2025–26 North West Counties Football League

The 2025–26 North West Counties Football League season is the 44th in the history of the North West Counties Football League, a football competition in England. Teams are divided into three divisions: Premier Division, at Step 5, and First Divisions North and South, at Step 6.

The allocations for Steps 5 and 6 this season were announced by The Football Association on 15 May 2025, and were subject to appeals and FA ratification.

The Premier Division comprises 24 teams.

The following four clubs left the Premier Division before the season:

• Bury – promoted to the Northern Premier League
• Colne – relegated to First Division North
• Lower Breck – promoted to Northern Premier League
• Squires Gate – relegated to First Division North

The following four clubs joined the Premier Division before the season:

• Atherton Laburnum Rovers – promoted from First Division North
• City of Liverpool – relegated from Northern Premier League
• Euxton Villa – promoted from First Division North
• Wythenshawe – relegated from Northern Premier League

The 2025–26 Premier Division promotion play-offs were between the clubs that finished second to fifth in the league table.

The First Division North comprises 18 teams.

The following four clubs left the First Division North before the season:

• Atherton Laburnum Rovers – Promoted to Premier Division
• Euxton Villa – Promoted to Premier Division
• Route One Rovers – Reprieved from relegation, then transferred to the Northern Counties East League
• Skelmersdale United – Relegated to Liverpool County Premier League

The following four clubs joined the First Division North before the season:

• Colne – Relegated from Premier Division
• Fulwood Amateurs – promoted from West Lancashire League
• MSB Woolton – promoted from Liverpool County Premier League
• Squires Gate – relegated from Premier Division

The 2025–26 First Division North promotion play-offs were between the clubs that finished second to fifth in the league table.

The First Division South comprises 19 teams.

The following two clubs left First Division South before the season:

• Abbey Hulton United – promoted to the Midland League
• Winsford United – promoted to the Midland League

The following three clubs joined the First Division South before the season:

• Haughmond – promoted from Shropshire County League
• Telford Town – promoted from West Midlands League
• Wolverhampton Casuals – relegated from the Midland League Premier Division

The 2025–26 First Division South promotion play-offs were between the clubs that finished second to fifth in the league table.

The 2025–26 NWCFL League Challenge Cup (known for sponsorship reasons as The Macron Cup) was open to all 61 clubs from the Premier and First Divisions North & South (indicated in the results listings below by @media screen{html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output div:not(.notheme)>.tmp-color,html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output p>.tmp-color,html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output table:not(.notheme) .tmp-color{color:inherit!important}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output div:not(.notheme)>.tmp-color,html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output p>.tmp-color,html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output table:not(.notheme) .tmp-color{color:inherit!important}}'(PD)', '(FDN)' and '(FDS)' respectively).

The cup holders, Charnock Richard, together with the two highest-ranked clubs in the 2024–25 Premier Division that didn't achieve promotion, Ramsbottom United and Padiham, were allocated byes to the second round. For the first two rounds clubs were drawn into four regional groupings: Group 1 comprised sixteen all First Division South clubs; Group 2 included fifteen clubs one of whom, Padiham, were in receipt of a first round bye; Group 3 originally comprised fifteen clubs including cup holders Charnock Richard with a first round bye however, owing to the non-participation of FC Isle of Man in the competition Maghull also passed directly to the second round; Group 4 comprised fifteen clubs including Ramsbottom United with a bye to the second round.

From this round onwards the competition was no longer organised in regional groups. The draw comprised 8 (from an initial 23 participating) Premier Division, 4 (from 18) First Division North and 4 (from 19) First Division South clubs.

The quarter-final draw comprised 5 Premier Division, 2 First Division North and 1 First Division South clubs. In the only all First Division level tie Nelson heavily defeated Telford Town 10–1.

The semi-final draw comprised 3 Premier Division and 1 First Division North clubs.

The 2025–26 NWCFL First Division Cup (known as The Edward Case Cup, the name of the trophy) was open to all 37 clubs from the First Divisions North and South. The final, played at Euxton Villa F.C., was won 3–2 by Runcorn Town from the First Division South who defeated Darwen from the North division.

Until the quarter-finals the competition was organised in North and South sections (per the divisions). It commenced with a preliminary round for ten clubs (4 North and 6 South First Division clubs) which comprised the four newly promoted and those with lowest league positions from the 2024–25 season.

This round saw the end of the separation of clubs into North and South groups. Clubs from First Divisions North and South are indicated by '(N)' and '(S)' respectively in the results listings below.

Both ties featured clubs from each of the North and South Divisions.

The cup was contested as a single match between the winners of the First Division North and the First Division South; played at the ground of the club with the highest points from the season. The 2025–26 First Division Champions Cup winners were the First Division South champions Runcorn Town.

• The Official Website of The North West Counties League