# 1996–97 North West Counties Football League

The 1996–97 North West Counties Football League season was the 15th 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 two new teams, promoted from Division Two:
* Atherton Collieries
* Vauxhall GM

### League table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
| 1 | Trafford (C, P) | 42 | 29 | 7 | 6 | 99 | 38 | +61 | 94 | Promotion to Northern Premier League Division One |
| 2 | Newcastle Town | 42 | 27 | 7 | 8 | 71 | 31 | +40 | 88 | |
| 3 | Clitheroe | 42 | 23 | 14 | 5 | 75 | 36 | +39 | 83 | |
| 4 | Penrith | 42 | 23 | 10 | 9 | 75 | 49 | +26 | 79 | Transferred to the Northern League Division One |
| 5 | Burscough | 42 | 22 | 9 | 11 | 68 | 48 | +20 | 75 | |
| 6 | Eastwood Hanley | 42 | 20 | 10 | 12 | 64 | 51 | +13 | 70 | Club folded |
| 7 | Mossley | 42 | 20 | 8 | 14 | 79 | 58 | +21 | 68 | |
| 8 | Blackpool Rovers | 42 | 17 | 16 | 9 | 70 | 47 | +23 | 67 | |
| 9 | Prescot Cables | 42 | 17 | 11 | 14 | 68 | 60 | +8 | 62 | |
| 10 | Vauxhall GM | 42 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 70 | 69 | +1 | 57 | |
| 11 | Nantwich Town | 42 | 14 | 11 | 17 | 74 | 74 | 0 | 53 | |
| 12 | Glossop North End | 42 | 14 | 11 | 17 | 56 | 67 | −11 | 53 | |
| 13 | Bootle (R) | 42 | 15 | 8 | 19 | 61 | 73 | −12 | 53 | Relegation to Division Two |
| 14 | St Helens Town | 42 | 14 | 6 | 22 | 65 | 79 | −14 | 48 | |
| 15 | Atherton Collieries | 42 | 12 | 9 | 21 | 63 | 85 | −22 | 45 | |
| 16 | Kidsgrove Athletic | 42 | 10 | 14 | 18 | 53 | 73 | −20 | 44 | |
| 17 | Rossendale United | 42 | 11 | 9 | 22 | 51 | 76 | −25 | 42 | |
| 18 | Chadderton | 42 | 10 | 11 | 21 | 49 | 80 | −31 | 41 | |
| 19 | Holker Old Boys | 42 | 10 | 9 | 23 | 60 | 80 | −20 | 39 | |
| 20 | Maine Road | 42 | 9 | 11 | 22 | 49 | 85 | −36 | 38 | |
| 21 | Darwen | 42 | 9 | 10 | 23 | 49 | 81 | −32 | 37 | |
| 22 | Salford City | 42 | 8 | 12 | 22 | 53 | 82 | −29 | 36 | |

## Division Two

Division Two featured four new teams:
* Garswood United, promoted as champions of the Mid-Cheshire League Division One
* Leek CSOB, promoted as champions of the Midland League
* Skelmersdale United, relegated from Division One
* Colne, a new team

### League table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion |
| 1 | Ramsbottom United (C, P) | 38 | 27 | 6 | 5 | 100 | 34 | +66 | 87 | Promotion to Division One |
| 2 | Haslingden (P) | 38 | 27 | 6 | 5 | 90 | 32 | +58 | 87 | Promotion to Division One |
| 3 | Garswood United | 38 | 26 | 5 | 7 | 90 | 38 | +52 | 83 | |
| 4 | Tetley Walker | 38 | 24 | 5 | 9 | 105 | 58 | +47 | 77 | |
| 5 | Castleton Gabriels | 38 | 22 | 8 | 8 | 78 | 39 | +39 | 74 | |
| 6 | Leek County School Old Boys | 38 | 22 | 7 | 9 | 67 | 49 | +18 | 73 | |
| 7 | Formby | 38 | 21 | 6 | 11 | 86 | 57 | +29 | 69 | |
| 8 | Maghull | 38 | 17 | 7 | 14 | 52 | 50 | +2 | 58 | |
| 9 | Cheadle Town | 38 | 15 | 8 | 15 | 59 | 63 | −4 | 53 | |
| 10 | Skelmersdale United | 38 | 14 | 10 | 14 | 72 | 66 | +6 | 52 | |
| 11 | Nelson | 38 | 14 | 10 | 14 | 64 | 72 | −8 | 52 | |
| 12 | Stantondale | 38 | 11 | 12 | 15 | 59 | 69 | −10 | 45 | |
| 13 | Middlewich Athletic | 38 | 13 | 6 | 19 | 54 | 65 | −11 | 45 | |
| 14 | Squires Gate | 38 | 12 | 4 | 22 | 44 | 79 | −35 | 40 | |
| 15 | Daisy Hill | 38 | 10 | 5 | 23 | 47 | 76 | −29 | 35 | |
| 16 | Bacup Borough | 38 | 9 | 6 | 23 | 48 | 83 | −35 | 33 | |
| 17 | Ashton Town | 38 | 6 | 14 | 18 | 53 | 77 | −24 | 32 | |
| 18 | Blackpool Mechanics | 38 | 7 | 5 | 26 | 48 | 88 | −40 | 26 | |
| 19 | Oldham Town | 38 | 6 | 7 | 25 | 48 | 113 | −65 | 25 | |
| 20 | Colne | 38 | 6 | 5 | 27 | 35 | 91 | −56 | 23 | |