The league was formed in 1982 by the merger of the Cheshire County League and the Lancashire Combination. Originally consisting of three divisions, this was reduced to two in 1987 due to the creation of an extra division in the Northern Premier League (NPL). At the same time, promotion and relegation between the two leagues was introduced, with either the first- or second-placed club in the North West Counties Football League (NWCFL) being entitled to a place in the NPL, subject to their ground meeting that league's requirements.[2]
The league's first title sponsor was Bass Brewery, who remained sponsors until 1995. In 1998, the train operating company First North Western became the new sponsor in a two-year deal. Hallmark Security were title sponsors between 2015 and 2018.[4]
In 2008, Division One and Two were renamed the Premier and First divisions respectively. As part of the Football Association's ongoing restructure of the National League System,[5] the First Division was regionalised in 2018.[6] The vacant positions in the new North and South divisions were filled by 15 clubs from feeder leagues.[7]
Four clubs have won a Premier Division/Division One and League Challenge Cup double,[8]Ashton United in 1992, Kidsgrove Athletic in 1998, F.C. United of Manchester in 2007 and Glossop North End in 2015. Atherton Laburnum Rovers are the only club to have won the same division consecutively, winning Division One in 1993 and 1994. Clitheroe have won three different divisions consecutively, winning Division Three in 1984, Division Two in 1985 and Division One in 1986.
For sixteen years the league's record attendance was 1,353 for a Division One championship decider between Radcliffe Borough and Caernarfon Town in 1983.[10] In 1999, a crowd of 2,281 saw Workington's championship-deciding match with Mossley at Borough Park. In 2006, a new record was set, with 6,023 at Gigg Lane for a Division Two match between FC United of Manchester and Great Harwood Town on 23 April.[11] The following season saw a record 4,058 for an evening match, at Salford City's Division One home game against FC United of Manchester.[12]
The league has two cup competitions – the League Challenge Cup, which is open to all clubs and is sponsored by Macron,[13] and the First Division Challenge Cup called the Edward Case Cup. A tertiary competition, the Floodlit Trophy, operated on weeknights from 1990 to 2000, as well a reserve league and cup which were disbanded in 2014.[14]
Due to the expansion of the Northern Premier League, and the withdrawal of clubs who could no longer meet the ground requirements, the third division was disbanded and a two division format was instigated, a format that stayed in place until 2018.
F.C. United were crowned champions of the North West Counties Football League Division Two in 2005–06
As from the 2018–19 the league has operated three divisions, the Premier Division at Step 5 and Division one - the Step 6 division being split geographically into North and South components both with promotional slots to Step 5. This was retained for the 2019-20 season.
^Note that the Fleetwood Town club that won the Division Two title in 1983–84 is not the same club as the one of the same name who won the Division One Championship in 2004–05. The earlier club folded in 1993, and the new club was not formed until 1997 as Fleetwood Wanderers, then Fleetwood Freeport before taking the Fleetwood Town name in 2002.
