1990–91 North West Counties Football League
Football league season
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The 1990–91 North West Counties Football League season (known as the Bass North West Counties League for sponsorship reasons) was the ninth 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 were additionally three cup competitions: the League Challenge Cup knockout competition (known as the Raab Karcher Cup for sponsorship reasons), open to all the league's clubs; the Second Division Trophy (known as the Lamot Pils Trophy for sponsorship reasons), a knockout trophy competition for Division Two clubs only; and a newly instigated Floodlit Trophy competition open to all the league's clubs with floodlights. The league also had a reserves team section.
Division One
| Season | 1990–91 |
|---|---|
| Teams | 19 |
| Champions | Knowsley United |
| Promoted | Colwyn Bay Knowsley United |
| Relegated | Salford City |
| Matches | 342 |
| Goals | 1,009 (2.95 per match) |
← 1989–90 1991–92 → | |
Division One featured 19 clubs, 15 remaining from the previous season plus 4 additional:
- Bacup Borough, promoted as runners-up of Division Two
- Eastwood Hanley, relegated from Northern Premier League Division One
- Maine Road, promoted as champions of Division Two
- Penrith, relegated from Northern Premier League Division One
There were two name changes: Leyland Motors became Leyland DAF-SGL and Salford became Salford City.
At the end of the season the top two clubs were promoted to the Northern Premier League Division One: the champions Knowsley United automatically and Colwyn Bay who won a ballot for the additional club required by the Northern Premier League.[1] Two other clubs left the division: the bottom and only relegated club Salford City; and Leyland DAF-SGL who resigned over a dispute in which the league sought the removal of their sponsors name from their club title (SGL=Station Garage Leyland)[2]
League table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Season End Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Knowsley United (C, P) | 36 | 25 | 8 | 3 | 95 | 37 | +58 | 83 | Promoted to Northern Premier League Division One |
| 2 | Colwyn Bay (P) | 36 | 22 | 10 | 4 | 85 | 32 | +53 | 76 | |
| 3 | Ashton United | 36 | 20 | 7 | 9 | 80 | 45 | +35 | 67 | |
| 4 | Eastwood Hanley | 36 | 16 | 12 | 8 | 42 | 29 | +13 | 60 | |
| 5 | Vauxhall GM | 36 | 15 | 10 | 11 | 42 | 36 | +6 | 55 | |
| 6 | Prescot | 36 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 57 | 55 | +2 | 51 | |
| 7 | Flixton | 36 | 14 | 7 | 15 | 48 | 72 | −24 | 49 | |
| 8 | St Helens Town | 36 | 13 | 9 | 14 | 52 | 47 | +5 | 48 | |
| 9 | Maine Road | 36 | 13 | 9 | 14 | 58 | 61 | −3 | 48 | |
| 10 | Skelmersdale United | 36 | 12 | 11 | 13 | 56 | 49 | +7 | 47 | |
| 11 | Nantwich Town | 36 | 13 | 8 | 15 | 43 | 56 | −13 | 47 | |
| 12 | Leyland DAF-SGL | 36 | 12 | 10 | 14 | 51 | 53 | −2 | 46 | Resigned[2] |
| 13 | Bootle | 36 | 10 | 9 | 17 | 55 | 64 | −9 | 39 | |
| 14 | Bacup Borough | 36 | 9 | 12 | 15 | 38 | 47 | −9 | 39 | |
| 15 | Clitheroe | 36 | 10 | 8 | 18 | 50 | 63 | −13 | 38 | |
| 16 | Darwen | 36 | 9 | 11 | 16 | 44 | 62 | −18 | 38 | |
| 17 | Penrith | 36 | 10 | 8 | 18 | 41 | 65 | −24 | 38 | |
| 18 | Atherton Laburnum Rovers | 36 | 9 | 11 | 16 | 42 | 68 | −26 | 38 | |
| 19 | Salford City (R) | 36 | 6 | 10 | 20 | 30 | 68 | −38 | 28 | Relegated to Division Two |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Division Two
| Season | 1990–91 |
|---|---|
| Teams | 18 |
| Champions | Great Harwood Town |
| Promoted | Blackpool Rovers Bradford Park Avenue Great Harwood Town |
| Relegated | None |
| Matches | 306 |
| Goals | 933 (3.05 per match) |
← 1989–90 1991–92 → | |
Division Two featured 18 clubs, 12 remaining from the previous season plus 6 additional:
- Bamber Bridge, joined from the Preston and District League
- Bradford Park Avenue, joined from the Central Midlands Football League
- Burscough, relegated from Division One
- Castleton Gabriels, joined from the Manchester Football League
- Chadderton, relegated from Division One
- Kidsgrove Athletic, joined from the Mid-Cheshire Football League
At the end of the season to maintain 18 clubs in Division One next season 3 clubs were promoted, the champions Great Harwood Town, runners-up Blackpool Rovers and third placed Bradford Park Avenue. The bottom two clubs, potentially subject to demotion, both remained in the division.
League table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Season End Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Great Harwood Town (C, P) | 34 | 27 | 5 | 2 | 81 | 22 | +59 | 86 | Promoted to Division One |
| 2 | Blackpool Rovers (P) | 34 | 25 | 4 | 5 | 84 | 33 | +51 | 76[a] | |
| 3 | Bradford Park Avenue (P) | 34 | 20 | 9 | 5 | 72 | 41 | +31 | 69 | |
| 4 | Bamber Bridge | 34 | 20 | 6 | 8 | 78 | 46 | +32 | 66 | |
| 5 | Blackpool Mechanics | 34 | 18 | 7 | 9 | 51 | 30 | +21 | 61 | |
| 6 | Newcastle Town | 34 | 16 | 12 | 6 | 48 | 30 | +18 | 60 | |
| 7 | Cheadle Town | 34 | 17 | 3 | 14 | 55 | 54 | +1 | 54 | |
| 8 | Glossop | 34 | 12 | 10 | 12 | 47 | 42 | +5 | 46 | |
| 9 | Burscough | 34 | 12 | 8 | 14 | 39 | 51 | −12 | 44 | |
| 10 | Westhoughton Town | 34 | 11 | 10 | 13 | 50 | 64 | −14 | 43 | |
| 11 | Castleton Gabriels | 34 | 11 | 9 | 14 | 42 | 47 | −5 | 42 | |
| 12 | Chadderton | 34 | 10 | 6 | 18 | 51 | 61 | −10 | 36 | |
| 13 | Maghull | 34 | 9 | 8 | 17 | 37 | 54 | −17 | 35 | |
| 14 | Kidsgrove Athletic | 34 | 7 | 10 | 17 | 37 | 65 | −28 | 31 | |
| 15 | Ashton Town | 34 | 9 | 2 | 23 | 43 | 86 | −43 | 29 | |
| 16 | Oldham Town | 34 | 8 | 4 | 22 | 35 | 66 | −31 | 25[a] | |
| 17 | Formby | 34 | 5 | 9 | 20 | 46 | 63 | −17 | 24 | |
| 18 | Atherton Collieries | 34 | 6 | 4 | 24 | 37 | 78 | −41 | 22 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted
Notes:
- Blackpool Rovers and Oldham Town had 3 points deducted
League Challenge Cup
The 1990–91 League Challenge Cup (known as the Raab Karcher Cup for sponsorship reasons) was a knockout competition open to all the league's clubs. The final, played at Bury F.C., was contested by Division One clubs with Vauxhall GM defeating Darwen 2–0.[3]
Semi-finals and Final
The semi-finals were decided on aggregate score from two legs played
| Semi-finals | Final[a] | ||||||||||||
| Darwen (D1) | 2 | 3[b] | 5 | ||||||||||
| Maine Road (D1) | 0 | 3[b] | 3 | ||||||||||
| Darwen (D1) | 0 | ||||||||||||
| Vauxhall GM (D1) | 2 | ||||||||||||
| Knowsley United (D1) | 0 | 4 | 4 | ||||||||||
| Vauxhall GM (D1) | 3 | 3 | 6 | ||||||||||
Club's division appended to team name: (D1)=Division One
sources:
- Semi-finals: "Scares but car men through". Ellesmere Port Pioneer. Chester. 4 April 1991. p. 36.; "Sport in detail: Raab Karcher Cup:". Manchester Evening News. Manchester. 24 April 1991. p. 56.
- Final: "Ten-man victory". Ellesmere Port Pioneer. Chester. 16 May 1991. p. 44.
Second Division Trophy
The 1990–91 Second Division Trophy (known as the Lamot Pils Trophy for sponsorship reasons) was a knockout competition for Division Two clubs only. Up to the quarter-finals the ties were staged over two legs; the semi-finals and final tie were each played as a single match at a neutral venue. In the final, played at Maine Road F.C., Glossop defeated Cheadle Town 2–1.[4]
Semi-finals and Final
The semi-finals and final were played at neutral venues
| Semi-finals | Final[a] | ||||||||||||
| Cheadle Town [b] | 3 | ||||||||||||
| Blackpool Rovers | 2 | ||||||||||||
| Cheadle Town | 1 | ||||||||||||
| Glossop | 2 | ||||||||||||
| Atherton Collieries [c] | 1 | ||||||||||||
| Glossop | 2 | ||||||||||||
- Played at Maine Road F.C.
- Played at Leyland Motors F.C.
- Played at Ashton United F.C.
sources:
- Semi-finals: "(column 5) Glossop 2 Atherton Colls 1". Manchester Evening News. Manchester. 12 March 1991. p. 55. & "Dodd angry as Wren go out". Evening Gazette. Blackpool. 14 March 1991. p. 22.
- Final: "Glossop break cup hoodoo". Manchester Evening News. Manchester. 27 March 1991. p. 67.
Floodlit Trophy
The 1990–91 Floodlit Trophy, a competition that commenced this season, was open to all the league's clubs with floodlights. It was won by Colwyn Bay who defeated Ashton United 1–0 after extra time in the final played at Atherton Laburnum Rovers F.C.[5]
Reserves Section
Main honours for the 1990–91 season:[6]
- Reserves Division Cup
- Winners: Flixton Reserves
- Runners-up: Chadderton Reserves