Let's meet the new member clubs - Maghull
Mon 15th July 2024 | General | By Jay Cooper
In the North West Counties Football League, Liverpool has always had very strong representation. Personally, I began working with the league nearly 3 years ago, and in just that time I’ve seen clubs like Skelmersdale United, Vauxhall Motors, Lower Breck, AFC Liverpool and South Liverpool all achieve promotions to a higher division; as well as the likes of Burscough, Litherland REMYCA, Cammell Laird and others more that hold their own in a competitive, crowded league system.
Ahead of 2024/25, there is one more name to be added to that list. Aged over 100 years old as a club, formerly of Deyes Lane, and currently plying their trade at Old Hall Lane in their namesake town, Maghull FC are back in the NWCFL after a quarter of a century away.
In 1982/83, Maghull became one of the founder members of the original iteration of the North West Counties Football League, and settled into the now long-defunct Division Three, where they finished mid-table in the first ever NWCFL season. To add context to the time, the two teams promoted in that season from this division were Warrington Town, now of the National League North, and league champions Colne Dynamoes, who, by 2025, will not have existed for 35 years.
After finishing 3rd in the 1985/86 season, missing out on promotion by a mere point, Maghull, alongside all of their other running buddies from the 1986/87 campaign, were promoted to the second division by default, given that Division Three was to be disbanded ahead of 1987/88. Again, Maghull finished 3rd.
Despite the influx of new teams to the reformed Division Two, Maghull proved they could hang and strung together a series of mostly top-half finishes before 1992/93. It was this season that saw the club win their only senior major honour in the NWCFL, when they tore their way to the Division Two title. They lost only 4 games all season and finished ahead of the likes of modern-day NWCFL stalwarts like Squires Gate, Holker Old Boys, Ashton Town and Nelson.
And yet, despite this victory, it would be fellow Merseysiders Bootle who got the nod for promotion instead of the league champions. Why was this? It's all to do with two words that lower league teams must constantly do battle with – ground grading. The club were hamstrung by a similar issue to ones that have, in more recent years, seen both Burscough and Skelmersdale United, fellow Liverpool native clubs, dancing on the wire.
With that, Maghull kept on keeping on, always there or thereabouts in the top half of the division two table, right up until the 1998/99 campaign. It was this season that would be Maghull’s last in the NWCFL until the upcoming one. Ground grading would again play a part in the club’s departure from the division, and they found a new home in the West Cheshire League – a home they would call theirs for a further 25 years.
Not that they didn’t keep busy during that time. In the 2006/07 season, Maghull came 2nd, repeated that feat in the 2010/11 campaign, and finally got their hands on another league title in the 2013/14 season, winning the West Cheshire League.
Maghull was also home to a few players with EFL experience throughout this stretch away from the NWCFL – former Preston North End striker Liam Watson; Liverpool youth academy graduate and current part time coach Neil Murphy; fellow Liverpool youth academy graduate and EFL journeyman Adam Hammill; and Maghull even helped nurse the talents of current Scottish Premiership starter for Ross County, Connor Randall.
And now, here we are. It’s come full circle, and NWCFL founder members Maghull are back in the league after coming second in the West Cheshire League, just like they did in both 2007 and 2011. Despite finishing 9 points behind champions Mossley Hill Athletic, they did enough in their application to re-enter the NWCFL for that box to be ticked, and with ground grading issues being a thing of the past, it’s a very hearty welcome back to the First Division North to Maghull!
And with that comes a welcome to life as a secretary in the NWCFL for Paul Ellis. From a conversation with him last week about his own history with the club, as well as the club’s future plans to take to the NWCFL like a duck to water; it seems that he, and Maghull, are up for whatever challenge they may meet along the way.
How long have you been involved with Maghull? In any/all capacities?
I have personally had links to Maghull from around 8 years of age. I would visit the club to watch matches with my Auntie or Uncle when I was staying with them in Maghull. Later on, I played for South Sefton and that team was full of players who were either playing for or had played for Maghull, and I knew many of them from my time attending as a fan. I met one of my best friends at Sefton and he has always been a key figure at Maghull FC and through him I was introduced to the wider Maghull FC community who are some of the most welcoming people you'll ever meet.
Over time I began to get more involved with the club whenever I had the chance to do so but because I was still playing myself, my opportunities were limited. I moved to the North East for a few years and on my return started playing for Maghull Vets - this enabled me to rekindle my relationship with a club I have admired for most of my life.
I have always done what I can to help the club when given the opportunity so at the end of the 2022/23 season when the club announced they needed a new secretary I jumped at the chance. Although I’ve not long been in the role I have really enjoyed contributing to the club’s development and success so far, and I'm looking forward to the challenges that lie ahead.
Was entering into the NWCFL a long-time goal of the clubs before it's happened ahead of 2024/25?
Maghull were founding members of the NWCFL and we were devastated to be removed from the league in the 90's when ground grading regulations forced us down a different path. Back then we simply did not have the resources to be able to meet grading requirements.
In 2021 we celebrated our 100th anniversary and this was a key year for us as a club as the management committee made the decision to get us back where we belong. COVID did not help matters and slowed our progression, but the club as a whole were steadfast in their dedication to our promotion and there were massive celebrations in October 2023 when Sefton Council granted planning permission for the necessary works to be done to meet grading standards.
An EGM was called in November 2023 with one question to all members, do we go for it or do we wait? The vote was unanimous - we go for it! So we pushed on with our plans, with the idea of grading goal being met by March 2024, and being invited to the NWCFL for the start of the 2024/25 season.
Works commenced on 3rd January 2024 - an unbelievably tight deadline, and Mother Nature was not with us as it rained for about a month non-stop, which is really not great when working with concrete! But, thanks to the amazing hard work and dedication of our build partners and our project team, the work was completed early, and ground grading was met with no snags and no follow up work to be completed. Now it was down to the guys on the pitch and boy did they make us proud. Finishing second in the league was not really what they deserved. After going so long unbeaten, we were undone by a small number of average results, but it was enough and here we are!
What was last season like for you guys, finishing 2nd and earning promotion?
It was a bit of a rollercoaster! The early part of the season did not seem to have any pressure because we had not decided to push for promotion. Maybe this lack of pressure helped the team as they lost only one in their first 15 league games. An unbeaten run stretching from September to March then had us all dreaming of a perfect promotion campaign but a couple of losses to Vauxhall Motors and a draw to FC Bootle left Mossley Hill in the driving seat and their victory against us in early April essentially sealed our fate. By this point though, the groundwork was complete and knowing Mossley had not applied for promotion we knew we had done everything required to be promoted. Of course, we would have loved to have won that league title but we reached our target and we can't ask for any more than that from the players or the staff. It was a massive achievement for all involved and just rewards for all the work that was put into it.
Are there any teams you're looking forward to facing in particular? Maybe any teams in Liverpool near yourselves?
The big one for us this season will likely be Skelmersdale United. It's a local derby for us after their relegation and I think those games will be a good battle between local rivals. For years we've been somewhat in their shadow and have lost players to them season on season due to their elevated status in the pyramid, so it will be interesting to see how we fare against each other now that we’re matched at the same level. I'm certainly looking forward to not hearing "Oh, he's signed for Skem" about any of our local players come the end of pre-season!
How have you guys gone about preparing for the new season so far? And what else do you have planned?
The 1st team management has worked hard with players in the closed season, they had everyone back early and working very hard - ask them about the hill runs if you get the chance! We have some really good quality players in the side from last season who have stuck with us, and the management team have also added a few excellent additions too, so they're raring to go.
As a management committee we haven't had a closed season! We've been busier than ever as we've had to contemplate gate entry fees, season tickets, matchday programmes, sponsorship packages and so much more! It's been hectic to say the least but now, like the players, we can't wait to get going.
What can we expect from Maghull this season - what are your aspirations for 2024/25?
The statement made at the end of the season from our Director of Football and the man driving all the progression on & off the pitch, John McInnes, was "we're here to stay", and he is 100% on the money. We're not here to be the new boys aiming to stay up, we're here to compete and be the best that we can be. We're in this for the long haul and we want more, we have a good side that likes to play good football and I like to think that we'll surprise a lot of people this season. We've proved in the last 12 months that by sticking together and working hard as an entire club we can achieve great things and this season will be no different.
We wish Paul Ellis and the rest of the team at Maghull the very best of luck for the upcoming campaign!
Image credit: Twitter/X, @nwcfl, 17/05/2024
Let's meet the new member clubs - Maghull
Mon 15th July 2024 | General
By Jay Cooper
In the North West Counties Football League, Liverpool has always had very strong representation. Personally, I began working with the league nearly 3 years ago, and in just that time I’ve seen clubs like Skelmersdale United, Vauxhall Motors, Lower Breck, AFC Liverpool and South Liverpool all achieve promotions to a higher division; as well as the likes of Burscough, Litherland REMYCA, Cammell Laird and others more that hold their own in a competitive, crowded league system.
Ahead of 2024/25, there is one more name to be added to that list. Aged over 100 years old as a club, formerly of Deyes Lane, and currently plying their trade at Old Hall Lane in their namesake town, Maghull FC are back in the NWCFL after a quarter of a century away.
In 1982/83, Maghull became one of the founder members of the original iteration of the North West Counties Football League, and settled into the now long-defunct Division Three, where they finished mid-table in the first ever NWCFL season. To add context to the time, the two teams promoted in that season from this division were Warrington Town, now of the National League North, and league champions Colne Dynamoes, who, by 2025, will not have existed for 35 years.
After finishing 3rd in the 1985/86 season, missing out on promotion by a mere point, Maghull, alongside all of their other running buddies from the 1986/87 campaign, were promoted to the second division by default, given that Division Three was to be disbanded ahead of 1987/88. Again, Maghull finished 3rd.
Despite the influx of new teams to the reformed Division Two, Maghull proved they could hang and strung together a series of mostly top-half finishes before 1992/93. It was this season that saw the club win their only senior major honour in the NWCFL, when they tore their way to the Division Two title. They lost only 4 games all season and finished ahead of the likes of modern-day NWCFL stalwarts like Squires Gate, Holker Old Boys, Ashton Town and Nelson.
And yet, despite this victory, it would be fellow Merseysiders Bootle who got the nod for promotion instead of the league champions. Why was this? It's all to do with two words that lower league teams must constantly do battle with – ground grading. The club were hamstrung by a similar issue to ones that have, in more recent years, seen both Burscough and Skelmersdale United, fellow Liverpool native clubs, dancing on the wire.
With that, Maghull kept on keeping on, always there or thereabouts in the top half of the division two table, right up until the 1998/99 campaign. It was this season that would be Maghull’s last in the NWCFL until the upcoming one. Ground grading would again play a part in the club’s departure from the division, and they found a new home in the West Cheshire League – a home they would call theirs for a further 25 years.
Not that they didn’t keep busy during that time. In the 2006/07 season, Maghull came 2nd, repeated that feat in the 2010/11 campaign, and finally got their hands on another league title in the 2013/14 season, winning the West Cheshire League.
Maghull was also home to a few players with EFL experience throughout this stretch away from the NWCFL – former Preston North End striker Liam Watson; Liverpool youth academy graduate and current part time coach Neil Murphy; fellow Liverpool youth academy graduate and EFL journeyman Adam Hammill; and Maghull even helped nurse the talents of current Scottish Premiership starter for Ross County, Connor Randall.
And now, here we are. It’s come full circle, and NWCFL founder members Maghull are back in the league after coming second in the West Cheshire League, just like they did in both 2007 and 2011. Despite finishing 9 points behind champions Mossley Hill Athletic, they did enough in their application to re-enter the NWCFL for that box to be ticked, and with ground grading issues being a thing of the past, it’s a very hearty welcome back to the First Division North to Maghull!
And with that comes a welcome to life as a secretary in the NWCFL for Paul Ellis. From a conversation with him last week about his own history with the club, as well as the club’s future plans to take to the NWCFL like a duck to water; it seems that he, and Maghull, are up for whatever challenge they may meet along the way.
How long have you been involved with Maghull? In any/all capacities?
I have personally had links to Maghull from around 8 years of age. I would visit the club to watch matches with my Auntie or Uncle when I was staying with them in Maghull. Later on, I played for South Sefton and that team was full of players who were either playing for or had played for Maghull, and I knew many of them from my time attending as a fan. I met one of my best friends at Sefton and he has always been a key figure at Maghull FC and through him I was introduced to the wider Maghull FC community who are some of the most welcoming people you'll ever meet.
Over time I began to get more involved with the club whenever I had the chance to do so but because I was still playing myself, my opportunities were limited. I moved to the North East for a few years and on my return started playing for Maghull Vets - this enabled me to rekindle my relationship with a club I have admired for most of my life.
I have always done what I can to help the club when given the opportunity so at the end of the 2022/23 season when the club announced they needed a new secretary I jumped at the chance. Although I’ve not long been in the role I have really enjoyed contributing to the club’s development and success so far, and I'm looking forward to the challenges that lie ahead.
Was entering into the NWCFL a long-time goal of the clubs before it's happened ahead of 2024/25?
Maghull were founding members of the NWCFL and we were devastated to be removed from the league in the 90's when ground grading regulations forced us down a different path. Back then we simply did not have the resources to be able to meet grading requirements.
In 2021 we celebrated our 100th anniversary and this was a key year for us as a club as the management committee made the decision to get us back where we belong. COVID did not help matters and slowed our progression, but the club as a whole were steadfast in their dedication to our promotion and there were massive celebrations in October 2023 when Sefton Council granted planning permission for the necessary works to be done to meet grading standards.
An EGM was called in November 2023 with one question to all members, do we go for it or do we wait? The vote was unanimous - we go for it! So we pushed on with our plans, with the idea of grading goal being met by March 2024, and being invited to the NWCFL for the start of the 2024/25 season.
Works commenced on 3rd January 2024 - an unbelievably tight deadline, and Mother Nature was not with us as it rained for about a month non-stop, which is really not great when working with concrete! But, thanks to the amazing hard work and dedication of our build partners and our project team, the work was completed early, and ground grading was met with no snags and no follow up work to be completed. Now it was down to the guys on the pitch and boy did they make us proud. Finishing second in the league was not really what they deserved. After going so long unbeaten, we were undone by a small number of average results, but it was enough and here we are!
What was last season like for you guys, finishing 2nd and earning promotion?
It was a bit of a rollercoaster! The early part of the season did not seem to have any pressure because we had not decided to push for promotion. Maybe this lack of pressure helped the team as they lost only one in their first 15 league games. An unbeaten run stretching from September to March then had us all dreaming of a perfect promotion campaign but a couple of losses to Vauxhall Motors and a draw to FC Bootle left Mossley Hill in the driving seat and their victory against us in early April essentially sealed our fate. By this point though, the groundwork was complete and knowing Mossley had not applied for promotion we knew we had done everything required to be promoted. Of course, we would have loved to have won that league title but we reached our target and we can't ask for any more than that from the players or the staff. It was a massive achievement for all involved and just rewards for all the work that was put into it.
Are there any teams you're looking forward to facing in particular? Maybe any teams in Liverpool near yourselves?
The big one for us this season will likely be Skelmersdale United. It's a local derby for us after their relegation and I think those games will be a good battle between local rivals. For years we've been somewhat in their shadow and have lost players to them season on season due to their elevated status in the pyramid, so it will be interesting to see how we fare against each other now that we’re matched at the same level. I'm certainly looking forward to not hearing "Oh, he's signed for Skem" about any of our local players come the end of pre-season!
How have you guys gone about preparing for the new season so far? And what else do you have planned?
The 1st team management has worked hard with players in the closed season, they had everyone back early and working very hard - ask them about the hill runs if you get the chance! We have some really good quality players in the side from last season who have stuck with us, and the management team have also added a few excellent additions too, so they're raring to go.
As a management committee we haven't had a closed season! We've been busier than ever as we've had to contemplate gate entry fees, season tickets, matchday programmes, sponsorship packages and so much more! It's been hectic to say the least but now, like the players, we can't wait to get going.
What can we expect from Maghull this season - what are your aspirations for 2024/25?
The statement made at the end of the season from our Director of Football and the man driving all the progression on & off the pitch, John McInnes, was "we're here to stay", and he is 100% on the money. We're not here to be the new boys aiming to stay up, we're here to compete and be the best that we can be. We're in this for the long haul and we want more, we have a good side that likes to play good football and I like to think that we'll surprise a lot of people this season. We've proved in the last 12 months that by sticking together and working hard as an entire club we can achieve great things and this season will be no different.
We wish Paul Ellis and the rest of the team at Maghull the very best of luck for the upcoming campaign!
Image credit: Twitter/X, @nwcfl, 17/05/2024
