1987–88 North West Counties Football League

April 2026 April 2026 The 1987–88 North West Counties Football League (known as the Bass North West Counties League for sponsorship reasons) was the sixth 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), reduced from three of the previous season owing to the movement of clubs to the expanded Northern Premier League. 6 June 1987 League launches a slim-line look 16 Manchester Evening News: Pink Manchester There was additionally the League Challenge Cup knockout competition (known as the Raab Karcher Cup for sponsorship reasons for the first occasion this season 16 July 1987 Challenge Cup gets new title 40 Formby Times Southport) open to all the league's clubs and also a reserves team section. Division One North West CountiesFootball LeagueDivision One 1987–88 18 Colne Dynamoes Colne Dynamoes Glossop 306 881 1986–87 1988–89 Division One, reconstituted after the loss of 12 clubs to the Northern Premier League, featured 18 clubs: 8 remaining from the previous season plus 10 from Division Two: the additional clubs comprised the runners-up Warrington Town who occupied a promotion position and a further 9 who were selected not solely on the basis of their position in the final table but also having the necessary ground grading. The 10 additional clubs were: Warrington Town, promoted as runners-up Atherton Laburnum Rovers Colne Dynamoes Colwyn Bay Darwen Ellesmere Port & Neston Formby Prescot Cables Salford Skelmersdale United At the end of the season the champions Colne Dynamoes (new to Division One this season), who created a league record for the least goals conceded over a season (14 goals from 34 matches), were elected to the Northern Premier League Division One. Only one club, Glossop, were relegated to Division Two. League table main WDL Season End Notes 5 2 CDY Colne Dynamoes ROS Rossendale United CLT Clitheroe COL Colwyn Bay STH St Helens Town EPN Ellesmere Port & Neston DAR Darwen WAR Warrington Town KRK Kirkby Town BUR Burscough LDS Leyland Motors PRC Prescot Cables BTL Bootle FOR Formby SAL Salford SKU Skelmersdale United ALR Atherton Laburnum Rovers GLO Glossop 24 7 3 71 14 C,P 24 7 3 68 23 18 10 6 51 20 20 7 7 60 42 -2 18 6 10 61 36 17 5 12 55 48 14 10 10 55 45 16 5 13 68 47 11 13 10 57 54 14 7 13 45 51 10 11 13 53 53 10 11 13 34 45 -2 12 5 17 43 61 6 10 18 32 63 8 6 20 33 66 4 11 19 34 64 4 7 23 31 78 5 4 25 30 71 R Colwyn Bay and Prescot Cables had 2 points deducted COL #ACE1AF Promoted to Northern PremierLeague Division One P #FFCCCC Relegated to Division Two R The points system until the 1990–91 season: 2 points for a win, 1 point for a draw and 0 points for losing. complete NWCFL: Final Tables, Season 1987/88 Division Two North West CountiesFootball LeagueDivision Two 1987–88 22 Ashton United Ashton UnitedFlixton 462 1353 1986–87 1988–89 Division Two featured 22 clubs: 6 remaining from the previous season plus 16 additional: 13 from the now discontinued Division Three plus 3 clubs new to the league. The 13 clubs from the previous season's Division Three were: Atherton Collieries, promoted as champions Flixton, promoted as runners-up Ashton Town Bacup Borough Cheadle Town Daisy Hill Ford Motors Maghull Nantwich Town Nelson Newton Padiham Whitworth Valley The 3 clubs new to the league were: Newcastle Town, joined from the Mid-Cheshire League Maine Road, joined from the Manchester League Vauxhall GM, joined from the West Cheshire League (where they had been known as Vauxhall Motors)https://www.vauxhallmotorsfc.co.uk/about-us About Vauxhall Motors FC: Chronological History of Vauxhall Motors FC: 1987 Vauxhall Motors FC 27 March 2026 At the end of the season two clubs were promoted to Division One: the champions Ashton United and runners-up Flixton (taking that position in their division for a second successive season). Ashton United who scored 107 goals from 42 matches became the second Division Two club to score in excess of 100 goals in a season (the first being Radcliffe Borough scoring 110 from 38 matches over the 1982–83 season). The league continued to enforce minimum standards for members grounds and consequently three clubs, Whitworth Valley, Nelson and Ford Motors were expelled. League table main WDL Season End Notes 5 2 ASU Ashton United FLX Flixton WRR Wren Rovers NEW Newcastle Town MNR Maine Road MAG Maghull VAU Vauxhall GM ACO Atherton Collieries WWV Whitworth Valley AST Ashton Town OLD Oldham Town CHT Cheadle Town CHA Chadderton GHT Great Harwood Town BLK Blackpool Mechanics NEL Nelson FMO Ford Motors DSH Daisy Hill PAD Padiham NWT Newton NAN Nantwich Town BAC Bacup Borough 32 6 4 107 30 C,P 27 10 5 94 38 P 26 9 7 92 51 26 7 9 81 39 23 4 15 74 48 18 11 13 73 66 15 16 11 58 50 20 6 16 63 63 15 12 15 50 60 17 8 17 64 70 -2 13 11 18 44 51 13 11 18 47 62 -2 13 9 20 55 71 14 8 20 52 66 -2 12 10 20 57 77 12 10 20 49 76 12 9 21 59 70 12 8 22 55 66 10 14 18 53 76 -2 10 12 20 47 84 -2 8 13 21 41 68 8 8 26 38 71 Ashton Town, Cheadle Town, Great Harwood Town, Padiham and Newton had 2 points deducted AST AST AST AST #ACE1AF Promoted to Division One P P #FFCCCC Expelled (ground substandard) 28 June 1988 Three go out 35 Liverpool Echo Liverpool EXP EXP EXP The points system until the 1990–91 season: 2 points for a win, 1 point for a draw and 0 points for losing. complete NWCFL: Final Tables, Season 1987/88 League Challenge Cup The 1987–88 League Challenge Cup (known as the Raab Karcher Cup for sponsorship reasons for the first occasion this season) was a knockout competition open to all the league's clubs. The winner from the final contested by Division One clubs played at Bury F.C. were Warrington Town who defeated Colwyn Bay 3–1. 13 May 1988 Town flier Steve! 71 Manchester Evening News Manchester Warrington Town were the first two time winners of the cup having triumphed two years previously. Semi-finals and Final The semi-finals were decided on aggregate score from two legs played n 2 n 3 score 1 Semi-finals Daisy Hill grey (D2) 2 1 RD1-score1-agg Colwyn Bay grey (D1) 0 4 RD1-score2-agg Warrington Town grey (D1) 3 1 RD1-score3-agg St Helens Town grey (D1) 1 0 RD1-score4-agg Finalf1 Played at Bury F.C. Colwyn Bay grey (D1) 1 Warrington Town grey (D1) 3 Club's division appended to team name: (D1)=Division One; (D2)=Division Two sources: Semi-finals: 21 March 1988 27 Warrington cruise in Daily Post Liverpool & 7 April 1988 84 Bay aim sights on cup triumph North Wales Weekly News Llandudno Junction Final: 13 May 1988 Town flier Steve! 71 Manchester Evening News Manchester Reserves Section Main honours for the 1987–88 season:https://www.nwcfl.com/league-honours.php League Honours The NWCFL 27 March 2026 Reserves Division Winners: Maghull Reserves Runners-up: Rossendale United Reserves Reserves Division Cup Winners: Flixton Reserves Runners-up: Clitheroe 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