1994–95 North West Counties Football League
Football league season
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The 1994–95 North West Counties Football League season (known as the Carling North West Counties League for sponsorship reasons for the final occasion) was the 13th 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 three cup competitions: the League Challenge Cup knockout competition (known as the Carling League Cup for sponsorship reasons), open to all the league's clubs; the Second Division Trophy (known as the Lamot Pils Trophy for sponsorship reasons for the final occasion after six seasons), a knockout trophy competition for Division Two clubs only; and the Floodlit Trophy competition (known for sponsorship reasons as the Tennents Floodlit Trophy) for all the league's clubs with floodlights. The league also had a reserves team section.
Division One
| Season | 1994–95 |
|---|---|
| Teams | 22 |
| Champions | Bradford Park Avenue |
| Promoted | Bradford Park Avenue |
| Relegated | Bacup Borough |
| Matches | 462 |
| Goals | 1,579 (3.42 per match) |
← 1993–94 1995–96 → | |
Division One featured 22 clubs, 20 remaining from the previous season plus 2 additions, both promoted from Division Two:
- Holker Old Boys, promoted from third place
- Trafford, promoted as runners-up
North Trafford changed their name to Trafford
At the end of the season the champions Bradford Park Avenue were automatically promoted to the Northern Premier League Division One. The season created a divisional record for the highest to date average goals per match at 3.42 (the previous highest for Division One being 3.12 from the 1983–84 season); it was the first occasion that two Division One clubs had scored in excess of 100 goals in a single season, second placed Clitheroe with 104 and eight placed Burscough with 102 – the latter also created a league first in scoring greater than 100 league goals for two successive seasons. As only one club was eligible (owing to ground grading) for promotion into this division next season only one club, Bacup Borough, were relegated.[1]
League table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Season End Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bradford Park Avenue (C, P) | 42 | 30 | 4 | 8 | 96 | 43 | +53 | 94 | Promoted to Northern Premier League Division One |
| 2 | Clitheroe | 42 | 27 | 9 | 6 | 104 | 49 | +55 | 90 | |
| 3 | St Helens Town | 42 | 27 | 8 | 7 | 86 | 42 | +44 | 89 | |
| 4 | Trafford | 42 | 27 | 5 | 10 | 98 | 50 | +48 | 86 | |
| 5 | Newcastle Town | 42 | 24 | 7 | 11 | 75 | 57 | +18 | 79 | |
| 6 | Glossop North End | 42 | 23 | 8 | 11 | 88 | 59 | +29 | 77 | |
| 7 | Blackpool Rovers | 42 | 22 | 7 | 13 | 81 | 64 | +17 | 73 | |
| 8 | Burscough | 42 | 19 | 15 | 8 | 102 | 65 | +37 | 72 | |
| 9 | Prescot | 42 | 16 | 8 | 18 | 47 | 47 | 0 | 56 | |
| 10 | Penrith | 42 | 16 | 7 | 19 | 72 | 72 | 0 | 55 | |
| 11 | Chadderton | 42 | 15 | 7 | 20 | 56 | 70 | −14 | 52 | |
| 12 | Maine Road | 42 | 14 | 9 | 19 | 69 | 83 | −14 | 51 | |
| 13 | Eastwood Hanley | 42 | 14 | 8 | 20 | 75 | 81 | −6 | 50 | |
| 14 | Holker Old Boys | 42 | 13 | 11 | 18 | 61 | 69 | −8 | 50 | |
| 15 | Kidsgrove Athletic | 42 | 14 | 8 | 20 | 66 | 78 | −12 | 50 | |
| 16 | Nantwich Town | 42 | 14 | 7 | 21 | 85 | 83 | +2 | 49 | |
| 17 | Darwen | 42 | 14 | 5 | 23 | 65 | 82 | −17 | 47 | |
| 18 | Rossendale United | 42 | 12 | 11 | 19 | 60 | 82 | −22 | 47 | |
| 19 | Bootle | 42 | 11 | 10 | 21 | 46 | 68 | −22 | 43 | |
| 20 | Skelmersdale United | 42 | 10 | 7 | 25 | 67 | 118 | −51 | 37 | |
| 21 | Salford City | 42 | 9 | 9 | 24 | 45 | 85 | −40 | 36 | |
| 22 | Bacup Borough (R) | 42 | 3 | 6 | 33 | 35 | 132 | −97 | 15 | 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
Division Two featured 16 clubs, 14 remaining from the previous season plus 2 additions:
- Flixton, relegated from Division One
- Tetley Walker, joined from the Warrington and District League
For the third successive season there was an increase in the average goals scored per match in Division Two with it increasing from the previous season's 3.68 to a new all time league high of 4.02 per match (the only occasion to exceed 4).
At the end of the season the champions Flixton, who had been relegated into the division this season, were the only club promoted to Division One: neither second placed Oldham Town or third placed Tetley Walker were promoted as their grounds were adjudged not of the required standard for Division One.[1] The other club leaving the division after the season were Irlam Town who folded.[2] For the second successive season Squires Gate finished bottom of the division again conceding in excess of 100 league goals and this season they created a Division Two record for league goals conceded with 114, exceeding the previous high of 111 by Newton in the 1988–89 season.
League table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Season End Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Flixton (C, P) | 30 | 21 | 6 | 3 | 98 | 32 | +66 | 69 | Promoted to Division One |
| 2 | Oldham Town | 30 | 20 | 6 | 4 | 83 | 34 | +49 | 66 | |
| 3 | Tetley Walker | 30 | 18 | 5 | 7 | 75 | 46 | +29 | 59 | |
| 4 | Atherton Collieries | 30 | 18 | 4 | 8 | 67 | 41 | +26 | 58 | |
| 5 | Stantondale | 30 | 18 | 3 | 9 | 58 | 43 | +15 | 57 | |
| 6 | Nelson | 30 | 13 | 8 | 9 | 64 | 44 | +20 | 47 | |
| 7 | Haslingden | 30 | 14 | 4 | 12 | 76 | 64 | +12 | 46 | |
| 8 | Blackpool Mechanics | 30 | 12 | 8 | 10 | 72 | 57 | +15 | 44 | |
| 9 | Maghull | 30 | 11 | 8 | 11 | 58 | 46 | +12 | 41 | |
| 10 | Formby | 30 | 11 | 6 | 13 | 57 | 53 | +4 | 39 | |
| 11 | Cheadle Town | 30 | 10 | 7 | 13 | 48 | 52 | −4 | 37 | |
| 12 | Castleton Gabriels | 30 | 9 | 9 | 12 | 56 | 75 | −19 | 36 | |
| 13 | Daisy Hill | 30 | 6 | 8 | 16 | 53 | 73 | −20 | 26 | |
| 14 | Ashton Town | 30 | 6 | 2 | 22 | 39 | 92 | −53 | 20 | |
| 15 | Irlam Town | 30 | 5 | 3 | 22 | 30 | 98 | −68 | 18 | Club folded[2] |
| 16 | Squires Gate | 30 | 2 | 5 | 23 | 30 | 114 | −84 | 11 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted
League Challenge Cup
The 1994–95 League Challenge Cup (known as the Carling League Cup for sponsorship reasons) was a knockout competition open to all the league's clubs. The final, played at Bury F.C., between Division One clubs was won by Nantwich Town who defeated Trafford 1–0.[3]
Semi-finals and Final
The semi-finals were decided on aggregate score from two legs played
| Semi-finals | Final[a] | ||||||||||||
| Prescot (D1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||
| Nantwich Town (D1) | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||
| Nantwich Town (D1) | 1 | ||||||||||||
| Trafford (D1) | 0 | ||||||||||||
| Tetley Walker (D2) | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||
| Trafford (D1) | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||
Club's division appended to team name: (D1)=Division One; (D2)=Division Two
sources:
- Semi-finals: "Semi-pro soccer round-up: Carling Lge Cup semi final 2nd leg". Manchester Evening News. Manchester. 10 April 1995. p. 45.
- Final: "Scarlett sparks cup fever". The Chronicle (Nantwich edition). Chester. 3 May 1995. p. 34.
Second Division Trophy
The 1994–95 Second Division Trophy (known as the Lamot Pils Trophy for sponsorship reasons for the final occasion after six seasons) was a knockout competition for Division Two clubs only. The winners were Formby who defeated Flixton (who were therefore denied a Division Two league and cup double) 2–1 in the final played at Burscough F.C.[4]
Semi-finals and Final
The semi-finals were decided on aggregate score from two legs played
| Semi-finals | Final[a] | ||||||||||||
| Tetley Walker | 0 | 3 | 3 | ||||||||||
| Flixton | 2 | 3 | 5 | ||||||||||
| Flixton | 1 | ||||||||||||
| Formby | 2 | ||||||||||||
| Stantondale | 1 | 1[b] | 2 | ||||||||||
| Formby | 2 | 0[b] | 2[c] | ||||||||||
- Played at Burscough F.C.
- After extra time, score at 90 minutes: 1–0
- Formby won on the away goal rule
sources:
- Semi-finals: "Last Night's results: Carling NW Co's: Lamot Pils Trophy, Semi-final 2nd leg". Manchester Evening News. Manchester. 15 February 1995. p. 61.; "Defeated Formby go through". Daily Post. Liverpool. 8 April 1995. p. 29.
- Final: Paul Lawler (6 April 1995). "Formby's Trophy triumph". Formby Times. Liverpool. p. 48.
Floodlit Trophy
The 1994–95 Floodlit Trophy (known for sponsorship reasons as the Tennents Floodlit Trophy) was a competition open to all the league's clubs with floodlights. In the final played at Blackpool Mechanics F.C. Division One club Penrith defeated Atherton Collieries of Division Two.
Reserves Section
Main honours for the 1994–95 season:[5]
- Reserves Division
- Winners: St Helens Town Reserves
- Runners-up: Oldham Town Reserves
- Reserves Division Cup
- Winners: Oldham Town Reserves
- Runners-up: Salford City Reserves