Where Are They Now? Part One
Wed 14th December 2022 | 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 First Division teams in the following forty seasons? Over the next four weeks, League Statistician Kevin Lawton looks where our inaugural clubs from 1982 are now.
The first ever winners were Burscough, who pipped Rhyl to the title by 2 points – back in the days when a win was worth 2 points. Burscough eventually rose through the leagues to peak with two seasons in the Conference North between 2007 and 2009 before eventually dropping back into the NWCFL in 2017.
Runners Up were Rhyl who were promoted to the Northern Prem before Welsh football was reorganised and they joined the new Welsh setup. The club entered administration during the 2019-20 season and was formally wound up. A Rhyl phoenix club has since been formed.
Third place went to Horwich RMI, they were promoted to the NPL and then the Conference, changing their name to Leigh RMI in 1995 and then Leigh Genesis in 2008. They were back in the NPL in 2011 when financial issues struck and the team folded, though their junior section continued and a senior team was relaunched a few seasons later and now plays in the Manchester League.
In fourth place was Stalybridge Celtic. They had five seasons in the NWCFL before promotion to the NPL, peaking with thirteen seasons in the Conference. They were relegated to the NPL in 2017 and have remained in the Prem since.
Fifth place went to Winsford Utd. They had five seasons in the league before gaining promotion to the NPL, where they spent the next fourteen seasons. 2001 saw them relegated back to the NWCFL, where they have remained to date.
Darwen finished sixth. They remained in the league, playing in different divisions until the club folded in 2009.
Seventh place was Lancaster City. They had a further four seasons in the NWCFL before gaining promotion to the NPL. They peaked with three seasons in the Conference between 2004 and 2007, before returning to the NPL where they currently reside in the Prem.
South Cheshire side Congleton Town were in eighth place. They spent five seasons in the NWCFL before reorganisation saw them promoted to the NPL in 1987. Fourteen seasons were then played in the NPL First Division before relegation back to the NWCFL in 2001, where they have remained a prem side ever since.
Cumbrian team Penrith occupied ninth place. They were moved to the NPL with the 1987 reorganisation but were back in the NWCFL three season later. In 1997 they moved across to the Northern League, where they have moved between division 1 and division 2, last season finishing 19/20 in division 1.
Tenth place went to Accrington Stanley (Who are they!). They played for five seasons in the NWCFL, finishing runners up in 86/87 and being promoted to the NPL. They reached the Conference in 2003 and the Football League in 2006. They have remained in the EFL since, finishing 12th out of 24 clubs in EFL League One last season.
Part two, which contains teams who finished 11th to 20th, will follow next week.
Where Are They Now? Part One
Wed 14th December 2022 | 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 First Division teams in the following forty seasons? Over the next four weeks, League Statistician Kevin Lawton looks where our inaugural clubs from 1982 are now.
The first ever winners were Burscough, who pipped Rhyl to the title by 2 points – back in the days when a win was worth 2 points. Burscough eventually rose through the leagues to peak with two seasons in the Conference North between 2007 and 2009 before eventually dropping back into the NWCFL in 2017.
Runners Up were Rhyl who were promoted to the Northern Prem before Welsh football was reorganised and they joined the new Welsh setup. The club entered administration during the 2019-20 season and was formally wound up. A Rhyl phoenix club has since been formed.
Third place went to Horwich RMI, they were promoted to the NPL and then the Conference, changing their name to Leigh RMI in 1995 and then Leigh Genesis in 2008. They were back in the NPL in 2011 when financial issues struck and the team folded, though their junior section continued and a senior team was relaunched a few seasons later and now plays in the Manchester League.
In fourth place was Stalybridge Celtic. They had five seasons in the NWCFL before promotion to the NPL, peaking with thirteen seasons in the Conference. They were relegated to the NPL in 2017 and have remained in the Prem since.
Fifth place went to Winsford Utd. They had five seasons in the league before gaining promotion to the NPL, where they spent the next fourteen seasons. 2001 saw them relegated back to the NWCFL, where they have remained to date.
Darwen finished sixth. They remained in the league, playing in different divisions until the club folded in 2009.
Seventh place was Lancaster City. They had a further four seasons in the NWCFL before gaining promotion to the NPL. They peaked with three seasons in the Conference between 2004 and 2007, before returning to the NPL where they currently reside in the Prem.
South Cheshire side Congleton Town were in eighth place. They spent five seasons in the NWCFL before reorganisation saw them promoted to the NPL in 1987. Fourteen seasons were then played in the NPL First Division before relegation back to the NWCFL in 2001, where they have remained a prem side ever since.
Cumbrian team Penrith occupied ninth place. They were moved to the NPL with the 1987 reorganisation but were back in the NWCFL three season later. In 1997 they moved across to the Northern League, where they have moved between division 1 and division 2, last season finishing 19/20 in division 1.
Tenth place went to Accrington Stanley (Who are they!). They played for five seasons in the NWCFL, finishing runners up in 86/87 and being promoted to the NPL. They reached the Conference in 2003 and the Football League in 2006. They have remained in the EFL since, finishing 12th out of 24 clubs in EFL League One last season.
Part two, which contains teams who finished 11th to 20th, will follow next week.
