# 1997–98 North West Counties Football League

The 1997–98 North West Counties Football League season was the 16th in the history of the North West Counties Football League, a football competition in England. Teams were divided into two divisions: Division One and Division Two.

## Division One

Division One featured four new teams:
* Atherton Laburnum Rovers, relegated from the NPL Division One
* Haslingden, promoted as runners-up of Division Two
* Ramsbottom United, promoted as champions of Division Two
* Warrington Town, relegated from the NPL Division One

### League table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
| 1 | Kidsgrove Athletic (C) | 42 | 32 | 3 | 7 | 127 | 50 | +77 | 99 | |
| 2 | Burscough (P) | 42 | 29 | 7 | 6 | 101 | 30 | +71 | 94 | Promotion to Northern Premier League Division One |
| 3 | Newcastle Town | 42 | 23 | 16 | 3 | 82 | 32 | +50 | 85 | |
| 4 | Vauxhall GM | 42 | 24 | 9 | 9 | 91 | 52 | +39 | 81 | |
| 5 | St Helens Town | 42 | 22 | 12 | 8 | 91 | 59 | +32 | 78 | |
| 6 | Clitheroe | 42 | 21 | 10 | 11 | 72 | 51 | +21 | 73 | |
| 7 | Prescot Cables | 42 | 19 | 11 | 12 | 72 | 57 | +15 | 68 | |
| 8 | Glossop North End | 42 | 19 | 7 | 16 | 78 | 69 | +9 | 64 | |
| 9 | Mossley | 42 | 16 | 14 | 12 | 67 | 52 | +15 | 62 | |
| 10 | Nantwich Town | 42 | 17 | 6 | 19 | 71 | 79 | −8 | 57 | |
| 11 | Maine Road | 42 | 15 | 10 | 17 | 56 | 70 | −14 | 55 | |
| 12 | Chadderton (R) | 42 | 15 | 8 | 19 | 63 | 59 | +4 | 53 | Relegation to Division Two |
| 13 | Rossendale United | 42 | 15 | 6 | 21 | 61 | 80 | −19 | 51 | |
| 14 | Blackpool Rovers | 42 | 13 | 9 | 20 | 67 | 84 | −17 | 48 | Resigned to the West Lancashire League at the end of the season |
| 15 | Atherton Laburnum Rovers | 42 | 12 | 11 | 19 | 54 | 73 | −19 | 47 | |
| 16 | Haslingden | 42 | 12 | 10 | 20 | 68 | 95 | −27 | 46 | Club folded |
| 17 | Ramsbottom United | 42 | 12 | 9 | 21 | 58 | 84 | −26 | 45 | |
| 18 | Salford City | 42 | 13 | 4 | 25 | 64 | 92 | −28 | 43 | |
| 19 | Warrington Town (R) | 42 | 10 | 10 | 22 | 56 | 72 | −16 | 40 | Relegation to Division Two |
| 20 | Holker Old Boys | 42 | 7 | 12 | 23 | 46 | 96 | −50 | 33 | |
| 21 | Darwen (R) | 42 | 6 | 13 | 23 | 42 | 93 | −51 | 31 | Relegation to Division Two |
| 22 | Atherton Collieries | 42 | 7 | 9 | 26 | 42 | 100 | −58 | 30 | |
* ↑ Warrington Town were relegated an extra level due to ground standards issues.

## Division Two

Division Two featured three new teams:
* Bootle, relegated from Division One
* Fleetwood Freeport, a new team
* Woodley Sports, joined from the Manchester League

### League table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion |
| 1 | Oldham Town (C) | 40 | 27 | 8 | 5 | 118 | 49 | +69 | 89 | |
| 2 | Skelmersdale United (P) | 40 | 26 | 7 | 7 | 111 | 50 | +61 | 85 | Promotion to Division One |
| 3 | Leek County School Old Boys (P) | 40 | 26 | 7 | 7 | 77 | 39 | +38 | 85 | Promotion to Division One |
| 4 | Cheadle Town (P) | 40 | 24 | 9 | 7 | 108 | 58 | +50 | 81 | Promotion to Division One |
| 5 | Woodley Sports | 40 | 22 | 7 | 11 | 118 | 56 | +62 | 73 | |
| 6 | Formby | 40 | 22 | 7 | 11 | 90 | 63 | +27 | 73 | |
| 7 | Bootle (P) | 40 | 19 | 15 | 6 | 82 | 60 | +22 | 72 | Promotion to Division One |
| 8 | Garswood United | 40 | 19 | 10 | 11 | 98 | 62 | +36 | 67 | Resigned to the Mid Cheshire League at the end of the season |
| 9 | Tetley Walker | 40 | 19 | 9 | 12 | 98 | 62 | +36 | 66 | |
| 10 | Castleton Gabriels | 40 | 18 | 7 | 15 | 86 | 59 | +27 | 61 | |
| 11 | Maghull | 40 | 16 | 10 | 14 | 68 | 63 | +5 | 58 | |
| 12 | Fleetwood Freeport | 40 | 15 | 11 | 14 | 73 | 55 | +18 | 56 | |
| 13 | Nelson | 40 | 17 | 5 | 18 | 69 | 76 | −7 | 56 | |
| 14 | Bacup Borough | 40 | 13 | 8 | 19 | 58 | 83 | −25 | 47 | |
| 15 | Squires Gate | 40 | 11 | 9 | 20 | 72 | 88 | −16 | 42 | |
| 16 | Daisy Hill | 40 | 11 | 9 | 20 | 60 | 86 | −26 | 42 | |
| 17 | Middlewich Athletic | 40 | 11 | 8 | 21 | 48 | 90 | −42 | 41 | Resigned to the Mid Cheshire League at the end of the season |
| 18 | Colne | 40 | 8 | 7 | 25 | 48 | 91 | −43 | 31 | |
| 19 | Ashton Town | 40 | 6 | 6 | 28 | 73 | 137 | −64 | 24 | |
| 20 | Stantondale | 40 | 4 | 4 | 32 | 50 | 146 | −96 | 16 | Club folded |
| 21 | Blackpool Mechanics | 40 | 2 | 5 | 33 | 33 | 165 | −132 | 11 | |