Where Are They Now? Part Four
Fri 6th January 2023 | Statistics | By Kevin Lawton
The North West Counties League’s inaugural season was 1982/83, with the merger of two leagues, The Cheshire League and the Lancashire Combination. That first season saw twenty team First and Second Divisions and an eighteen team Third Division.
What has happened to those teams in the following forty seasons? Continuing our series, League Statistician Kevin Lawton looks where our inaugural clubs from 1982 are now, moving into the bottom half of the Second Division table.
In eleventh were Skelmersdale United. Five seasons in the second division eventually saw promotion to the first in 1987. Nine seasons followed before relegation back down for two seasons from 1996. Eight further seasons in the First division saw promotion to the NPL Division 1 after they finished second in 2005/06. Four seasons in the Prem from 2013 to 2016 ended with relegation back to the NPL First North then relegation to the NWCFL for 2019/20. Last season they finished runners-up to Macclesfield and won a stupendous play-off game, 5-1 at Cinderford Town. This season they will play in the NPL Division 1 West.
Fleetwood Town were twelfth. This incarnation of the club played in the NWC until gaining promotion for 87/88 to the NPL First Division. In December 1993 the club was wound up, they were reformed and returned to the NWCFL for 2002/03. Promotion to the NPL in 2005, then to the Conference in 2008 saw them gain Football League status in 2012. Last season they finished 20th in the EFL Division 1.
Next up in thirteenth were Atherton LR, they were to remain in the NWC until the 94/95 season, having won the league title for the previous two seasons they were promoted to the NPL. Their stay was just three seasons, dropping back to the NWCFL. Since then they have played in our league, with various promotions and relegations between the divisions.
Lytham were our fourteenth placed team, they had just three seasons before dropping out of the league and folding in 1985.
Fifteenth place went to Great Harwood Town. Nine seasons in Division 2, then promotion to the first and immediate promotion to the NPL followed in 1992. Seven seasons at the higher level saw them relegated back to the NWC from 1999. Various ups and downs in the league followed before the club folded at the end of the 2005/06 season.
Sixteenth were Salford. Many mediocre seasons were to follow with the club never in the top half of the table. A name change in 1990 to Salford City didn’t bring much immediate success. It was not until the 2007/08 season, where they finished second and won promotion to the NPL. Seven seasons in the NPL First Division followed before finally getting into the Prem for 2015/16. They finished third and won promotion to the National League. In 2018/19 they finished third and gained entry to the Football League when they won the Play-off Final. Last season saw them finish 10th in the EFL division 2.
Seventeenth place was filled by Droylsden. Five seasons in the NWCFL was ended by promotion to the NPL. They were to reach the Conference North in 2004 and had one season in the top tier in 2007/08 before relegation back to the Conference North. Six seasons later they were back in the NPL and the club folded at the covid reduced 2019/20 season.
Prescot BI were eighteenth. Just two seasons in the NWCFL before the club dropped out and joined the St Helens Combination, where they played for at least the next 12 or 13 years – no record can be found after this.
Padiham were nineteenth and were relegated to third division. In total eight seasons were played then the club dropped to the West Lancashire League from 1990 to 2000, before a return to the NWCFL from 2000. They gained promotion to the NPL for the 2013 season but could not maintain the level and were back in the NWCFL two seasons later, where they currently reside.
Finally, the bottom team were New Mills FC. The club lasted just one season before dropping out. They were to be taken over by Birch Vale and Thornsett FC, who became New Mills Football Club. The new club entered the NWCFL in 2002 after playing for seventeen seasons in the Manchester League. Promotion to the NPL was gained in 2011, the club having five seasons at the higher level before being relegated back to the NWCFL. Last season they just missed out on promotion to the Prem, finishing third and losing in the play-off final to FC Isle of Man.
Part five, the Third Division, will follow next week.
Where Are They Now? Part Four
Fri 6th January 2023 | Statistics
By Kevin Lawton
The North West Counties League’s inaugural season was 1982/83, with the merger of two leagues, The Cheshire League and the Lancashire Combination. That first season saw twenty team First and Second Divisions and an eighteen team Third Division.
What has happened to those teams in the following forty seasons? Continuing our series, League Statistician Kevin Lawton looks where our inaugural clubs from 1982 are now, moving into the bottom half of the Second Division table.
In eleventh were Skelmersdale United. Five seasons in the second division eventually saw promotion to the first in 1987. Nine seasons followed before relegation back down for two seasons from 1996. Eight further seasons in the First division saw promotion to the NPL Division 1 after they finished second in 2005/06. Four seasons in the Prem from 2013 to 2016 ended with relegation back to the NPL First North then relegation to the NWCFL for 2019/20. Last season they finished runners-up to Macclesfield and won a stupendous play-off game, 5-1 at Cinderford Town. This season they will play in the NPL Division 1 West.
Fleetwood Town were twelfth. This incarnation of the club played in the NWC until gaining promotion for 87/88 to the NPL First Division. In December 1993 the club was wound up, they were reformed and returned to the NWCFL for 2002/03. Promotion to the NPL in 2005, then to the Conference in 2008 saw them gain Football League status in 2012. Last season they finished 20th in the EFL Division 1.
Next up in thirteenth were Atherton LR, they were to remain in the NWC until the 94/95 season, having won the league title for the previous two seasons they were promoted to the NPL. Their stay was just three seasons, dropping back to the NWCFL. Since then they have played in our league, with various promotions and relegations between the divisions.
Lytham were our fourteenth placed team, they had just three seasons before dropping out of the league and folding in 1985.
Fifteenth place went to Great Harwood Town. Nine seasons in Division 2, then promotion to the first and immediate promotion to the NPL followed in 1992. Seven seasons at the higher level saw them relegated back to the NWC from 1999. Various ups and downs in the league followed before the club folded at the end of the 2005/06 season.
Sixteenth were Salford. Many mediocre seasons were to follow with the club never in the top half of the table. A name change in 1990 to Salford City didn’t bring much immediate success. It was not until the 2007/08 season, where they finished second and won promotion to the NPL. Seven seasons in the NPL First Division followed before finally getting into the Prem for 2015/16. They finished third and won promotion to the National League. In 2018/19 they finished third and gained entry to the Football League when they won the Play-off Final. Last season saw them finish 10th in the EFL division 2.
Seventeenth place was filled by Droylsden. Five seasons in the NWCFL was ended by promotion to the NPL. They were to reach the Conference North in 2004 and had one season in the top tier in 2007/08 before relegation back to the Conference North. Six seasons later they were back in the NPL and the club folded at the covid reduced 2019/20 season.
Prescot BI were eighteenth. Just two seasons in the NWCFL before the club dropped out and joined the St Helens Combination, where they played for at least the next 12 or 13 years – no record can be found after this.
Padiham were nineteenth and were relegated to third division. In total eight seasons were played then the club dropped to the West Lancashire League from 1990 to 2000, before a return to the NWCFL from 2000. They gained promotion to the NPL for the 2013 season but could not maintain the level and were back in the NWCFL two seasons later, where they currently reside.
Finally, the bottom team were New Mills FC. The club lasted just one season before dropping out. They were to be taken over by Birch Vale and Thornsett FC, who became New Mills Football Club. The new club entered the NWCFL in 2002 after playing for seventeen seasons in the Manchester League. Promotion to the NPL was gained in 2011, the club having five seasons at the higher level before being relegated back to the NWCFL. Last season they just missed out on promotion to the Prem, finishing third and losing in the play-off final to FC Isle of Man.
Part five, the Third Division, will follow next week.
