1988–89 North West Counties Football League

April 2026 April 2026 The 1988–89 North West Counties Football League (known as the Bass North West Counties League for sponsorship reasons) was the seventh in the history of the North West Counties Football League, a football competition in England. The league comprised two divisions (at levels 8 and 9 of the English football league system) and there was additionally the League Challenge Cup knockout competition (known as the Raab Karcher Cup for sponsorship reasons) open to all the league's clubs and also a reserves team section. From this season onwards an automatic promotion/relegation agreement was in place for the top club from each of this league and the Northern Counties East League to be automatically promoted to the Northern Premier League (subject to their ground meeting the required standard) with relegated clubs to move in the opposite direction.David Bassett 23 January 1988 Go-ahead for pyramid 8 Football Echo Liverpool Division One North West CountiesFootball LeagueDivision One 1988–89 18 Rossendale United Rossendale United Formby 306 910 1987–88 1989–90 Division One featured 18 clubs, 16 remaining from the previous season plus 2 additional (both promoted from Division Two): Ashton United, promoted as champions Flixton, promoted as runners-up Kirkby Town changed their name to Knowsley United Clubs leaving the division at the end of the season were: Rossendale United, the first club to take automatic promotion to the Northern Premier League; Ellesmere Port & Neston who folded and left the league; and Formby who were relegated – they were demoted as their ground was ruled of insufficient standard for Division One.Nick Walker 19 June 1989 Formby's battle for top flight status in danger 31 Liverpool Echo Liverpool League table main WDL Season End Notes 5 2 ROS Rossendale United KNO Knowsley United STH St Helens Town COL Colwyn Bay DAR Darwen WAR Warrington Town FLX Flixton LDS Leyland Motors BTL Bootle BUR Burscough EPN Ellesmere Port & Neston CLT Clitheroe SKU Skelmersdale United ALR Atherton Laburnum Rovers PRC Prescot Cables SAL Salford ASH Ashton United FOR Formby 24 8 2 84 27 C,P 21 8 5 85 43 20 8 6 60 25 19 9 6 77 45 19 9 6 64 36 16 10 8 47 37 15 8 11 61 44 15 8 11 53 44 14 4 16 49 54 11 10 13 40 51 9 12 13 36 42 8 12 14 38 41 8 9 17 39 68 9 6 19 47 74 7 9 18 36 60 7 8 19 33 70 7 6 21 37 72 -2 3 4 27 24 77 R Ashton United had 2 points deducted #ACE1AF Promoted to Northern Premier League Division One P #CCCCCC Club folded at end of seasonNick Walker 20 May 1989 Butler the man to do it says Collins 6 Football Echo Liverpool FLD #FFCCCC Relegated to Division Two R The points system until the 1989–90 season: 2 points for a win, 1 point for a draw and 0 points for losing. complete NWCFL: Final Tables, Season 1988/89 Division Two North West CountiesFootball LeagueDivision Two 1988–89 18 Vauxhall GM Vauxhall GMChaddertonNantwich Town 306 945 1987–88 1989–90 Division Two featured 18 clubs, 17 remaining from the previous season plus one additional: Glossop, relegated from Division One At the end of the season in order to maintain 18 clubs in Division One 3 clubs were promoted: the champions Vauxhall GM, Chadderton and Nantwich Town – the latter two, who finished third and fifth in the table, were accepted as their grounds were of sufficient standard for Division One unlike those of the clubs that had finished second and fourth. The champions Vauxhall GM created a Division Two record for fewest goals conceded (17) over the season and with only one league defeat (from 34 matches) equalled the league record of fewest defeats over the season established by Radcliffe Borough (of 1 defeat from 38 matches) in the league's inaugural 1982–83 season). The bottom two clubs both remained in the division: of those Newton equalled the league record of only one league victory over a season and additionally in conceding 111 goals in 34 matches became the first Division Two club to concede in excess of 100 goals in a season and equalled the league record of Darwen from Division One in 1983–84. League table main WDL Season End Notes 5 2 VAU Vauxhall GM MNR Maine Road CHA Chadderton WRR Wren Rovers NAN Nantwich Town NEW Newcastle Town GHT Great Harwood Town MAG Maghull BAC Bacup Borough DSH Daisy Hill ACO Atherton Collieries PAD Padiham GLO Glossop CHT Cheadle Town OLD Oldham Town BLK Blackpool Mechanics ASH Ashton Town NWT Newton 25 8 1 68 17 C,P 22 7 5 96 40 20 9 5 71 29 P 19 10 5 77 45 20 4 10 66 28 P 15 10 9 53 37 16 6 12 52 40 12 13 9 46 44 11 12 11 55 57 12 6 16 36 49 9 11 14 52 58 9 10 15 39 57 10 7 17 42 60 10 7 17 46 67 6 11 17 46 66 9 5 20 46 72 4 11 19 31 68 1 5 28 23 111 #ACE1AF promoted to Division One P P P Denied promotion (ground grading) RP RP The points system until the 1989–90 season: 2 points for a win, 1 point for a draw and 0 points for losing. complete NWCFL: Final Tables, Season 1988/89 League Challenge Cup The 1988–89 League Challenge Cup (known as the Raab Karcher Cup for sponsorship reasons) was a knockout competition open all the league's clubs. The all Division One club final featured the same clubs as the previous season but with a different outcome as Colwyn Bay defeated Warrington Town 3–0 in the match played at Bury F.C.Nick Walker 5 May 1989 Rush roars in to floor Warrington 57 Liverpool Echo Liverpool Semi-finals and Final The semi-finals were decided on aggregate score from two legs played n 2 n 3 score 1 Semi-finals Salford grey (D1) 0 0 RD1-score1-agg Colwyn Bay grey (D1) 2 3 RD1-score2-agg Clitheroe grey (D1) 0 0 RD1-score3-agg Warrington Town grey (D1) 0 2 RD1-score4-agg Finalf1 Played at Bury F.C. Colwyn Bay grey (D1) 3 Warrington Town grey (D1) 0 Club's division appended to team name: (D1)=Division One sources: Semi-finals: Nick Walker 10 April 1989 32 Conquering Town set for final fling Liverpool Echo Liverpool & 10 April 1989 26 Colwyn Bay 3 Salford 0 Daily Post (Welsh Edition) Liverpool Final: Nick Walker 5 May 1989 Rush roars in to floor Warrington 57 Liverpool Echo Liverpool Reserves Section Main honours for the 1988–89 season:https://www.nwcfl.com/league-honours.php League Honours The NWCFL 27 March 2026 Reserves Division (regionalised competition) East Division Winners: Flixton Reserves Runners-up: Maine Road Reserves West Division Winners: Maghull Reserves Runners-up: Skelmersdale United Reserves Reserves Division Cup Winners: Rossendale United Reserves Runners-up: Flixton Reserves References External links The official website of the North West Counties Football League North West Counties Football League Tables at RSSSF Category:North West Counties Football League seasons 8