We're looking here at clubs in the North
West Counties League or any of that competition's
'feeders', e.g. the Manchester League,
the Staffordshire, the West Lancashire League.
ASHTON ATHLETIC
The club joined the Lancashire Combination in 1978. Founder members of the North West Counties League in 1982, Athletic left the competition in 1986, before returning to the NW Cos in 2006. The latest information available
suggests that Athletic may be reinstated
in the Premier Division after the resignation
of Nelson from the NWCL.
ASHTON TOWN
Ashton Town played in the Lancashire Combination 1903-1910/11, reappearing in 1971. Moving to the Cheshire County League in 1978, Town became founder members of the North West Counties League in 1982, and still play in that competition.
GLOSSOP NORTH END
Glossop North End started in The Combination in 1894, switching to the Midland League in 1896, from where election to the Football League was secured in 1898. Promoted to Division 1 at the first
attempt the club dropped the ‘North
End’ part of their name as they were
now (in theory) the equals of Preston North
End. The smallest town ever to have
1st Division football, Glossop had just one
‘season in the Sun’ before slipping
back to Division 2, where they stayed until
1915 when the club left the Football League.
Glossop spent the 1919-1920 season in the Lancashire Combination, but then ‘floated off the screen’
until re-joining in 1957. Another disappearing act followed
in 1966, but the club was back again in 1977 when joining the Cheshire League. Glossop became founder members of the North West Counties
League in 1982, changing back to the name ‘Glossop
North End’ 10 years later. The
club reached the Final of the F.A. Vase in 2009.
NELSON
Nelson played in the Lancashire League 1889-1898
and 1900-1901. The club joined the Lancashire Combination in 1901 but became a member of the Central League
after World War One, before joining the Football
League in 1921. After failing to gain
re-election, Nelson joined the Lancashire Combination in 1931, but left
in 1936. Re-joining in 1946, the club won the title in 1950 and 1952,
but, after finishing runners-up in 1961,
slipped down the rankings. Founder
members of the North West Counties League in 1982, Nelson slipped ‘out of sight’
1988-1992 when members of the West Lancashire
League, but re-joined the North West Counties League
in 1992. The club appears now to have
resigned from the North West Counties League.
PADIHAM
Padiham were members of the Lancashire Combination1894-1898, 1900-1906,
1910-1915, 1949-1968 and 1977-1982. North West Counties League since 1982,
these being 1982-1990 and 2000-the present.
ROSSENDALE UNITED
Probably connected with the club which played
in the Lancashire League in the years before,
Rossendale United joined the Lancashire Combination in 1898, but left a year later, only to re-join in 1901 for a longer stay. Champions in 1927, Rossendale continued
in the same competition until joining the
Cheshire County League in 1970, winning this at the first attempt
and twice finishing runners-up in the next
3 seasons. United joined the North West Counties League in
1982. In 1989 the step up to the Northern Premier
League was made, but there was a return to
the North West Counties League in 1993. Having become champions in 2001 Rossendale returned to the NPL, but were relegated again in 2010.
RUNCORN LINNETS
Set up after the demise of Runcorn FC Halton,
Linnets were acceptedinto the North West
Counties League in 2006 and
are currently playing in the Premier Division.
ST. HELENS TOWN
Better known for its successes in rugby league,
the Lancashire town of St. Helens had two
decent soccer clubs in the early years of
organised football. The one which survived was Town, who
began in the Lancashire League in 1901, but
joined the Lancashire Combination in 1903, remaining there until 1914. The club rejoined the Combination in 1949 becoming champions in 1972. In 1976 the Cheshire County League was joined and, when this amalgamated with the Lancashire
Combination, St. Helens Town were founder
members of the North West Counties League in 1982 and remained in that competition since.
Up to 1912, Town’s chief rivals were
St. Helens Recreation, who were members of the Lancashire Combination from 1899 until 1913 when they suddenly disappeared.
