The 2013–14 North West Counties Football League season was the 32nd in the history of the North West Counties Football League, a football competition in England.
The league comprised two divisions, the Premier Division and the First Division (at levels 9 and 10 of the English football league system, Steps 5 and 6 of the National League System respectively). Additionally there were two cup competitions: the League Challenge Cup knockout competition open to all the league's clubs; and the First Division Trophy, a knockout trophy competition for First Division clubs only. For the final occasion this season after 32 seasons the league also had a reserves team section.
Premier Division
The Premier Division featured 22 clubs, 20 remaining from the previous season plus two additions (both promoted from the First Division):
Abbey Hey, promoted as runners-up West Didsbury & Chorlton, promoted from third position
Bacup Borough were renamed Bacup & Rossendale Borough
As in the previous season clubs had to register for promotion from the division using the following criteria: applied for promotion by 30 November 2013; pass a ground grading examination by 31 March 2014; 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. The following eight teams from the division registered: A.F.C. Liverpool, Bootle, Congleton, Glossop North End, Maine Road, Norton United, Runcorn Linnets and Runcorn Town.
At the end of the season the champions Norton United were promoted to Northern Premier League Division One South. Bottom club Wigan Robin Park were relegated to First Division, As no club was to be relegated into the division next season the next-to-bottom club Bacup & Rossendale Borough were reprieved from relegation to the First Division.
League table
Results
Locations
First Division
First Division featured 19 teams, 16 remaining from the previous season plus 3 additions allocated to the division by the FA Leagues Committee:
Hanley Town, promoted as champions of the Staffordshire County Senior League Premier Division 1874 Northwich, a newly formed club Widnes Vikings, from the West Cheshire League Third Division, where they had played as Widnes Town
Northwich Villa changed their name to Northwich Flixton Villa
At the end of the season second placed Formby folded so per National League System rules the third-placed club 1874 Northwich (new to the league this season) along with the champions Nelson were promoted to the Premier Division. Nelson who scored 135 goals from 36 league matches became the second highest First Division (formerly Division Two) goalscoring team over a season (exceeded only by Cammell Laird with 142 from 36 matches in Division Two 2004–05). One further club left the division, fifteenth placed Leek County School Old Boys resigned and joined the Staffordshire County Senior League.
League table
Results
Locations
League Challenge Cup The 2013–14 League Challenge Cup was a knockout competition open to all the league's 41 clubs. The final, contested by Premier Division clubs and played at Curzon Ashton F.C., was won 1–0 by Ashton Athletic who defeated Maine Road.
First round All the 22 Premier Division clubs together with Ashton Town of the First Division received a bye to the second round.
(Appended to club names in the results listings below: =Premier Division club; =First Division club) Home team ScoreAway team 1874 Northwich 3–2 Hanley Town Atherton Collieries 4–0Cheadle Town Atherton Laburnum Rovers 1–2AFC Darwen Daisy Hill 0–4Irlam Formby 4–0Nelson Holker Old Boys 2–0Leek CSOB Northwich Flixton Villa 4–5 Eccleshall Oldham Boro 1–2Chadderton Rochdale Town 3–0Widnes Vikings
Second round Home team ScoreAway team Abbey Hey 4–0Eccleshall AFC Darwen 4–2 Colne Atherton Collieries 6–0Bacup & Rossendale Borough Bootle 3–0Norton United Chadderton 0–1Ashton Athletic Congleton Town 2–0Ashton Town Glossop North End 0–2Maine Road Irlam 1–5Runcorn Town Rochdale Town 3–2Holker Old Boys Runcorn Linnets 1–0Barnoldswick Town Silsden 1–4 Formby Squires Gate 1–51874 Northwich St Helens Town 1–2Alsager Town West Didsbury & Chorlton 1–5A.F.C. Liverpool Wigan Robin Park 2–3A.F.C. Blackpool Winsford United 3–1Stockport Sports
Third round Home team ScoreAway team 1874 Northwich 1–0Formby A.F.C. Blackpool 1–0A.F.C. Liverpool Alsager Town 0–1Runcorn Linnets Bootle 0–1Abbey Hey Congleton Town 1–1 Ashton Athletic Maine Road 3–0Winsford United Rochdale Town 3–0Atherton Collieries Runcorn Town 5–0AFC Darwen ReplayAshton Athletic 2–1Congleton Town
Quarter-finals Home team ScoreAway team 1874 Northwich 2–1Abbey Hey Maine Road 4–0A.F.C. Blackpool Rochdale Town 3–1Runcorn Town Runcorn Linnets 0–2Ashton Athletic
Semi–Finals The semi-finals were decided on aggregate score from two legs played TieHome team ScoreAway team 1Maine Road 3–11874 Northwich 1874 Northwich 0–3Maine Road Maine Road won 6–1 on aggregate2Rochdale Town 1–3Ashton Athletic Ashton Athletic 3–1Rochdale Town Ashton Athletic won 6–2 on aggregate
Final Team ScoreTeam Played at Curzon Ashton F.C., Tameside StadiumAshton Athletic 1–0Maine Road source:
First Division Trophy The 2013–14 First Division Trophy was a knockout competition for the 19 First Division clubs only. In the final held at Runcorn Linnets F.C. the trophy was won for the second time in their history by Formby (who disbanded six weeks later): they defeated Hanley Town 5–3 on penalties after the match had finished 3–3 after extra time (score at 90 minutes: 2–2). It was only the second occasion a club had won the trophy twice (previously by A.F.C. Liverpool in 2010).
First round Six clubs were drawn into first round ties, the remaining 13 received a bye to the second round. Home teamScoreAway teamDaisy Hill0–3NelsonEccleshall2–4Hanley Town Formby2–0Atherton Collieries
Second round Home teamScoreAway team1874 Northwich5–0Widnes VikingsAFC Darwen3–2Cheadle Town Formby2–2 Atherton Laburnum RoversHanley Town1–0ChaddertonHolker Old Boys1–0Rochdale TownLeek CSOB1–1 Northwich Flixton VillaNelson6–1Irlam Oldham Boro0–3Ashton Town
Quarter-finals Home teamScoreAway teamAshton Town1–4Hanley TownFormby4–21874 NorthwichLeek CSOB2–7AFC DarwenNelson0–1 Holker Old Boys
Semi-finals The semi-finals were decided on aggregate score from two legs played TieHome teamScoreAway team1Hanley Town3–1Holker Old BoysHolker Old Boys3–2Hanley TownHanley Town won 5–4 on aggregate2AFC Darwen3–2FormbyFormby4–1 AFC Darwen Formby won 6–4 on aggregate
Final TeamScoreTeamPlayed at Runcorn Linnets F.C., Millbank Linnets StadiumFormby3–3 Atherton Laburnum RoversFormby won 5–3 on penalties source:
Reserves Section This was the final season that the league operated a reserves section. Main honours for the 2013–14 season: Reserves Division Winners: Glossop North End Reserves Runners-up: New Mills Reserves
Reserves Division Cup Winners: AFC Darwen Reserves Runners-up: Irlam
References
External links The official website of the North West Counties Football League