2002–03 North West Counties Football League

May 2026 May 2026 The 2002–03 North West Counties Football League season was the 21st in the history of the North West Counties Football League, a football competition in England. The league comprised two divisions, Division One and Division Two (at levels 8 and 9 respectively of the English football league system), and there were additionally two cup competitions: the League Challenge Cup knockout competition (known as the Worthington Challenge Trophy for sponsorship reasons) open to all the league's clubs and the Second Division Trophy, a knockout trophy competition for Division Two clubs only. The league also had a reserves team section. Division One North West CountiesFootball LeagueDivision One 2002–03 22 Prescot Cables Prescot Cables FlixtonWinsford United 462 1559 2001–02 2003–04 Division One featured 22 clubs, 20 remaining from the previous season plus 2 additional, both promoted from Division Two: Alsager Town Squires Gate At the end of the season the champions Prescot Cables were promoted to the Northern Premier League Division One and the bottom two clubs, Flixton and Winsford United were relegated to Division Two. League table main WDL Season End Notes 5 PRC Prescot Cables CLT Clitheroe MOS Mossley NEW Newcastle Town SKU Skelmersdale United NAN Nantwich Town STH St Helens Town CNG Congleton Town SLC Salford City FLE Fleetwood Town ALS Alsager Town SQG Squires Gate ABH Abbey Hey ALR Atherton Laburnum Rovers RAM Ramsbottom United WAR Warrington Town WDL Woodley Sports CZA Curzon Ashton ACO Atherton Collieries GNE Glossop North End FLX Flixton WNS Winsford United 30 6 6 110 38 C,P 28 8 6 97 38 27 7 8 100 41 23 12 7 83 52 22 8 12 91 51 19 11 12 90 74 17 14 11 77 60 19 8 15 72 62 17 12 13 84 63 17 9 16 73 70 15 11 16 61 67 13 12 17 58 71 12 13 17 56 73 11 12 19 65 86 11 11 20 73 83 11 11 20 48 66 11 9 22 62 85 11 9 22 60 87 11 7 24 52 85 10 9 23 55 104 10 8 24 44 112 R 10 7 25 48 91 R #ACE1AF Promoted to Northern Premier League Division One P #FFCCCC Relegated to Division Two R R 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored. complete NWCFL: Final Tables, Season 2002/03 Division Two North West Counties Football League Division Two 2002–03 18 Bacup Borough Bacup BoroughStone Dominoes None 306 1012 2001–02 2003–04 At the commencement of the season Division Two featured 19 clubs, 17 remaining from the previous season plus 2 additional, both relegated from Division One: Maine Road Great Harwood Town However, during October 2002 Stand Athletic resigned from the league and disbanded:https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/5940902.financial-woes-force-stand/ Financial woes force Stand out 18 October 2002 Lancashire Telegraph 28 April 2026 their record was expunged and the division reduced to 18 active clubs. At the end of the season the champions Bacup Borough and runners-up Stone Dominoes were promoted to Division One. League table main WDL Season End Notes 5 BAC Bacup Borough SDM Stone Dominoes MNR Maine Road PAD Padiham HOB Holker Old Boys GHT Great Harwood Town NEL Nelson DAR Darwen NOR Norton United CLN Colne AST Ashton Town RCH Castleton Gabriels CHT Cheadle Town BLK Blackpool Mechanics LCS Leek County School Old Boys DSH Daisy Hill OLD Oldham Town CHA Chadderton STN Stand Athletic 25 2 7 91 32 C,P 24 3 7 94 34 P 23 2 9 74 55 20 5 9 69 42 18 7 9 65 42 15 7 12 64 61 13 12 9 50 40 14 7 13 59 64 14 6 14 50 52 14 5 15 65 53 12 9 13 49 53 10 8 16 43 60 10 8 16 39 56 9 10 15 39 52 8 9 17 46 57 7 5 22 42 93 4 12 18 40 86 5 5 24 33 80 0 0 0 0 0 #ACE1AF Promoted to Division One P P #CCCCCC Resigned (Record Expunged) During October 2002 Stand Athletic resigned from the league and disbanded: their record, P12 W5 D4 L3, was expunged. RES 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored. complete Non-League Matters: North West Counties League 2000–2011 League Challenge Cup The 2002–03 League Challenge Cup (known as the Worthington Challenge Trophy for sponsorship reasons) was a knockout competition open to all the league's clubs. The all Division One club final, played at Bury F.C., was won 2–1 by Mossley who defeated Clitheroe. 15 May 2003 Disappointing Blues fail to rise to occasion 38 The Clitheroe Advertiser and Times Clitheroe Quarter-finals, Semi-finals and Final (The semi-finals were decided on aggregate score from two legs played) n 2 n 3 score 1 Quarter-finals Clitheroe grey (D1) 3 Skelmersdale United grey (D1) 1 Padiham grey (D2) 2 Congleton Town grey (D1) 1 Salford City grey (D1) 2 Mossley grey (D1) 4 Ramsbottom United grey (D1) 2 Newcastle Town grey (D1) 4 Semi-finals Clitheroe grey (D1) 4 1 RD2-score1-agg Padiham grey (D2) 1 1 RD2-score2-agg Mossley grey (D1) 4 1 RD2-score3-agg Newcastle Town grey (D1) 1 2 RD2-score4-agg Finalf1 Played at Bury F.C. Clitheroe grey (D1) 1 Mossley grey (D1) 2 Club's division appended to team name: (D1)=Division One; (D2)=Division Two sources: Quarter-finals and Semi-finals: http://www.nwcfl.co.uk/worthington.htm Worthington Challenge Trophy Sponsored by Coors Brewery nwcfl.co.uk March 2003 https://web.archive.org/web/20030429095240fw_/http://www.nwcfl.co.uk/worthington.htm 29 April 2003 28 April 2026 dead Final: 15 May 2003 Disappointing Blues fail to rise to occasion 38 The Clitheroe Advertiser and Times Clitheroe Second Division Trophy The 2002–03 Second Division Trophy was a knockout competition for Division Two clubs only. The winners, in the final played at Congleton Town F.C., were Stone Dominoes who defeated Ashton Town 2–1. 15 May 2003 Ashton Town lose trophy final in tense clash 69 Wigan Observer Wigan Semi-finals and Final n 2 n 3 score 1 Semi-finals Oldham Town 0 Ashton Town 3 Stone Dominoes 6 Bacup Borough 0 Finalf1 Played at Congleton Town F.C. Ashton Town 1 Stone Dominoes 2 sources: Semi-finals: http://www.nwcfl.co.uk/div-two-cup.htm Division Two Trophy nwcfl.co.uk March 2003 https://web.archive.org/web/20030426043911/http://www.nwcfl.co.uk/div-two-cup.htm 26 April 2003 28 April 2026 dead Final: 15 May 2003 Ashton Town lose trophy final in tense clash 69 Wigan Observer Wigan Reserves Section Main honours for the 2002–03 season:https://www.nwcfl.com/league-honours.php League Honours The NWCFL 28 April 2026 Reserves Division Winners: Padiham Reserves Runners-up: Skelmersdale United Reserves Reserves Division Cup Winners: Skelmersdale United Reserves Runners-up: Daisy Hill Reserves References External links The official website of the North West Counties Football League North West Counties Football League Tables at RSSSF Results & Tables for 2002/03 Category:North West Counties Football League seasons 8