division One South before the season: *

Droylsden Droylsden is a town in Tameside, Greater Manchester, England, east of Manchester and west of Ashton-under-Lyne, with a population at the 2011 Census of 22,689. Within the boundaries of the historic county of Lancashire, in the mid-19th cen ...

– returned three seasons after withdrawal from the Northern Premier League * Market Drayton Town – relegated from the

Midland League The Midland Football League, officially known as the Capelli Sport Midland Football League since January 2025 for sponsorship reasons, is an English football league that was founded in 2014 by the merger of the former Midland Alliance and Midl ...

Premier Division *

– relegated from the Premier Division

Division One South table

Play-offs

Semifinals

Final

Stadia and locations

References

External links

The Official Website of The North West Counties League
{{DEFAULTSORT:2023-24 North West Counties Football League North West Counties Football League seasons 9