1982–83 North West Counties Football League
# 1982–83 North West Counties Football League

The 1982–83 North West Counties Football League was the first in the history of the North West Counties Football League, a football competition in England. Teams were divided into three divisions.

## Division One

The division featured 20 new teams:

* Accrington Stanley, from Cheshire County League Division One
* Ashton United, from Cheshire County League Division One
* Bootle, from Cheshire County League Division One
* Burscough, from Cheshire County League Division One
* Congleton Town, from Cheshire County League Division Two
* Curzon Ashton, from Cheshire County League Division One
* Darwen, from Cheshire County League Division One
* Formby, from Cheshire County League Division One
* Glossop, from Cheshire County League Division One
* Horwich RMI, from Cheshire County League Division One
* Lancaster City, from Northern Premier League
* Leek Town, from Cheshire County League Division One
* Leyland Motors, from Cheshire County League Division Two
* Nantwich Town, from Cheshire County League Division One
* Penrith, from Northern League
* Prescot Cables, from Cheshire County League Division One
* Rhyl, from Cheshire County League Division Two
* St. Helens Town, from Cheshire County League Division One
* Stalybridge Celtic, from Cheshire County League Division One
* Winsford United, from Cheshire County League Division One

### League table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Burscough (C) | 38 | 26 | 7 | 5 | 93 | 45 | +48 | 59 | |
| 2 | Rhyl (P) | 38 | 23 | 11 | 4 | 76 | 30 | +46 | 57 | Promotion to Northern Premier League |
| 3 | Horwich RMI (P) | 38 | 22 | 10 | 6 | 77 | 35 | +42 | 54 | Promotion to Northern Premier League |
| 4 | Stalybridge Celtic | 38 | 17 | 15 | 6 | 60 | 32 | +28 | 49 | |
| 5 | Winsford United | 38 | 18 | 10 | 10 | 72 | 48 | +24 | 46 | |
| 6 | Darwen | 38 | 17 | 12 | 9 | 68 | 46 | +22 | 46 | |
| 7 | Lancaster City | 38 | 17 | 11 | 10 | 69 | 54 | +15 | 45 | |
| 8 | Congleton Town | 38 | 13 | 14 | 11 | 52 | 35 | +17 | 40 | |
| 9 | Penrith | 38 | 17 | 6 | 15 | 68 | 61 | +7 | 40 | |
| 10 | Accrington Stanley | 38 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 56 | 55 | +1 | 38 | |
| 11 | Leek Town | 38 | 14 | 9 | 15 | 42 | 44 | −2 | 37 | |
| 12 | Curzon Ashton | 38 | 14 | 8 | 16 | 46 | 47 | −1 | 36 | |
| 13 | Ashton United | 38 | 13 | 10 | 15 | 55 | 69 | −14 | 36 | |
| 14 | Bootle | 38 | 14 | 6 | 18 | 55 | 79 | −24 | 32 | |
| 15 | Prescot Cables | 38 | 9 | 13 | 16 | 50 | 60 | −10 | 31 | |
| 16 | Formby | 38 | 10 | 8 | 20 | 48 | 68 | −20 | 28 | |
| 17 | Leyland Motors | 38 | 7 | 10 | 21 | 34 | 74 | −40 | 24 | |
| 18 | Glossop | 38 | 6 | 11 | 21 | 29 | 67 | −38 | 23 | |
| 19 | St Helens Town | 38 | 5 | 10 | 23 | 29 | 80 | −51 | 20 | |
| 20 | Nantwich Town (R) | 38 | 6 | 5 | 27 | 43 | 93 | −50 | 17 | Relegation to Division Two |

* ↑ Bootle deducted 2 point

## Division Two

The division featured 20 new teams:

* Atherton Laburnum Rovers, from Cheshire County League Division Two
* Caernarfon Town, from Lancashire Combination
* Chadderton, from Lancashire Combination
* Droylsden, from Cheshire County League Division One
* Eastwood Hanley, from Cheshire County League Division Two
* Ellesmere Port & Neston, from Cheshire County League Division Two
* Fleetwood Town, from Cheshire County League Division One
* Ford Motors, from Cheshire County League Division Two
* Great Harwood Town, from Lancashire Combination
* Irlam Town, from Cheshire County League Division Two
* Kirkby Town, from Cheshire County League Division Two
* Lytham, from Lancashire Combination
* New Mills, from Cheshire County League Division Two
* Padiham, from Lancashire Combination
* Prescot BI, from Cheshire County League Division Two
* Radcliffe Borough, from Cheshire County League Division Two
* Rossendale United, from Cheshire County League Division One
* Salford, from Cheshire County League Division Two
* Skelmersdale United, from Cheshire County League Division Two
* Wren Rovers, from Lancashire Combination

### League table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Radcliffe Borough (C, P) | 38 | 33 | 4 | 1 | 110 | 25 | +85 | 70 | Promotion to Division One |
| 2 | Caernarfon Town (P) | 38 | 28 | 7 | 3 | 85 | 28 | +57 | 63 | Promotion to Division One |
| 3 | Wren Rovers | 38 | 23 | 7 | 8 | 84 | 38 | +46 | 53 | |
| 4 | Eastwood Hanley | 38 | 23 | 7 | 8 | 81 | 42 | +39 | 53 | |
| 5 | Kirkby Town | 38 | 22 | 3 | 13 | 80 | 60 | +20 | 47 | Resigned |
| 6 | Irlam Town | 38 | 17 | 8 | 13 | 79 | 52 | +27 | 42 | |
| 7 | Chadderton | 38 | 18 | 6 | 14 | 55 | 51 | +4 | 42 | |
| 8 | Rossendale United | 38 | 15 | 10 | 13 | 75 | 68 | +7 | 40 | |
| 9 | Ford Motors | 38 | 18 | 4 | 16 | 61 | 59 | +2 | 40 | |
| 10 | Ellesmere Port & Neston | 38 | 17 | 5 | 16 | 56 | 68 | −12 | 39 | |
| 11 | Skelmersdale United | 38 | 13 | 11 | 14 | 70 | 63 | +7 | 37 | |
| 12 | Fleetwood Town | 38 | 12 | 8 | 18 | 54 | 80 | −26 | 32 | |
| 13 | Atherton Laburnum Rovers | 38 | 11 | 9 | 18 | 52 | 70 | −18 | 31 | |
| 14 | Lytham | 38 | 11 | 5 | 22 | 54 | 71 | −17 | 27 | |
| 15 | Great Harwood Town | 38 | 8 | 10 | 20 | 54 | 76 | −22 | 26 | |
| 16 | Salford | 38 | 10 | 6 | 22 | 43 | 86 | −43 | 26 | |
| 17 | Droylsden | 38 | 11 | 5 | 22 | 49 | 71 | −22 | 25 | |
| 18 | Prescot BI | 38 | 10 | 5 | 23 | 46 | 81 | −35 | 25 | |
| 19 | Padiham (R) | 38 | 8 | 6 | 24 | 41 | 74 | −33 | 22 | Relegation to Division Three |
| 20 | New Mills | 38 | 7 | 4 | 27 | 40 | 106 | −66 | 18 | Resigned |

* ↑ Droylsden deducted 2 points.

## Division Three

The division featured 18 new teams:

* Ashton Athletic, from Lancashire Combination
* Ashton Town, from Cheshire County League Division Two
* Atherton Collieries, from Cheshire County League Division Two
* Bacup Borough, from Lancashire Combination
* Blackpool Mechanics, from Lancashire Combination
* Bolton ST, from Lancashire Combination
* Clitheroe, from Lancashire Combination
* Colne Dynamoes, from Lancashire Combination
* Daisy Hill, from Lancashire Combination
* Maghull, from Cheshire County League Division Two
* Nelson, from Lancashire Combination
* Newton, from Mid-Cheshire League
* Oldham Dew, from Lancashire Combination
* Prestwich Heys, from Cheshire County League Division Two
* Vulcan Newton, from Lancashire Combination
* Warrington Town, from Cheshire County League Division Two
* Whitworth Valley, from Lancashire Combination
* Wigan Rovers, from Lancashire Combination

### League table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Colne Dynamoes (C, P) | 34 | 25 | 5 | 4 | 95 | 37 | +58 | 55 | Promotion to Division Two |
| 2 | Warrington Town (P) | 34 | 24 | 6 | 4 | 83 | 33 | +50 | 54 | Promotion to Division Two |
| 3 | Clitheroe | 34 | 22 | 7 | 5 | 87 | 35 | +52 | 51 | |
| 4 | Prestwich Heys | 34 | 18 | 11 | 5 | 70 | 37 | +33 | 47 | |
| 5 | Vulcan Newton | 34 | 13 | 10 | 11 | 70 | 65 | +5 | 36 | |
| 6 | Blackpool Mechanics | 34 | 11 | 13 | 10 | 67 | 56 | +11 | 35 | |
| 7 | Bacup Borough | 34 | 14 | 7 | 13 | 53 | 45 | +8 | 35 | |
| 8 | Atherton Collieries | 34 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 55 | 57 | −2 | 35 | |
| 9 | Whitworth Valley | 34 | 13 | 9 | 12 | 54 | 65 | −11 | 35 | |
| 10 | Nelson | 34 | 7 | 16 | 11 | 49 | 56 | −7 | 30 | |
| 11 | Daisy Hill | 34 | 10 | 10 | 14 | 47 | 58 | −11 | 30 | |
| 12 | Maghull | 34 | 10 | 9 | 15 | 56 | 61 | −5 | 29 | |
| 13 | Ashton Town | 34 | 12 | 5 | 17 | 53 | 73 | −20 | 29 | |
| 14 | Newton | 34 | 8 | 12 | 14 | 59 | 62 | −3 | 28 | |
| 15 | Oldham Dew | 34 | 10 | 8 | 16 | 48 | 61 | −13 | 28 | |
| 16 | Bolton ST | 34 | 9 | 6 | 19 | 50 | 84 | −34 | 24 | |
| 17 | Wigan Rovers | 34 | 5 | 7 | 22 | 35 | 72 | −37 | 17 | Resigned |
| 18 | Ashton Athletic | 34 | 3 | 8 | 23 | 18 | 92 | −74 | 14 | |

## Promotion and relegation

### Division One

In the first season of the North West Counties Football League Division One second placed Rhyl and third placed Horwich RMI moved to the Northern Premier League while Nantwich Town were relegated to Division Two and Netherfield joined Division One from the Northern Premier League.

### Division Two

Division Two champions Radcliffe Borough and second placed Caernarfon Town were promoted to Division One while Kirkby Town and already relegated New Mills left the League at the end of the season. Padiham were relegated to Division Three.

### Division Three

Division Three champions Colne Dynamoes and second placed Warrington Town were promoted to Division Two while Wigan Rovers left the League at the end of the season and were replaced by newly admitted Cheadle Town and Urmston Town.

