North West Counties League Division One North
The North West Counties League Division One North is step 6 of the National League system and the tenth level of English football altogether. The division operates alongside the North West Counties League Division One South.
The division contains teams from the north of England and is organised by the local county FA. As of season 2024/25, the league houses 18 teams.
How does promotion and relegation work in the division?
The North West Counties League Division One North is a feeder league to Step 5. Teams are promoted to the various Step 5 in the shape of the Premier Division.
Each season, the division champions win automatic promotion to the Northern Premier Division. Teams that finish second to fifth in the regular season table can also win a second promotion spot via the play-offs.
The winners of the four-team play-offs join the champions in the Northern Premier Division. For the next campaign, they replace the teams that finished 23rd and 24th in one of the various Step 5 leagues.
Relegation is slightly more straightforward, with the three teams that finish 16th to 18th place in the table being relegated to various feeder leagues, which were formerly Step 7. Three teams from the various feeder leagues then replace the relegated trio. Which feeder leagues the club drops down to depends on the availability of places.
What changes have been made to the league in recent years?
As recently as 2018, Step 6 comprised one league with two teams promoted to Step 5. However, starting from season 2018/19, Step 6 was split into two separate leagues based on geographical position in the country.
Past winners of the North West Counties League Division One North include Longridge United, Bury AFC, Pilkington and FC St Helens. Unfortunately, the league was disrupted by COVID-19. Season 2019/2020 was abandoned due to the pandemic, while season 2020/21 was curtailed due to lockdowns.
All clubs in the North West Counties League are eligible to play in the NWCFL Challenge Cup. Former winners of the competitions include Salford City, who have since gone on to play in the EFL.