The 2024–25 North West Counties Football League season is the 43rd in the history of the North West Counties Football League, a football competition in England.
The league comprised three divisions: the Premier Division (at level 9 of the English football league system, Step 5 National League System) and two regional divisions at level 10 or Step 6. The latter were designated the First Division North and First Division South, with the champions of each division competing in a single match for the First Division Champions Cup. Additionally, there were two cup competitions: the League Challenge Cup (known as the Macron Challenge Cup for sponsorship reasons), a knockout competition open to all the league's clubs; and the First Division Trophy (known as the Edward Case Cup, named after the trophy), a knockout trophy competition for First Division clubs only.
Premier Division
Four clubs had left the division after the previous season: Kendal Town, transferred laterally to the Northern League Division One Skelmersdale United, relegated to the First Division North Wythenshawe, promoted as champions to the Northern Premier League Division One West Wythenshawe Town, promoted as promotion play-off winners to the Northern Premier League Division One West
The 2024–25 Premier Division club allocations from the FA Leagues Committee (subject to appeal) were announced on 15 May 2024 and the constitution of the division was adopted at the league's AGM on 15 June 2024. The division comprised 24 clubs, 20 remaining from the previous season plus 4 additions:
Abbey Hey, promoted as promotion play-off winners from the First Division South FC St Helens, promoted as champions from the First Division North Stockport Town, promoted as promotion play-off runners-up from the First Division South South Liverpool, promoted as promotion play-off winners from the First Division North
In their final league match of the season on 19 April 2025 Bury set a new league single match attendance record of 8,719 at their home stadium of Gigg Lane versus Burscough (surpassing the previous highest of 6,023 set at the Divivision Two F.C. United of Manchester v Great Harwood Town match played on 22 April 2006, also at Gigg Lane).
At the end of the season the champions Bury and promotion play-off winners Lower Breck (who had finished as runners-up of the division) were promoted to the Northern Premier League Division One West. Two clubs were relegated, Colne and Squires Gate both to the First Division North. League table
Results table
Promotion play-offs The 2024–25 Premier Division promotion play-offs, contested by the clubs that finished second to fifth position in the league table, were won by Lower Breck who had been runners-up of the division.
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Semi-finals
Final
Stadia and locations
Team Stadium Abbey Hey The Abbey Stadium, Gorton AFC Liverpool Rossett Park, Crosby (groundshare with Marine) Barnoldswick Town Greenberfield Lane Burscough Victoria Park Bury Gigg Lane Chadderton MCA Stadium Charnock Richard Mossie Park Cheadle Town Park Road Stadium Colne Holt House Glossop North End Surrey Street FC Isle of Man The Bowl, Douglas FC St Helens Windleshaw Sports Irlam Silver Street Litherland REMYCA Litherland Sports Park Longridge Town Mike Riding Ground Lower Breck Anfield Sports and Community Centre Padiham Arbories Memorial Sports Ground Pilkington Ruskin Drive Sportsground Prestwich Heys Adie Moran Park Ramsbottom United Harry Williams Riverside Stadium South Liverpool Jericho Lane Squires Gate School Road Stockport Town Stockport Sports Village West Didsbury & Chorlton Brookburn Road, Chorlton
First Division North
Five clubs had left the division after the previous season: FC St Helens, promoted as champions to the Premier Division Ilkley Town, transferred laterally to the Northern Counties East League Division One Runcorn Town, transferred laterally to the First Division South Shelley, transferred laterally to the Northern Counties East League Division One South Liverpool, promoted as promotion play-off winners to the Premier Division
The constitution of the 2024–25 First Division North adopted by the league AGM was per the club allocations issued by the FA Leagues Committee and comprised 18 clubs, 13 remaining from the previous season plus 5 additions: Droylsden, transferred laterally from the First Division South Maine Road, transferred laterally from the First Division South Maghull, promoted as runners-up from the West Cheshire League Division One Skelmersdale United, relegated from the Premier Division Thornton Cleveleys, promoted as champions of the West Lancashire League Premier Division.
At the end of the season champions Atherton Laburnum Rovers and promotion play-off winners Euxton Villa (who had finished fifth in the division) were promoted to the Premier Division. Atherton Laburnum Rovers won a treble of titles this season: in addition to the First Division North title they won the First Division Trophy and were victorious in the First Division Champions Cup. Both Garstang and Route One Rovers were reprieved from relegation – the latter were then transferred laterally to the Northern Counties East League Division One. The only club relegated, for their third successive relegation, were Skelmersdale United who went to the Liverpool County Premier League.
League table
Results table
Promotion play-offs The 2024–25 First Division North promotion play-offs, contested by the clubs that finished second to fifth position in the league table, were won by Euxton Villa who had been fifth-placed in the division – they had progressed to the final following a 10–9 penalty shoot-out win in their semi-final match.
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Semi-finals
Final
Stadia and locations
Team Stadium AFC Blackpool The Mechanics Ashton Athletic Brockstedes Park Ashton Town Edge Green Street Atherton Laburnum Rovers Crilly Park Bacup Borough West View Daisy Hill New Sirs, Westhoughton Darwen The Anchor Ground Droylsden Butcher's Arms Ground Euxton Villa Jim Fowler Memorial Ground Garstang The Riverside Holker Old Boys Rakesmoor Lane, Barrow-in-Furness Maghull Old Hall Field Maine Road Brantingham Road, Chorlton Nelson Victoria Park Route One Rovers Marley Stadium Skelmersdale United The Community Ground, Burscough Steeton Marley Stadium Thornton Cleveleys Gamble Road
First Division South
Five clubs had left the division after the previous season: Abbey Hey, promoted as promotion play-off winners to the Premier Division Brocton, promoted and transferred laterally to the Midland League Premier Division Droylsden, transferred laterally to the First Division North Maine Road, transferred laterally to the First Division North Stockport Town, promoted as champions to the Premier Division
The constitution of the 2024–25 First Division South adopted by the league AGM was per the club allocations issued by the FA Leagues Committee and comprised 18 clubs, 13 remaining from the previous season plus 5 additions: Allscott Heath, transferred laterally from the Midland League Division One where they were runners-up but eliminated in the first round of the promotion play-offs Foley Meir, returning to the division after a one season absence, promoted from third in the Staffordshire County Senior League Runcorn Town, transferred laterally from the First Division North Shawbury United, transferred laterally from the Midland League Division One Wolverhampton Sporting, transferred laterally from the Midland League Division One
At the end of the season champions Winsford United and promotion play-off winners Abbey Hulton United (who had finished as runners-up of the division) were both promoted to Step 5 and transferred laterally to the Midland League Premier Division. No clubs were relegated as the three bottom-placed clubs, Foley Meir, Shawbury United and Wolverhampton Sporting, were all reprieved. In the initial club allocations for the following season Cheadle Heath Nomads were selected for a lateral transfer to the First Division North however after review this was rescinded.
League table
Results table
Promotion play-offs The 2024–25 First Division South promotion play-offs, contested by the clubs that finished second to fifth position in the league table, were won by Abbey Hulton United who had been runners-up of the division.
Source=
Semi-finals
Final
Stadia and locations
Team Stadium Abbey Hulton United Birches Head Road Allscott Heath Allscott Sports & Social Club Alsager Town Wood Park Stadium Ashville Villa Park, Wallasey Barnton Townfield Cammell Laird 1907 Kirklands, Birkenhead Cheadle Heath Nomads The Heath Eccleshall Pershall Park Foley Meir Whitcombe Road Market Drayton Town Greenfields Sports Ground New Mills Church Lane Runcorn Town Pavilions Sports Complex Sandbach United Sandbach Community Football Centre Shawbury United New Meadow Community 3G Stafford Town Evans Park Stockport Georgians Cromley Road Winsford United Barton Stadium Wolverhampton Sporting Pride Park
League Challenge Cup The 2024–25 League Challenge Cup (known for sponsorship reasons as the Macron Cup) was open to all 60 clubs from the Premier and First Divisions North and South (indicated in the results listings below by , and respectively). The final, played at Accrington Stanley F.C., was won 6-2 by Premier Division club Charnock Richard who defeated Stafford Town of the First Division South. The six goals scored by Charnock Richard was the most scored by a single team over ninety minutes in the final of the competition. It was the second occasion Charnock Richard had won the cup; for Stafford Town it was their third losing league competition final of the season having previously been beaten in both the First Division South promotion play-off final and the First Division Trophy final.
In the initial draw for the competition the cup holders together with the three highest-ranked clubs in the 2023–24 Premier Division that didn't achieve promotion were allocated byes to the second round. For the first two rounds clubs were drawn into four regional groupings: Group 1 comprised sixteen clubs; Group 2 featured fifteen clubs of whom Barnoldswick Town, as cup holders, received a first round bye; Group 3 initially comprised fifteen clubs including Charnock Richard, one of the previous season's highest placed clubs who had a bye to the second round – also, owing to FC Isle of Man withdrawing from the first round Ashton Athletic also progressed directly to the second round; Group 4 comprised fourteen teams including two of the previous season's highest placed clubs Bury and Chadderton who received byes to the second round.
First round TieHome team ScoreAway team Group One 1 Barnton 1–1 Runcorn Town 2 Eccleshall 1–1 Cammell Laird 1907 3 Glossop North End 2–2 Abbey Hulton United 4 Market Drayton Town 2–1 Alsager Town 5 Shawbury United 1–6 Allscott Heath 6 Stafford Town 3–0 Ashville 7 Winsford United 2–0 Sandbach United 8 Wolverhampton Sporting 1–4 Foley Meir Group Two 9 Darwen 2–4 Nelson 10 Euxton Villa 1–0 Bacup Borough 11 Garstang 1–10 Padiham 12 Longridge Town 1–1 Holker Old Boys 13 Route One Rovers 1–3 AFC Blackpool 14 Squires Gate 2–4 Steeton 15 Thornton Cleveleys 2–4 Colne Group Three 16 AFC Liverpool 3–0 South Liverpool 17 Ashton Town 2–1 Atherton Laburnum Rovers 18 Burscough 4–1 Daisy Hill 19 FC Isle of Man x–W Ashton Athletic FC Isle of Man withdrew, Ashton Athletic progressed to second round 20 FC St Helens 2–1 Litherland REMYCA 21 Pilkington 1–2 Lower Breck 22 Skelmersdale United 0–2 Maghull Group Four 23 Cheadle Town 1–2 Stockport Georgians 24 Droylsden 4–0 Abbey Hey 25 New Mills 1–2 Cheadle Heath Nomads 26 Prestwich Heys 2–2 Irlam 27 Stockport Town 5–4 Maine Road 28 West Didsbury & Chorlton 2–2 Ramsbottom United
Second round