Introducing the new member clubs: Halewood Apollo
Tue 28th July 2026 | Halewood Apollo | By Jay Cooper
With the 2026/27 NWCFL campaign fast approaching, now is the perfect time to introduce the new member clubs to their respective divisions.
Or perhaps better – to let the new member clubs introduce themselves.
Last week, I spoke to Joseph Stocks – owner, chairman and first team manager at Halewood Apollo, who will take their place in the NWCFL First Division North this season following promotion from the Liverpool County Premier League after the end of the 2025/26 season.
It has been nothing shy of a whirlwind decade plus for Halewood Apollo Football Club.
They were founded in 2014 by reigning chairman Joseph Stocks, and they began their competitive life in Division Five of the Warrington & District League, purely as an enthusiastic friend group with a passion for the beautiful game.
Five promotions in their local league would follow, several of which came back-to-back, and by the turn of the decade, Halewood Apollo were sitting at the top table in the pyramid – the Warrington & District League Premier Division.
In the club’s final season before making the next step, they had an excellent run to the Liverpool County FA Challenge Cup semi-finals, competing against well-established and historic Liverpool-based teams along the way.
Playing against the best amateur players that the city had to offer would become commonplace for Apollo as of 2020, when they were promoted to the Liverpool County Premier League pyramid.
Their first season in the Liverpool County Prem saw them secure promotion from Division One to the Premier Division after a fourth placed finish, and they would become accustomed to sitting at the top table within their home county league during the next five seasons.
The club finished eighth in their debut Prem season, but it would be their second campaign that would see them establish themselves as title challengers. They finished as runners-up in 2022/23, behind current NWCFL side and local rivals Woolton (still with their MSB prefix attached). However, they wouldn’t have to wait much longer to put their own names on the trophy.
They were crowned league champions the very next season, in 2023/24. They pipped East Villa Rail to the title by a mere point to lift the league trophy, but Apollo were unable to reap the rewards of promotion at that time due to their facilities not meeting the criteria for a Step Six club.
As a fix to this problem, the club developed a close working relationship with Knowsley Council to transform their home facilities at Halewood Leisure Centre and deliver significant ground improvements to meet Step Six requirements. Included in these improvements were new seated and covered standing accommodation, additional spectator facilities, and outdoor toilets, amongst other infrastructure.
Despite failing to defend their league title in 2024/25 and dropping as low as eighth (again) in the division, they fought their way back into promotion contention in 2025/26. Apollo snuck into fifth place in the table ahead of Waterloo Dock by just a point, despite a less than desirable goal difference of -16.
A top five finish was enough to allow their application for promotion to be taken considered. Given the improvements made to their facilities since the last time a Step Six berth was made possible by their league standing, they were accepted into the NWCFL First Division North ahead of the 2026/27 campaign.
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Joseph Stocks
1. How would you describe Halewood Apollo to someone who had never heard of the club?
a. Halewood Apollo is a community club based in the very south of Liverpool. We won the Liverpool County Premier League in 2024, and we have grown rapidly over the last decade.
We're much more than just a football club – we're at the heart of our community, with a thriving junior section, a first team now competing in the North West Counties League, and a real ambition to keep growing both on and off the pitch.
2. What does the club mean to the area and community that you can represent?
a. We're a genuine community club, and that is something we're incredibly proud of. We have a junior section with over 40 teams, providing opportunities for hundreds of local children every week. Alongside that, through Apollo Active, we deliver free sport, education and health programmes for young people across the area.
We want people to see Halewood Apollo as a club that genuinely cares about its community, and I think you can feel that when you come to our games. It's becoming much more than just 90 minutes of football.
3. Tell me about the manager.
a. That would be me!
I'm the proud founder of Halewood Apollo, having started the club back in 2014, and I've been involved in every step of the journey since day one. As the club continues to grow, my long-term ambition is to move into more of a board-level role, overseeing the direction and long-term development of Halewood Apollo both on and off the pitch.
Right now, though, my full focus is on managing the team and making sure we have a successful first season in the North West Counties Football League. It's a huge year for the club, and I'm fully committed to giving everything I can to help us establish ourselves at this level.
4. Tell me a bit about last season – your last one in the Liverpool County Premier League. Was promotion a definite goal, or a happy accident?
a. It's been a crazy few years for the club. In 2024 we won the Liverpool County Premier League with a squad that probably had enough quality to compete as high as Step Four. We already knew we were working with Knowsley Council to upgrade our facilities to reach Step Six, but unfortunately the groundworks weren't going to be finished in time.
As a result, we lost 17 players, many of whom moved higher up the pyramid, and we had to completely rebuild the squad. The following season we finished mid-table, which I honestly think was one of our biggest achievements considering everything that had happened.
Going into last season, we could see the ground improvements really starting to take shape, but we also knew we didn't have a squad capable of winning the league. Our aim was simply to finish in the top five and hope that one of the promotion places became available.
By December we were sitting around 10th, and promotion looked a long way off, but the lads showed unbelievable character. We added a few players, went on a brilliant run in the second half of the season and managed to sneak into the top five. To then secure promotion made all the hard work worthwhile.
5. How well have you been getting along with your pre-season prep? New signings, friendlies, etc?
a. When we were promoted, a lot of people questioned whether we'd be able to compete at Step Six after the previous couple of seasons. Personally, I always believed promotion was the best thing that could happen to the club. The standard of players available to us instantly improved, because a lot of players we wanted to work with simply didn't want to play below Step Six anymore.
We've brought in an almost completely new squad, with players arriving from higher divisions alongside several talented young lads from our outstanding under-18’s side, who won the Liverpool Premier League title last season.
Pre-season has gone really well. We've played six games, winning three and drawing three, and we finished with a fantastic 2-0 victor over Widnes Town, who have also just joined the NWCFL. The squad has gelled quickly and we're all looking forward to getting the league campaign underway.
6. What are your ambitions for the upcoming 2026/27 season in the NWCFL?
a. We never wanted to come into the North West Counties League with the minimum target being survival. We believe in what we've built at Halewood Apollo, and we believe we've assembled a squad capable of competing.
Our minimum target is to challenge for the play-offs. We know that's a big ask in a league with 22 strong teams, but we've always believed in setting ambitious goals. If we don't achieve that, I think everyone at the club will be disappointed because we genuinely believe we've got the quality to compete.
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We wish everyone at Halewood Apollo all the best for the 2026/27 season!
Introducing the new member clubs: Halewood Apollo
Tue 28th July 2026 | Halewood Apollo
By Jay Cooper
With the 2026/27 NWCFL campaign fast approaching, now is the perfect time to introduce the new member clubs to their respective divisions.
Or perhaps better – to let the new member clubs introduce themselves.
Last week, I spoke to Joseph Stocks – owner, chairman and first team manager at Halewood Apollo, who will take their place in the NWCFL First Division North this season following promotion from the Liverpool County Premier League after the end of the 2025/26 season.
It has been nothing shy of a whirlwind decade plus for Halewood Apollo Football Club.
They were founded in 2014 by reigning chairman Joseph Stocks, and they began their competitive life in Division Five of the Warrington & District League, purely as an enthusiastic friend group with a passion for the beautiful game.
Five promotions in their local league would follow, several of which came back-to-back, and by the turn of the decade, Halewood Apollo were sitting at the top table in the pyramid – the Warrington & District League Premier Division.
In the club’s final season before making the next step, they had an excellent run to the Liverpool County FA Challenge Cup semi-finals, competing against well-established and historic Liverpool-based teams along the way.
Playing against the best amateur players that the city had to offer would become commonplace for Apollo as of 2020, when they were promoted to the Liverpool County Premier League pyramid.
Their first season in the Liverpool County Prem saw them secure promotion from Division One to the Premier Division after a fourth placed finish, and they would become accustomed to sitting at the top table within their home county league during the next five seasons.
The club finished eighth in their debut Prem season, but it would be their second campaign that would see them establish themselves as title challengers. They finished as runners-up in 2022/23, behind current NWCFL side and local rivals Woolton (still with their MSB prefix attached). However, they wouldn’t have to wait much longer to put their own names on the trophy.
They were crowned league champions the very next season, in 2023/24. They pipped East Villa Rail to the title by a mere point to lift the league trophy, but Apollo were unable to reap the rewards of promotion at that time due to their facilities not meeting the criteria for a Step Six club.
As a fix to this problem, the club developed a close working relationship with Knowsley Council to transform their home facilities at Halewood Leisure Centre and deliver significant ground improvements to meet Step Six requirements. Included in these improvements were new seated and covered standing accommodation, additional spectator facilities, and outdoor toilets, amongst other infrastructure.
Despite failing to defend their league title in 2024/25 and dropping as low as eighth (again) in the division, they fought their way back into promotion contention in 2025/26. Apollo snuck into fifth place in the table ahead of Waterloo Dock by just a point, despite a less than desirable goal difference of -16.
A top five finish was enough to allow their application for promotion to be taken considered. Given the improvements made to their facilities since the last time a Step Six berth was made possible by their league standing, they were accepted into the NWCFL First Division North ahead of the 2026/27 campaign.
----------
Joseph Stocks
1. How would you describe Halewood Apollo to someone who had never heard of the club?
a. Halewood Apollo is a community club based in the very south of Liverpool. We won the Liverpool County Premier League in 2024, and we have grown rapidly over the last decade.
We're much more than just a football club – we're at the heart of our community, with a thriving junior section, a first team now competing in the North West Counties League, and a real ambition to keep growing both on and off the pitch.
2. What does the club mean to the area and community that you can represent?
a. We're a genuine community club, and that is something we're incredibly proud of. We have a junior section with over 40 teams, providing opportunities for hundreds of local children every week. Alongside that, through Apollo Active, we deliver free sport, education and health programmes for young people across the area.
We want people to see Halewood Apollo as a club that genuinely cares about its community, and I think you can feel that when you come to our games. It's becoming much more than just 90 minutes of football.
3. Tell me about the manager.
a. That would be me!
I'm the proud founder of Halewood Apollo, having started the club back in 2014, and I've been involved in every step of the journey since day one. As the club continues to grow, my long-term ambition is to move into more of a board-level role, overseeing the direction and long-term development of Halewood Apollo both on and off the pitch.
Right now, though, my full focus is on managing the team and making sure we have a successful first season in the North West Counties Football League. It's a huge year for the club, and I'm fully committed to giving everything I can to help us establish ourselves at this level.
4. Tell me a bit about last season – your last one in the Liverpool County Premier League. Was promotion a definite goal, or a happy accident?
a. It's been a crazy few years for the club. In 2024 we won the Liverpool County Premier League with a squad that probably had enough quality to compete as high as Step Four. We already knew we were working with Knowsley Council to upgrade our facilities to reach Step Six, but unfortunately the groundworks weren't going to be finished in time.
As a result, we lost 17 players, many of whom moved higher up the pyramid, and we had to completely rebuild the squad. The following season we finished mid-table, which I honestly think was one of our biggest achievements considering everything that had happened.
Going into last season, we could see the ground improvements really starting to take shape, but we also knew we didn't have a squad capable of winning the league. Our aim was simply to finish in the top five and hope that one of the promotion places became available.
By December we were sitting around 10th, and promotion looked a long way off, but the lads showed unbelievable character. We added a few players, went on a brilliant run in the second half of the season and managed to sneak into the top five. To then secure promotion made all the hard work worthwhile.
5. How well have you been getting along with your pre-season prep? New signings, friendlies, etc?
a. When we were promoted, a lot of people questioned whether we'd be able to compete at Step Six after the previous couple of seasons. Personally, I always believed promotion was the best thing that could happen to the club. The standard of players available to us instantly improved, because a lot of players we wanted to work with simply didn't want to play below Step Six anymore.
We've brought in an almost completely new squad, with players arriving from higher divisions alongside several talented young lads from our outstanding under-18’s side, who won the Liverpool Premier League title last season.
Pre-season has gone really well. We've played six games, winning three and drawing three, and we finished with a fantastic 2-0 victor over Widnes Town, who have also just joined the NWCFL. The squad has gelled quickly and we're all looking forward to getting the league campaign underway.
6. What are your ambitions for the upcoming 2026/27 season in the NWCFL?
a. We never wanted to come into the North West Counties League with the minimum target being survival. We believe in what we've built at Halewood Apollo, and we believe we've assembled a squad capable of competing.
Our minimum target is to challenge for the play-offs. We know that's a big ask in a league with 22 strong teams, but we've always believed in setting ambitious goals. If we don't achieve that, I think everyone at the club will be disappointed because we genuinely believe we've got the quality to compete.
----------
We wish everyone at Halewood Apollo all the best for the 2026/27 season!
