2015–16 North West Counties Football League
The 2015–16 North West Counties Football League season was the 34th in the history of the North West Counties Football League, a football competition in England. Teams were divided into two divisions: Premier Division and Division One.
Premier Division
[edit]Season | 2015–16 |
---|---|
Champions | Colne |
Promoted | Colne |
Relegated | Alsager Town Silsden AFC Blackpool |
← 2014–15 2016–17 → |
The Premier Division featured four new teams:[1]
- Atherton Collieries – promoted from Division One
- Cammell Laird 1907 – promoted from Division One
- A.F.C. Darwen – promoted from Division One
- Padiham – relegated from Northern Premier League Division One North
League table
[edit]Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Colne (C, P) | 42 | 31 | 7 | 4 | 105 | 41 | +64 | 100 | Promoted to Northern Premier League Division One North |
2 | Runcorn Linnets | 42 | 32 | 2 | 8 | 97 | 35 | +62 | 98 | |
3 | Atherton Collieries | 42 | 25 | 9 | 8 | 113 | 66 | +47 | 84 | |
4 | 1874 Northwich | 42 | 24 | 6 | 12 | 89 | 62 | +27 | 78 | |
5 | West Didsbury & Chorlton | 42 | 21 | 5 | 16 | 81 | 65 | +16 | 68 | |
6 | Congleton Town | 42 | 19 | 10 | 13 | 79 | 65 | +14 | 67 | |
7 | Ashton Athletic | 42 | 17 | 10 | 15 | 73 | 68 | +5 | 61 | |
8 | Bootle | 42 | 17 | 10 | 15 | 75 | 75 | 0 | 61 | |
9 | Barnoldswick Town | 42 | 17 | 8 | 17 | 77 | 69 | +8 | 59 | |
10 | Abbey Hey | 42 | 16 | 11 | 15 | 67 | 66 | +1 | 59 | |
11 | Padiham | 42 | 16 | 9 | 17 | 84 | 90 | −6 | 57 | |
12 | Maine Road | 42 | 16 | 7 | 19 | 72 | 76 | −4 | 55 | |
13 | Runcorn Town | 42 | 15 | 7 | 20 | 70 | 76 | −6 | 52 | |
14 | Winsford United | 42 | 14 | 10 | 18 | 66 | 93 | −27 | 52 | |
15 | Cammell Laird 1907 | 42 | 14 | 8 | 20 | 71 | 83 | −12 | 50 | |
16 | Nelson | 42 | 13 | 9 | 20 | 69 | 70 | −1 | 48 | |
17 | A.F.C. Liverpool | 42 | 11 | 15 | 16 | 86 | 92 | −6 | 48 | |
18 | A.F.C. Darwen | 42 | 12 | 7 | 23 | 82 | 111 | −29 | 43 | |
19 | Squires Gate | 42 | 11 | 8 | 23 | 53 | 91 | −38 | 41 | |
20 | Alsager Town (R) | 42 | 11 | 6 | 25 | 56 | 101 | −45 | 39 | Relegated to Division One |
21 | Silsden (R) | 42 | 9 | 11 | 22 | 57 | 88 | −31 | 38 | |
22 | A.F.C. Blackpool (R) | 42 | 9 | 9 | 24 | 65 | 104 | −39 | 36 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Promotion criteria
[edit]To be promoted at the end of the season a team must:
- Have applied to be considered for promotion by 30 November 2015
- Pass a ground grading examination by 31 March 2016
- Finish the season in a position higher than that of any other team also achieving criteria 1 and 2
- Finish the season in one of the top three positions[2]
The following five clubs achieved criterion 1:[3]
- 1874 Northwich
- Atherton Collieries
- Colne
- Runcorn Linnets
- Runcorn Town
Results
[edit]Stadia and Locations
[edit]Sources for this subsection: NWCFL web site and the websites of the participating clubs
Team | Stadium | Capacity |
---|---|---|
A.F.C. Darwen | The Anchor Ground | 4,000 |
A.F.C. Liverpool | Marine Travel Arena, Crosby (groundshare with Marine) | 3,185 |
1874 Northwich | Barton Stadium (groundshare with Winsford United) | 3,000 |
Winsford United | Barton Stadium | 3,000 |
Atherton Collieries | Alder Street | 2,500 |
Bootle | Delta Taxis Stadium | 2,500 |
Silsden | The Asda Foundation Stadium | 2,300 |
Cammell Laird 1907 | North West Construction Stadium, Birkenhead | 2,000 |
Maine Road | Brantingham Road, Chorlton | 2,000 |
Nelson | Little Wembley | 2,000 |
Colne | XLCR Stadium | 1,800 |
Padiham | Arbories Memorial Sports Ground | 1,688 |
Runcorn Linnets | Millbank Linnets Stadium | 1,600 |
Runcorn Town | Pavilions Sports Complex | 1,530 |
A.F.C. Blackpool | The Mechanics | 1,500 |
Alsager Town | Wood Park Stadium | 1,500 |
Congleton Town | Richborough Estates Stadium | 1,450 |
Abbey Hey | The Abbey Stadium, Gorton | 1,000 |
Ashton Athletic | Brockstedes Park | 1,000 |
Squires Gate | School Road | 1,000 |
Barnoldswick Town | Silentnight Beds Stadium | |
West Didsbury & Chorlton | Brookburn Road, Chorlton |
Division One
[edit]Season | 2015–16 |
---|---|
Champions | Hanley Town |
Promoted | Hanley Town Irlam Barnton |
Relegated | Rochdale Town |
← 2014–15 2016–17 → |
Division One featured four new teams:[1][4]
- Bacup Borough – relegated from Premier Division, and a name change from Bacup & Rossendale Borough
- St Helens Town – relegated from Premier Division
- Stockport Town – new club
- Whitchurch Alport – joined from Mercian Regional Football League Premier Division
One further club had changed its name since the previous season:
- Northwich Manchester Villa – previously known as Northwich Flixton Villa
League table
[edit]Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Hanley Town (C, P) | 34 | 25 | 3 | 6 | 68 | 32 | +36 | 78 | Promotion to Premier Division |
2 | Irlam (P) | 34 | 24 | 5 | 5 | 73 | 27 | +46 | 77 | |
3 | Barnton (O, P) | 34 | 19 | 9 | 6 | 94 | 36 | +58 | 66 | Qualification for Playoffs |
4 | Stockport Town | 34 | 19 | 6 | 9 | 68 | 44 | +24 | 63 | |
5 | Bacup Borough | 34 | 17 | 6 | 11 | 81 | 54 | +27 | 57 | |
6 | Cheadle Town | 34 | 16 | 8 | 10 | 89 | 59 | +30 | 56 | |
7 | St Helens Town | 34 | 17 | 4 | 13 | 84 | 61 | +23 | 55 | |
8 | Holker Old Boys | 34 | 16 | 7 | 11 | 73 | 62 | +11 | 55 | |
9 | Litherland REMYCA | 34 | 16 | 6 | 12 | 63 | 51 | +12 | 54 | |
10 | Rochdale Town (R) | 34 | 14 | 5 | 15 | 66 | 77 | −11 | 47[a] | Relegation to Step 7 |
11 | Ashton Town | 34 | 12 | 7 | 15 | 57 | 57 | 0 | 43 | |
12 | Daisy Hill | 34 | 12 | 6 | 16 | 56 | 72 | −16 | 42 | |
13 | Widnes | 34 | 10 | 5 | 19 | 67 | 77 | −10 | 35 | |
14 | Chadderton | 34 | 9 | 8 | 17 | 43 | 53 | −10 | 35 | |
15 | Northwich Manchester Villa | 34 | 10 | 4 | 20 | 48 | 77 | −29 | 34[b] | Resigned from league at end of season |
16 | Eccleshall | 34 | 9 | 5 | 20 | 53 | 77 | −24 | 32 | |
17 | Atherton Laburnum Rovers | 34 | 4 | 6 | 24 | 32 | 103 | −71 | 18 | |
18 | Whitchurch Alport | 34 | 2 | 10 | 22 | 31 | 127 | −96 | 16 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions; (O) Play-off winners; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Notes:
Playoffs
[edit]Source for this subsection: NWCFL results
Semifinals | Final | ||||||||
3 | Barnton (aet) | 4 | |||||||
6 | Cheadle Town | 1 | |||||||
3 | Barnton (aet) | 2 | |||||||
5 | Bacup Borough | 0 | |||||||
4 | Stockport Town | 0 | |||||||
5 | Bacup Borough | 2 |
Results
[edit]Stadia & Locations
[edit]Sources for this section: NWCFL web site and the websites of the participating clubs
Team | Stadium | Capacity |
---|---|---|
Widnes | Select Security Stadium | 13,350 |
Northwich Manchester Villa | Manchester Regional Arena | 6,500 |
Atherton Laburnum Rovers | Crilly Park | 3,000 |
Bacup Borough | West View | 3,000 |
Holker Old Boys | Rakesmoor Lane Barrow-in-Furness | 2,500 |
Stockport Town | The Neil Rourke Memorial Stadium | 2,384 |
Ashton Town | Edge Green Street | 2,000 |
Cheadle Town | Park Road Stadium | 2,000 |
Daisy Hill | New Sirs Westhoughton | 2,000 |
Chadderton | MCA Stadium | 1,500 |
Rochdale Town | Mayfield Sports Centre | 1,500 |
Eccleshall | Pershall Park | 1,000 |
Irlam | Silver Street | 1,000 |
St Helens Town | Brockstedes Park (groundshare with Ashton Athletic) | 1,000 |
Hanley Town | Abbey Lane | 750 |
Barnton | Townfield | |
Litherland REMYCA | Litherland Sports Park | |
Whitchurch Alport | Yockings Park |
League Challenge Cup
[edit]Also called the MEN United Cup for sponsorship reasons.[7] Sources for this section: NWCFL web site results
First round
[edit]Bacup Borough and Rochdale Town received byes to the second round. Premier Division teams exempt to the second round.
Played Saturday 26 September.
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Second round
[edit]Ties played 23 and 24 October.
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Third round
[edit]Ties played 28 November, with four delayed by bad weather.
* played at Ashton |
|
Quarter-finals
[edit]Ties played on Saturday 27 February.
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Semi-finals
[edit]
|
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Final
[edit]Played 10 May at Fleetwood Town's Highbury Stadium
Score | ||
---|---|---|
Atherton Collieries | 5–1 | Colne |
First Division Trophy
[edit]Also called the Reusch First Division Cup for sponsorship reasons.[8] Source for this section: NWCFL web site
First round
[edit]Each of the remaining Division One clubs received a bye to the second round.
Ties played Saturday 17 October.
|
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Second round
[edit]Ties played 6 and 7 November, with two delayed due to bad weather
|
*played at Chadderton, following two postponements |
Quarter-finals
[edit]One tie played 20 February, with three delayed due to bad weather
* Played at Barnton |
* Litherland REMYCA disqualified for fielding an ineligible player |
Semi-finals
[edit]Played on 19 March.
Hanley Town awarded walkover to final |
|
Final
[edit]Played on 19 April at Congleton Town's ground
Score | ||
---|---|---|
Hanley Town | 1–1 aet, pens 4–5 | Barnton |
References
[edit]- ^ a b "News from the AGM". NWCFL. 13 Jun 2015. Retrieved 13 Jun 2015.
- ^ "Promotion criteria for Step 5 to Step 4 for 2016-17 season". FA. 26 Oct 2015.
- ^ "Promotion applications for clubs aiming for Step 4". FA. 10 Dec 2015.
- ^ "Whitchurch Alport join the NWCFL". NWCFL. 26 Jun 2015. Retrieved 26 Jun 2015.
- ^ "NWCFL Constitution - Season 2016-17". NWCFL. 12 May 2016. Retrieved 12 May 2016.
- ^ "League Statement: Northwich Manchester Villa". NWCFL. 12 May 2016. Retrieved 12 May 2016.
- ^ "Introducing The Men United Cup". NWCFL. 12 Sep 2014.
- ^ "Introducing The Reusch First Division Cup". NWCFL. 10 Nov 2014.