For anyone who loves grassroots football, The North West Counties Football League is one of the most rewarding competitions in the English game. It sits at levels nine and ten of the pyramid, but the crowds, the rivalries and the goals on offer would make plenty of higher-ranked leagues envious. This season the Premier Division is a genuine four- or five-way fight at the top, a famous old club is leading the way, and cup runs are in full swing. This guide covers the structure of the league, a short history, the current standings, the ten latest Premier Division results in a table, a detailed look at the squad of league leaders Droylsden, and five frequently asked questions.
What Is the NWCFL and How Is It Structured?
The league covers a huge slice of England: Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Merseyside, Cheshire, Staffordshire, Shropshire, the Black Country and even the Isle of Man. The NWCFL is split into three divisions. The Premier Division, with 20 clubs this season, is step five of the National League System and level nine overall. Below it sit First Division North, with 22 clubs, and First Division South, with 20, both at step six.
The rules of movement are straightforward. The champions of the Premier Division are promoted to the Northern Premier League Division One West, while clubs finishing second to fifth normally enter promotion play-offs. The bottom clubs drop into First Division North or South, depending on geography, and the winners of the lower divisions come up in their place. Every summer the FA also publishes club allocations, and a few clubs are moved sideways into neighbouring leagues such as the Midland League to balance the numbers.
That geographic spread gives the competition much of its character. A Tuesday-night trip can mean a short bus ride across Merseyside, or a long haul to the Isle of Man for FC Isle of Man, a club that flies and sails to its fixtures. Alongside the league programme, clubs chase the FA Cup, the FA Vase, the league’s own Macron Cup and Edward Case Cup, and a long list of county cups.
A Short History
The North West Counties Football League was formed in 1982 through the merger of the Lancashire Combination and the Cheshire County League, two long-established competitions whose clubs were looking for a more stable structure. Over the decades it has grown from two divisions into the three-division system seen today, and it has become a launch pad for ambitious clubs.
Recent seasons show how competitive the title race can be. Macclesfield won the Premier Division in 2021–22 with 94 points, Vauxhall Motors took it in 2022–23 with 95, and Bury, the reformed Shakers, ran away with it in 2024–25, finishing with 109 points and 131 goals from 46 games. Wythenshawe, relegated into the division the previous summer, bounced straight back as champions in 2025–26 and returned to the Northern Premier League. Each of these clubs arrived with big crowds and big budgets for the level, which has raised standards throughout the division.
The 2026–27 Premier Division Table
The table below reflects the official league site as it stood at the start of November 2026. Some clubs have played more games than others because of postponements and cup commitments, so points per game matters as much as the points column.
| Pos | Club | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Droylsden | 13 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 29 | 12 | +17 | 29 |
| 2 | Barnoldswick Town | 14 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 33 | 16 | +17 | 28 |
| 3 | Nelson | 12 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 34 | 15 | +19 | 27 |
| 4 | Burscough | 12 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 36 | 21 | +15 | 26 |
| 5 | Trafford | 11 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 28 | 13 | +15 | 25 |
| 6 | Irlam | 12 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 20 | 12 | +8 | 23 |
| 7 | Chadderton | 13 | 7 | 1 | 5 | 26 | 17 | +9 | 22 |
| 8 | Atherton LR | 11 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 22 | 16 | +6 | 22 |
| 9 | Glossop North End | 14 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 26 | 22 | +4 | 21 |
| 10 | Charnock Richard | 13 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 16 | 15 | +1 | 18 |
| 11 | Prestwich Heys | 11 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 12 | 11 | +1 | 18 |
| 12 | FC Isle of Man | 13 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 19 | 22 | −3 | 18 |
| 13 | FC St Helens | 11 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 20 | 15 | +5 | 17 |
| 14 | Ramsbottom United | 13 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 18 | 18 | 0 | 16 |
| 15 | South Liverpool | 12 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 18 | 21 | −3 | 16 |
| 16 | Longridge Town | 13 | 3 | 1 | 9 | 23 | 45 | −22 | 10 |
| 17 | Litherland REMYCA | 12 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 12 | 23 | −11 | 9 |
| 18 | Euxton Villa | 13 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 15 | 26 | −11 | 8 |
| 19 | AFC Liverpool | 14 | 0 | 2 | 12 | 11 | 41 | −30 | 2 |
| 20 | Abbey Hey | 15 | 0 | 2 | 13 | 17 | 54 | −37 | 2 |
The headline is how tightly bunched the top end of The North West Counties Football League is. Droylsden lead on 29 points, but Barnoldswick Town are one point behind with an extra game played, Nelson sit third with a game in hand on both, and Burscough and Trafford are within four points. Barnoldswick and Burscough are also the in-form sides, each having won all six of their last six league games. At the bottom, AFC Liverpool and Abbey Hey have two points apiece and face a long battle to avoid the drop, while Longridge Town’s league-worst goals-against column shows how hard it is to survive in the division when the defence leaks.
The Latest 10 Premier Division Matches
The table below lists the ten most recent Premier Division results taken from the official results page, covering the last three Saturdays of October. Where a Saturday featured more fixtures than can fit, the games involving the title contenders have been selected.
| Date | Home | Score | Away | What happened |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat 31 Oct | Barnoldswick Town | 7–0 | FC Isle of Man | Emphatic win keeps the Tykes in the title race |
| Sat 31 Oct | Euxton Villa | 1–2 | Longridge Town | Valuable away win for the club in the bottom five |
| Sat 31 Oct | Glossop North End | 1–1 | Ramsbottom United | Honours even at the Surrey Street ground |
| Sat 31 Oct | Irlam | 2–0 | Charnock Richard | Clean sheet for the home side |
| Sat 31 Oct | Litherland REMYCA | 2–0 | AFC Liverpool | Winless AFC Liverpool stay rooted near the bottom |
| Sat 31 Oct | Trafford | 5–2 | Abbey Hey | Seven-goal thriller for the home crowd |
| Sat 24 Oct | Abbey Hey | 0–1 | South Liverpool | Narrow victory away from home |
| Sat 24 Oct | Droylsden | 3–1 | Glossop North End | Leaders return to winning ways at the Butchers Arms |
| Sat 17 Oct | Droylsden | 1–1 | Irlam | Caelan Kilheeney converts a penalty in a draw |
| Sat 17 Oct | Ramsbottom United | 0–3 | Nelson | Nelson win comfortably away from home |
The standout scoreline is Barnoldswick’s 7–0 demolition of FC Isle of Man, a result that lifted their goal difference level with Droylsden’s. Trafford’s 5–2 win over Abbey Hey continued a strong run from a side that has played fewer games than most rivals. Across the wider league the goals have been flowing: Burscough beat Halewood Apollo 8–1 in the Macron Cup, and in First Division South Eccleshall scored eleven without reply at Telford Town. Defenders in this competition rarely get an easy afternoon.
Team Spotlight: Droylsden FC
No club in the division has a better story than Droylsden. Founded in 1892 and nicknamed the Bloods, they play at the Butchers Arms on Market Street, a short walk from Droylsden Metrolink station on the Ashton to Piccadilly line. The club went three years without a competitive match before returning to league football in 2023, when about a thousand supporters turned out to welcome them back. After a spell in First Division North, where they recorded the best average home attendance in that division last season at 482, they have stepped up to the Premier Division and are now top of it.
Dave Pace is both chairman and manager, a figure whose connection with the club stretches back to the early 1990s. He is supported by a coaching staff of Phillip Cooper, Brendan Johns, Aeon Lattie and Paul Phillips, with Lewis Bradley as physio. Admission this season is £7 for adults and £5 for concessions, and the programme costs £2, so a Saturday at the Butchers Arms remains a cheap day out. Home gates are currently averaging 414 over ten games.
Droylsden Squad and Player Details
The figures below come from the official league club page and cover all competitions this season. Appearances are shown as starts plus substitute appearances. Players who have not yet featured are left out.
| Player | Apps | Goals | Yellow / Red | Man of the Match |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nellson Van | 16 | 5 | 2 / 0 | 3 |
| Emmanuel Udjor Omorogbe | 16 | 1 | 3 / 0 | 0 |
| Jordan Barnett | 15 | 8 | 1 / 1 | 2 |
| Ivanilson Da Silva | 15 | 2 | 2 / 0 | 2 |
| Caelan Kilheeney | 15 | 2 | 1 / 1 | 1 |
| Jamie Robinson | 15 | 1 | 3 / 0 | 0 |
| Jordan Latham (GK) | 14+1 | 0 | 0 / 0 | 2 |
| Elvis Amoakwa | 12+1 | 1 | 1 / 0 | 1 |
| Gabriel Mooney-Munoz | 12+3 | 0 | 2 / 0 | 0 |
| Sam Oliver | 9+2 | 0 | 0 / 0 | 0 |
| Thomas Pratt | 9+6 | 4 | 1 / 0 | 1 |
| Dean Ing | 8 | 3 | 2 / 0 | 0 |
| Ethan Smyth | 6+2 | 0 | 0 / 0 | 0 |
| Cody Artwell | 5 | 3 | 0 / 0 | 0 |
| Harry Shipton | 5+1 | 0 | 0 / 1 | 0 |
| Trevor Kacou | 0+11 | 0 | 1 / 0 | 0 |
| Saad Mekkaoui-Abouzaid | 0+8 | 0 | 0 / 0 | 0 |
| Harry Balfe | 0+4 | 0 | 1 / 0 | 0 |
| Shaquille Lewys | 0+3 | 0 | 0 / 0 | 0 |
| Thomas Bamber (GK) | 2 | 0 | 0 / 0 | 0 |
| Charlie Cox | 0+2 | 0 | 0 / 0 | 0 |
| Declan Wildman | 0+2 | 1 | 0 / 0 | 0 |
A few of these players deserve a closer look.
Jordan Barnett is the Bloods’ top scorer with eight goals in 15 appearances, including a brace in the 3–0 win at Euxton Villa. He scores in several different ways and has often been the first name on the teamsheet.
Nellson Van has been the most consistent performer. Five goals, 16 appearances and three Man of the Match awards, the most in the squad, tell the story. He opened the scoring in the 1–0 win over AFC Liverpool on the first day of the season and scored again in the wins over Prestwich Heys and Longridge Town.
Thomas Pratt has made a huge impact, with four goals from nine starts and six substitute appearances. Whether starting or coming on late, he has produced goals in the wins over Abbey Hey and Longridge Town and in the defeat at Nelson.
Caelan Kilheeney is the midfield anchor and penalty taker. He left for Chadderton, then returned to the club in the summer of 2025, a move the manager described as a huge boost to the promotion push. His penalty against Irlam rescued a point, and he has featured in all but one of the club’s matches.
Dean Ing has been a late-season bargain at this level, scoring in the 1–0 win at Ramsbottom United and again in the Vase tie at Cheadle Town, while Cody Artwell hit three goals in his five appearances, including the opener in the FA Cup replay win over Burscough.
Jordan Latham is the first-choice goalkeeper. With two Man of the Match awards and a record of 14 starts plus a substitute appearance, he has played a major role in the defence that has conceded 17 goals in 16 games. Thomas Bamber is the second keeper.
Other important contributors include the experienced Jamie Robinson and Emmanuel Udjor Omorogbe, both ever-present in the league, and Ivanilson Da Silva, who has two goals and two Man of the Match awards. Elvis Amoakwa, Gabriel Mooney-Munoz and Sam Oliver supply the physical balance, while Trevor Kacou and Saad Mekkaoui-Abouzaid have been regular substitutes who change the pace of games late on.
Droylsden’s Latest 10 Matches
The following table lists the club’s ten most recent matches in all competitions, with goalscorers as recorded on the league website.
| Date | Competition | Fixture | Result | Scorers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 Oct | FA Vase, 2nd Round | Cheadle Town (A) | 1–1, won on penalties | Dean Ing |
| 24 Oct | Premier Division | Glossop North End (H) | W 3–1 | Not listed |
| 17 Oct | Premier Division | Irlam (H) | D 1–1 | Caelan Kilheeney (pen) |
| 10 Oct | Premier Division | Longridge Town (H) | W 6–1 | Ing, Van, Pratt, Amoakwa, Barnett, Wildman |
| 3 Oct | Premier Division | Nelson (A) | L 1–3 | Thomas Pratt |
| 26 Sep | Macron Cup, 1st Round | Chadderton (H) | L 0–2 | None |
| 19 Sep | Premier Division | Prestwich Heys (H) | W 3–0 | Van, Barnett, own goal |
| 15 Sep | Premier Division | South Liverpool (H) | W 4–2 | Kilheeney, Da Silva, Barnett, Ing |
| 12 Sep | Premier Division | Ramsbottom United (A) | W 1–0 | Dean Ing |
| 5 Sep | Premier Division | Abbey Hey (H) | W 2–0 | Barnett, Pratt |
The pattern is clear: six wins, one draw and two defeats in those ten matches, plus a penalty shoot-out victory in the Vase to reach the third round. The 6–1 thrashing of Longridge Town was the high point, a game in which six different players scored. The only real blemishes were the defeats at Nelson and at home to Chadderton in the Macron Cup. Next up is the biggest game of the season so far, a home clash with second-placed Barnoldswick Town on Saturday 7 November at 3pm, followed by a midweek trip to Litherland REMYCA on 11 November.
Cup Football Adds to the Drama
The FA Vase second round took place on 31 October and gave the league’s clubs a platform on the national stage. Droylsden won their tie at Cheadle Town on penalties, Nelson beat Parkgate 4–1, Thornton Cleveleys won 4–2 against Billingham Town, Woolton beat Durham United 2–0 and Bilston Town won 4–2 against Heanor Town. Others were less fortunate: Atherton LR lost 4–0 at Bishop Auckland, Maghull went down 5–1 to Retford and South Liverpool lost 3–1 to Sheffield. Several ties finished level, including Chadderton’s 1–1 with Bottesford Town, which forced replays or shoot-outs.
The Macron Cup second round has also produced goals. Burscough’s 8–1 victory over Halewood Apollo is the standout, while Ramsbottom United, Nelson, Prestwich Heys and Charnock Richard all progressed in the same round. With county cups running alongside, the busiest clubs face fixture congestion, and squad depth is likely to decide the title race by spring.
Why This League Is Worth Following
There are plenty of reasons to follow a competition like this. Tickets cost a fraction of what a Football League match does, the grounds are close to the pitch, the clubs are run by committed volunteers, and results can swing wildly: AFC Liverpool lost 12 of their first 14 league games while Barnoldswick and Burscough were reeling off six straight wins. For players the appeal is also clear. Strong performers at this level are regularly picked up by clubs higher up the pyramid, and the official player tables on the league’s website track appearances, goals and Man of the Match awards for every club.
For fans who want to follow along, the league’s official website carries fixtures, results, tables, club pages and squad lists, and each club’s page has a form guide, factfile and matchday information.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What level of the football pyramid is the Premier Division?
The Premier Division is step five of the National League System and level nine overall. First Division North and First Division South are step six, level ten. The champions of the Premier Division are promoted to the Northern Premier League Division One West.
2. How many teams are in each division in 2026–27?
The Premier Division has 20 clubs, First Division North has 22 and First Division South has 20, so 62 clubs compete in total across the three divisions.
3. Who is top of the Premier Division right now?
As of early November 2026 Droylsden lead with 29 points from 13 games, one point ahead of Barnoldswick Town, who have played 14. Nelson, Burscough and Trafford are all within four points of the top, with games in hand over some of the leaders.
4. How does promotion and relegation work?
The Premier Division champions go up to the Northern Premier League Division One West, and the clubs finishing second to fifth contest play-offs for another promotion place. The bottom clubs are relegated to First Division North or South depending on location, and the leading clubs from those divisions are promoted to replace them. The FA can also move clubs sideways to neighbouring leagues at the start of each season.
5. Where can I find live scores, fixtures and player statistics?
The official league website has a Match Centre with fixtures, results, league tables, attendance grids and player tables for appearances, goals and Man of the Match awards. Every club also has its own page with a squad list, form guide and matchday details such as ticket prices and directions.
Conclusion
With Droylsden narrowly ahead, Barnoldswick, Nelson, Burscough and Trafford hunting hard, and cup runs adding extra spice, there has rarely been a better time to watch The North West Counties Football League. The Bloods’ blend of goals from Jordan Barnett and Nellson Van, a reliable goalkeeper in Jordan Latham and a manager who has guided the club all the way back from oblivion makes them a worthy leader, but with the 7 November showdown against Barnoldswick looming, the table could look very different within a week. Check the official fixtures, pick a ground near you and enjoy the season.
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