NWCFL 2023 Year Review - First Division South
Sat 30th December 2023 | A Look Back | By Jay Cooper
This is the third of three articles covering the major talking points surrounding all the divisions in the NWCFL throughout 2023. This piece will focus on the First Division South as the 2022/23 season came to a close and the 2023/24 season began.
Unlike its two NWCFL sister divisions, the title race in the First Division South as the new year began was not one that consisted of multiple names. From the early stages of the season right the way through to the final day, it seemed that the league trophy was going to be heading to one of two places - Stockport Town's Sports Village, or Wythenshawe Amateurs' Hollyhedge Park Community Stadium.
It was these two sides who led the way in the league table, but only one could gain automatic promotion, with the other being condemned to the play-offs, where they'd have to go head to head against the best of the rest. By the time Spring rolled around, it was also already fairly evident who those best of the rest would be - Sandbach United, Brocton and Cheadle Town were the 3 sides who were not exactly causing Stockport or Wythy to lose any sleep as the final weeks of the season came closer, but they would certainly pose as formidable barriers for whichever side came in 2nd.
Right before the final gameweek of the season, Shane Goldrick's Ammies side were a point ahead of Stockport, and had a midweek game in hand away at Maine Road that, should they have won it, could’ve confirmed them as champions. However, they stumbled to a 1-0 loss at Brantingham Road and set up a grandstand finish to the title race on the final day. Paul Turnbull's Town team turned over Barnton 4-0, but Wythenshawe, tasked with taking down already-relegated Foley Meir, simply said "anything you can do, I can do just as well", and won 4-0 away from home to claim the league crown and confirm their promotion.
Stockport Town, despite amassing over 90 points in the league, would be thrown into the play-off mix, and I'll get to how that transpired in a few moments. But there was another race going on in the First Division South during the first couple of months of 2023, although this one didn't quite have the same thrilling conclusion. The battle to avoid the drop was decided in fairly short order when looking at the grand scheme of things, with Rocester being condemned to the drop in mid-to-late March. Foley Meir followed soon after, although they only finished in the bottom two by 2 points, compared to Rocester's 16.
Both sides that finished in the drop zone shipped over 100 goals in league play throughout the season, with Stafford Town also bearing the weight of this unfortunate statistic, but their 27 points to Meir's 25 were enough to see them retain their place in the division. Also retaining their places in the division, a bit more comfortably than Stafford, were the other sides that came up from the feeder leagues alongside Foley Meir - Ashville bagged a 12th place finish, and Stockport Georgians came as high as 9th.
As for Georgians' cross-town rivals, as mentioned, the play-offs awaited Stockport Town as April came to a close, and their first test would be Cheadle Town on home soil. However, a potential upset on paper became a very real one on the pitch, and Paul Marshall's Cheadle Town side managed 2 late goals without reply from Ryan Usher and Martin Pilkington (in the 97th minute) to book their place in the play-off final at the expense of the heavy favourites. With all the momentum in the world off the back of such a statement win, Cheadle, again away from home in the final, would also defeat Sandbach United in that match by 2 goals, with both Usher (twice) and Pilkington (90+7 AGAIN) scoring to make history for the club and confirm their place in the NWCFL Premier Division for the 2023/24 season.
As the league allocations were announced during the summer between 2022/23 and 2023/24, the First Division South, much like the Prem and North, were subject to a dash of administrative turmoil. For context, now-called Wythenshawe FC and Cheadle Town were leaving the league via promotion, and Rocester and Foley Meir were doing the same via relegation. As for who would replace them? Well, the initial proposal saw both Market Drayton Town and Uttoxeter Town arriving to the South to bring the total number of teams down to 18 from 20, on par with the First Division North.
However, Winsford United of the NWCFL Prem, who finished 18th in 2022/23, were expected to be re-allocated to the Midlands League in Uttoxeter's place. Winsford vehemently opposed this idea, fearing being unable to run as a club if laterally moved against their will. They eventually managed to compromise with the FA league allocation board and accepted voluntary relegation to the NWCFL First Division South instead of being shifted sideways to the Midlands, and, to make room for Winsford, Uttoxeter were reprieved to the Midlands League Premier Division.
So, we're back to 18 clubs - sorted, right? No, because now we have to talk about the side who finished one place outside the play-offs in 2022/23, and the side who made the Edward Case Cup Final where they lost to Bacup Borough - Ellesmere Rangers. Ellesmere officially resigned from the NWCFL two weeks after the Winsford/Uttoxeter case was resolved, citing "operating costs for the club at Step Six as being prohibitive as well as the availability of a suitable managerial team." Back to an uneven 17 teams we go... except not. Over in the First Division North, Shelley had won a late bid to join the league as the 19th team, meaning moving one First Division North side to the South would finally even things out. So, welcome, Droylsden! And, at last, we're ready for the opening day of the season.
Not to sound formulaic, but, just like the Prem and the North, the First Division South began proceedings in late July, and with the start of the season came a team that immediately began to set the pace, and they're a team that haven't really taken their foot off the gas ever since - Stafford-based side Brocton. Alex Curtis and his players have been running away with any potential title race for an entire half-season by the time of writing, losing only twice in the league all season, to Eccleshall and Stockport Town. In fact, Eccleshall, have also beaten Brocton in the Edward Case Cup - that's the record of a bogey team, if I've ever seen one.
So, what about Stockport Town, after coming so close last season? Well, it seems that history is destined to repeat itself from the season so far over at Stockport Sports Village. Town are currently 2nd in the table after about 5 months of league play, with a 5-point buffer on 3rd place Abbey Hey (who are mounting a promotion push themselves after a cooling off season last time out), but with plenty of ground to make up on Brocton (8 points) if they want to bypass the banana skin that is the play-offs this time.
The top 5 are rounded out by last season's play-off finalists Sandbach United, and Abbey Hulton United, who have played more league games this season at the time of writing than any of the other sides in the division. Both new arrivals from below the NWCFL have been sniffing around the play-offs at different times throughout the year, too. Market Drayton Town were a top 5 place occupant for maybe the first 3 months of the season or more, but a recent barren run of 7 straight league defeats leading into the festive period have seen them drop down to 10th.
As for Droylsden - who, as a reminder, are making their return to the English Football Pyramid for the first time since withdrawing from the NPL ahead of 2020/21 - they've had something of an opposite season to MDT's. Their early season consisted of the occasional 6-1 and 4-1 defeat, but, since mid-October, they haven't lost in the league, and have made the climb all the way to 6th place. Not bad at all. This is all unfortunately in contrast, however, to Winsford United.
As the 3rd new team in the division, when they really shouldn’t have had to be, all things considered, it's been a very difficult start for the CW7 side. United began the season propping up the rest of the league, losing every game right through to mid-September, before, seemingly out of nowhere, winning 5-1 and 7-2 against New Mills and Stafford Town. Since then, there have been a couple of occasional thrashings for Winsford, including 5-1 against Abbey Hulton United and 6-0 against Market Drayton Town, both in the Edward Case Cup, but, in general league play, their wins haven't done enough to lift them out of the relegation zone.
But they have done enough to lift them off the bottom of the league, with New Mills replacing them. It's been a dire season for Mills, who made the play-off final as recently as 2021/22, but this time around, they've only won one league game this season (against Cammell Laird 1907, for completionists) and are 17 points from guaranteed safety as we head into 2024. Perhaps the finest of silver linings for Mills is the fact that they have 5 games in hand on 15th placed Cammell Laird. 16th placed Ashville, another side not guaranteed safety at this time by any means, also have 4 games in hand on Cammell Laird.
There are a few sides who have made more of a name for themselves in cup competitions this season than in the First Division South. In the Macron Cup, both of Alsager Town and Droylsden went into the 3rd Round as underdogs and still won their games against NWCFL Prem sides Cheadle Town and Longridge Town, respectively. This is a feat that Stockport Georgians repeated in their rearranged second round clash against Wythenshawe Town. No pressure, Ashville, when you come up against Glossop North End.
In the Edward Case Cup, we're heading for the quarter finals in February 2024, and more than half of the remaining teams in the competition are from the First Division South. Despite the absence of last season's finalists Ellesmere Rangers, the trophy could still very well wind up in the hands of any of Ashville, Droylsden, Sandbach United, Stockport Georgians or Winsford United.
At this level of the game, there are transfers, managerial changes and shocking results a-plenty, and they can all happen at any time. After Christmas, elite level football can become somewhat predictable, but there's still everything to play for in the NWCFL, and the only way to see how it all happens is to come and watch.
NWCFL 2023 Year Review - First Division South
Sat 30th December 2023 | A Look Back
By Jay Cooper
This is the third of three articles covering the major talking points surrounding all the divisions in the NWCFL throughout 2023. This piece will focus on the First Division South as the 2022/23 season came to a close and the 2023/24 season began.
Unlike its two NWCFL sister divisions, the title race in the First Division South as the new year began was not one that consisted of multiple names. From the early stages of the season right the way through to the final day, it seemed that the league trophy was going to be heading to one of two places - Stockport Town's Sports Village, or Wythenshawe Amateurs' Hollyhedge Park Community Stadium.
It was these two sides who led the way in the league table, but only one could gain automatic promotion, with the other being condemned to the play-offs, where they'd have to go head to head against the best of the rest. By the time Spring rolled around, it was also already fairly evident who those best of the rest would be - Sandbach United, Brocton and Cheadle Town were the 3 sides who were not exactly causing Stockport or Wythy to lose any sleep as the final weeks of the season came closer, but they would certainly pose as formidable barriers for whichever side came in 2nd.
Right before the final gameweek of the season, Shane Goldrick's Ammies side were a point ahead of Stockport, and had a midweek game in hand away at Maine Road that, should they have won it, could’ve confirmed them as champions. However, they stumbled to a 1-0 loss at Brantingham Road and set up a grandstand finish to the title race on the final day. Paul Turnbull's Town team turned over Barnton 4-0, but Wythenshawe, tasked with taking down already-relegated Foley Meir, simply said "anything you can do, I can do just as well", and won 4-0 away from home to claim the league crown and confirm their promotion.
Stockport Town, despite amassing over 90 points in the league, would be thrown into the play-off mix, and I'll get to how that transpired in a few moments. But there was another race going on in the First Division South during the first couple of months of 2023, although this one didn't quite have the same thrilling conclusion. The battle to avoid the drop was decided in fairly short order when looking at the grand scheme of things, with Rocester being condemned to the drop in mid-to-late March. Foley Meir followed soon after, although they only finished in the bottom two by 2 points, compared to Rocester's 16.
Both sides that finished in the drop zone shipped over 100 goals in league play throughout the season, with Stafford Town also bearing the weight of this unfortunate statistic, but their 27 points to Meir's 25 were enough to see them retain their place in the division. Also retaining their places in the division, a bit more comfortably than Stafford, were the other sides that came up from the feeder leagues alongside Foley Meir - Ashville bagged a 12th place finish, and Stockport Georgians came as high as 9th.
As for Georgians' cross-town rivals, as mentioned, the play-offs awaited Stockport Town as April came to a close, and their first test would be Cheadle Town on home soil. However, a potential upset on paper became a very real one on the pitch, and Paul Marshall's Cheadle Town side managed 2 late goals without reply from Ryan Usher and Martin Pilkington (in the 97th minute) to book their place in the play-off final at the expense of the heavy favourites. With all the momentum in the world off the back of such a statement win, Cheadle, again away from home in the final, would also defeat Sandbach United in that match by 2 goals, with both Usher (twice) and Pilkington (90+7 AGAIN) scoring to make history for the club and confirm their place in the NWCFL Premier Division for the 2023/24 season.
As the league allocations were announced during the summer between 2022/23 and 2023/24, the First Division South, much like the Prem and North, were subject to a dash of administrative turmoil. For context, now-called Wythenshawe FC and Cheadle Town were leaving the league via promotion, and Rocester and Foley Meir were doing the same via relegation. As for who would replace them? Well, the initial proposal saw both Market Drayton Town and Uttoxeter Town arriving to the South to bring the total number of teams down to 18 from 20, on par with the First Division North.
However, Winsford United of the NWCFL Prem, who finished 18th in 2022/23, were expected to be re-allocated to the Midlands League in Uttoxeter's place. Winsford vehemently opposed this idea, fearing being unable to run as a club if laterally moved against their will. They eventually managed to compromise with the FA league allocation board and accepted voluntary relegation to the NWCFL First Division South instead of being shifted sideways to the Midlands, and, to make room for Winsford, Uttoxeter were reprieved to the Midlands League Premier Division.
So, we're back to 18 clubs - sorted, right? No, because now we have to talk about the side who finished one place outside the play-offs in 2022/23, and the side who made the Edward Case Cup Final where they lost to Bacup Borough - Ellesmere Rangers. Ellesmere officially resigned from the NWCFL two weeks after the Winsford/Uttoxeter case was resolved, citing "operating costs for the club at Step Six as being prohibitive as well as the availability of a suitable managerial team." Back to an uneven 17 teams we go... except not. Over in the First Division North, Shelley had won a late bid to join the league as the 19th team, meaning moving one First Division North side to the South would finally even things out. So, welcome, Droylsden! And, at last, we're ready for the opening day of the season.
Not to sound formulaic, but, just like the Prem and the North, the First Division South began proceedings in late July, and with the start of the season came a team that immediately began to set the pace, and they're a team that haven't really taken their foot off the gas ever since - Stafford-based side Brocton. Alex Curtis and his players have been running away with any potential title race for an entire half-season by the time of writing, losing only twice in the league all season, to Eccleshall and Stockport Town. In fact, Eccleshall, have also beaten Brocton in the Edward Case Cup - that's the record of a bogey team, if I've ever seen one.
So, what about Stockport Town, after coming so close last season? Well, it seems that history is destined to repeat itself from the season so far over at Stockport Sports Village. Town are currently 2nd in the table after about 5 months of league play, with a 5-point buffer on 3rd place Abbey Hey (who are mounting a promotion push themselves after a cooling off season last time out), but with plenty of ground to make up on Brocton (8 points) if they want to bypass the banana skin that is the play-offs this time.
The top 5 are rounded out by last season's play-off finalists Sandbach United, and Abbey Hulton United, who have played more league games this season at the time of writing than any of the other sides in the division. Both new arrivals from below the NWCFL have been sniffing around the play-offs at different times throughout the year, too. Market Drayton Town were a top 5 place occupant for maybe the first 3 months of the season or more, but a recent barren run of 7 straight league defeats leading into the festive period have seen them drop down to 10th.
As for Droylsden - who, as a reminder, are making their return to the English Football Pyramid for the first time since withdrawing from the NPL ahead of 2020/21 - they've had something of an opposite season to MDT's. Their early season consisted of the occasional 6-1 and 4-1 defeat, but, since mid-October, they haven't lost in the league, and have made the climb all the way to 6th place. Not bad at all. This is all unfortunately in contrast, however, to Winsford United.
As the 3rd new team in the division, when they really shouldn’t have had to be, all things considered, it's been a very difficult start for the CW7 side. United began the season propping up the rest of the league, losing every game right through to mid-September, before, seemingly out of nowhere, winning 5-1 and 7-2 against New Mills and Stafford Town. Since then, there have been a couple of occasional thrashings for Winsford, including 5-1 against Abbey Hulton United and 6-0 against Market Drayton Town, both in the Edward Case Cup, but, in general league play, their wins haven't done enough to lift them out of the relegation zone.
But they have done enough to lift them off the bottom of the league, with New Mills replacing them. It's been a dire season for Mills, who made the play-off final as recently as 2021/22, but this time around, they've only won one league game this season (against Cammell Laird 1907, for completionists) and are 17 points from guaranteed safety as we head into 2024. Perhaps the finest of silver linings for Mills is the fact that they have 5 games in hand on 15th placed Cammell Laird. 16th placed Ashville, another side not guaranteed safety at this time by any means, also have 4 games in hand on Cammell Laird.
There are a few sides who have made more of a name for themselves in cup competitions this season than in the First Division South. In the Macron Cup, both of Alsager Town and Droylsden went into the 3rd Round as underdogs and still won their games against NWCFL Prem sides Cheadle Town and Longridge Town, respectively. This is a feat that Stockport Georgians repeated in their rearranged second round clash against Wythenshawe Town. No pressure, Ashville, when you come up against Glossop North End.
In the Edward Case Cup, we're heading for the quarter finals in February 2024, and more than half of the remaining teams in the competition are from the First Division South. Despite the absence of last season's finalists Ellesmere Rangers, the trophy could still very well wind up in the hands of any of Ashville, Droylsden, Sandbach United, Stockport Georgians or Winsford United.
At this level of the game, there are transfers, managerial changes and shocking results a-plenty, and they can all happen at any time. After Christmas, elite level football can become somewhat predictable, but there's still everything to play for in the NWCFL, and the only way to see how it all happens is to come and watch.
