2020–21 North West Counties Football League
The 2020–21 North West Counties Football League season was the 39th in the history of the North West Counties Football League, a football competition in England, and the third season following the split of the lower level into two geographically separated divisions. 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 for season 2020–21 were announced by the Football Association on 21 July,[1] and were subject to appeal. On 6 August, it was announced by the League that the season would start no earlier than Saturday 3 October.[2] The season was later suspended in December as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic in England. It was subsequently abandoned on 24 February 2021.[3]
Premier Division
| Season | 2020–21 |
|---|---|
← 2019–20 2021–22 → | |
The Premier Division comprised 20 teams, the same set of teams which competed in the previous season's aborted competition.
Rylands changed its name to Warrington Rylands 1906.[4]
Premier Division table
Prior to the first match(es) being played the Pos column shows alphanumeric sequence of teams rather than league position.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Avro | 8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 23 | 9 | +14 | 16 | |
| 2 | Warrington Rylands (P) | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 15 | 4 | +11 | 13 | Promotion to the Northern Premier League Division One West |
| 3 | Northwich Victoria | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 12 | 9 | +3 | 13 | |
| 4 | Irlam | 9 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 13 | 20 | −7 | 12 | |
| 5 | Runcorn Town | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 14 | 7 | +7 | 11 | |
| 6 | Hanley Town | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 12 | 9 | +3 | 11 | Transfer to the Midland League |
| 7 | Winsford United | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 18 | 7 | +11 | 10 | |
| 8 | Congleton Town | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 8 | +1 | 10 | |
| 9 | Bootle (P) | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 5 | +9 | 9 | Promotion to the Northern Premier League Division One West |
| 10 | 1874 Northwich (P) | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 12 | 8 | +4 | 9 | |
| 11 | Burscough | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 3 | +3 | 6 | |
| 12 | Padiham | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 12 | 16 | −4 | 7 | |
| 13 | Longridge Town | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 5 | +4 | 6 | |
| 14 | Ashton Athletic | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 16 | −6 | 6 | |
| 15 | Whitchurch Alport | 7 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 10 | 19 | −9 | 6 | Transfer to the Midland League |
| 16 | Barnoldswick Town | 8 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 11 | 26 | −15 | 6 | |
| 17 | Charnock Richard | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 9 | −2 | 4 | |
| 18 | Skelmersdale United | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 9 | −4 | 3 | |
| 19 | Squires Gate | 9 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 15 | 29 | −14 | 3 | |
| 20 | Litherland REMYCA | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 16 | −9 | 1 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored; 4) Number of matches won; 5) Head-to-head results[5]
(P) Promoted
Premier Division results
Stadia and locations
| Team | Stadium |
|---|---|
| 1874 Northwich | Townfield (groundshare with Barnton) |
| Ashton Athletic | Brockstedes Park |
| Avro | Whitebank Stadium, Oldham |
| Barnoldswick Town | Greenberfield Lane |
| Bootle | New Bucks Park |
| Burscough | Victoria Park |
| Charnock Richard | Mossie Park |
| Congleton Town | Ivy Gardens |
| Hanley Town | Abbey Lane |
| Irlam | Silver Street |
| Litherland REMYCA | Litherland Sports Park |
| Longridge Town | Mike Riding Ground |
| Northwich Victoria | Wincham Park (groundshare with Witton Albion) |
| Padiham | Arbories Memorial Sports Ground |
| Runcorn Town | Pavilions Sports Complex |
| Skelmersdale United | Valerie Park |
| Squires Gate | School Road |
| Warrington Rylands | Gorsey Lane |
| Whitchurch Alport | Yockings Park |
| Winsford United | Barton Stadium |
Division One North
| Season | 2020–21 |
|---|---|
← 2019–20 2021–22 → | |
Division One North comprised 19 clubs, 18 of which were in the division the previous season.
- Shelley resigned shortly before the season began[6]
- Emley AFC was transferred back to the Northern Counties East League, having spent just one season in this league
- Bury AFC, a newly formed phoenix club, was included in this division
Division One North table
Prior to the first match(es) being played the Pos column shows alphabetic sequence of teams rather than league position.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bury AFC | 7 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 22 | 11 | +11 | 16 | |
| 2 | Lower Breck (P) | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 3 | +12 | 12 | Promotion to the Premier Division |
| 3 | AFC Darwen | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 20 | 16 | +4 | 12 | |
| 4 | Cleator Moor Celtic | 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 21 | 20 | +1 | 12 | |
| 5 | AFC Liverpool (P) | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 15 | 7 | +8 | 10 | Promotion to the Premier Division |
| 6 | Prestwich Heys (P) | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 9 | +4 | 10 | |
| 7 | Steeton | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 13 | 11 | +2 | 10 | |
| 8 | Golcar United | 8 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 14 | 15 | −1 | 10 | |
| 9 | Ashton Town | 8 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 14 | 18 | −4 | 10 | |
| 10 | Bacup Borough | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 2 | +7 | 9 | |
| 11 | Garstang | 7 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 14 | 19 | −5 | 9 | |
| 12 | Pilkington | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 11 | 0 | 8 | |
| 13 | AFC Blackpool | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 12 | 16 | −4 | 6 | |
| 14 | Chadderton | 7 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 12 | 19 | −7 | 5 | |
| 15 | Holker Old Boys | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 10 | −2 | 3 | |
| 16 | Atherton LR | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 | −2 | 3 | |
| 17 | Nelson | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 11 | 19 | −8 | 3 | |
| 18 | Daisy Hill | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 18 | −11 | 3 | |
| 19 | St Helens Town | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 10 | −5 | 1 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored; 4) Number of matches won; 5) Head-to-head results[5]
(P) Promoted
Division One North results
Stadia and locations
Locations of the 2020–21 North West Counties Football League Division One North teams
| 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 |
| Bacup Borough | West View |
| Chadderton | MCA Stadium |
| Cleator Moor Celtic | McGrath Park |
| Daisy Hill | New Sirs, Westhoughton |
| Emley | Welfare Ground |
| Garstang | The Riverside |
| Golcar United | Longfield Avenue |
| Holker Old Boys | Rakesmoor Lane, Barrow-in-Furness |
| Lower Breck | Anfield Sports and Community Centre |
| Nelson | Victoria Park |
| Pilkington | Ruskin Drive Sportsground |
| Prestwich Heys | Adie Moran Park |
| St Helens Town | Ruskin Drive Sportsground |
| Steeton | Cougar Park |
Division One South
| Season | 2020–21 |
|---|---|
← 2019–20 2021–22 → | |
Division One South comprised 20 clubs, 19 of which were in the division the previous season.
- FC Oswestry Town resigned before the start of this season, and subsequently folded.[7]
- FC Isle of Man's application to join the English football league system was successful, and the team was placed in this division. However, the club agreed to have its playing membership in the league suspended by mutual consent for the rest of this season because of COVID-19 pandemic-related travel restrictions on the Isle of Man.[8]
Division One South table
Prior to the first match(es) being played the Pos column shows alphabetic sequence of teams rather than league position.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vauxhall Motors (P) | 8 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 19 | 6 | +13 | 22 | Promotion to the Premier Division |
| 2 | Wythenshawe Town (P) | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 3 | +26 | 21 | |
| 3 | Sandbach United | 8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 23 | 16 | +7 | 16 | |
| 4 | Stockport Town | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 20 | 6 | +14 | 14 | |
| 5 | West Didsbury & Chorlton | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 18 | 11 | +7 | 13 | |
| 6 | Cheadle Heath Nomads | 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 20 | 17 | +3 | 12 | |
| 7 | New Mills | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 5 | +1 | 11 | |
| 8 | Stone Old Alleynians (P) | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 13 | 9 | +4 | 10 | Promotion to the Midland League |
| 9 | Barnton | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 7 | +3 | 10 | |
| 10 | Abbey Hey | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 13 | 11 | +2 | 10 | |
| 11 | Cheadle Town | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 12 | 10 | +2 | 8 | |
| 12 | Alsager Town | 7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 14 | −6 | 7 | |
| 13 | Cammell Laird | 7 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 6 | 10 | −4 | 6 | |
| 14 | Maine Road | 7 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 9 | 16 | −7 | 6 | |
| 15 | St Martins | 9 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 9 | 29 | −20 | 5 | |
| 16 | Ellesmere Rangers | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 12 | −8 | 3 | |
| 17 | Abbey Hulton United | 7 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 9 | 22 | −13 | 3 | |
| 18 | Wythenshawe Amateurs | 5 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 8 | −4 | 2 | |
| 19 | Eccleshall | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 24 | −20 | 1 | |
| 20 | FC Isle of Man | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Suspension from the league[8] |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored; 4) Number of matches won; 5) Head-to-head results[5]
(P) Promoted
Division One South results
Stadia and locations
 Locations of 2020–21 North West Counties Division One South teams (Greater Manchester) |
Locations of 2020–21 North West Counties Division One South teams (Isle of Man)
|
| Team | Stadium |
|---|---|
| Abbey Hey | The Abbey Stadium, Gorton |
| 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 Isle of Man | The Bowl, Douglas |
| Maine Road | Brantingham Road, Chorlton |
| New Mills | Church Lane |
| Sandbach United | Sandbach Community Football Centre |
| St Martins | The Venue, Oswestry |
| Stockport Town | Stockport Sports Village |
| Stone Alleynians | Yarnfield Lane |
| Vauxhall Motors | Rivacre Park, Ellesmere Port |
| West Didsbury & Chorlton | Brookburn Road, Chorlton |
| Wythenshawe Amateurs | Hollyhedge Park |
| Wythenshawe Town | Ericstan Stadium |
League Challenge Cup
Also called the Macron Challenge Cup for sponsorship reasons.[9]
Sources for this section: fixtures and results
This competition is open to all teams in the league. However, due to irregularities in the previous season, AFC Darwen forfeited a place in the competition this season[10]
The competition was suspended for this season and eventually cancelled in February 2021.[3][11]
Division One Trophy
The competition was also suspended for this season and later cancelled in February 2021.[3][11]
Division One Champions Cup
This would have been played at the end of the season between the winners of Division One North and Division One South. It too was cancelled in February 2021.[3]
References
- "National League System club allocations – Steps 5–6, Season 2020–21" (PDF). The FA. 21 July 2020 – via The Non-League Paper.
- "League Statement - re: Start of Season 2020/21". NWCFL. 6 August 2020. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
- "FA provides update on NLS Steps 3-6". The FA. 24 February 2021. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
- "RYLANDS ANNOUNCE LANDMARK NAME CHANGE". Warrington Rylands (1906) F.C. 1 August 2020. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
- "The FA Handbook 2020/2021 Part 29 Standardised Rules Section 12.2". The FA. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
- "Shelley FC Resign from the NWCFL". NWCFL. 18 September 2020. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
- "Resignation of FC Oswestry Town". NWCFL. 4 July 2020. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
- "Playing membership of NWCFL suspended for the remainder of the season". FC Isle of Man. 6 December 2020. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
- "League announces 4-year partnership deal with Macron". NWCFL. 7 June 2016. Retrieved 9 May 2018.
- "Alterations To League Tables". NWCFL. 23 April 2020. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
- "Season Start date confirmed and Cup Competition update". NWCFL. 21 August 2020. Retrieved 22 August 2020.