The North West Counties Football League was formed in 1982 with the amalgamation of the Cheshire County League and the Lancashire Combination. Initially there were three divisions, but at the end of 1986-87 season, this was reduced to two as a result of ongoing ground grading and the formation of a First Division of the Northern Premier League, now the UniBond League. 

This year also saw the implementation of an automatic promotion and relegation arrangement between the two competitions with the Champion or second placed club being entitled to promotion, subject to receiving a satisfactory ground-grading. 

Our sister leagues, the Northern Counties (East) League and the Northern League, both now enjoy similar arrangements, and all four competitions are members of the Joint Liaison Council which administers the Northern arm of the National Football System in England. 

The North West Counties League covers a geographical area stretching from Cumbria in the North, through Lancashire, Cheshire, Liverpool, Manchester and parts of Derbyshire, down to Staffordshire in the South, but the League has also welcomed clubs from North Wales and the West Riding in the past. Altogether, almost 100 clubs have enjoyed membership of the NWCFL, with 16 of our current constitution being founder members. 

The League operates First and Second Division competitions, plus a Reserve League and Cup, and also stages a Challenge Cup, the Final of which is staged at Gigg Lane, home of Bury FC, a Floodlit Trophy and a Second Division Trophy. 

We also have formal promotion/relegation arrangements with the Liverpool County Combination, the Manchester League, the Mid-Cheshire League, the Midland League, the West Cheshire League and the West Lancashire League. The formation of the North West Joint Liaison Council in 1999, the first of its kind in the country at this level of the National League System, drawing together all our feeder leagues, will hopefully play a major role in promoting amateur football in the region and stimulate interest in non-league football across the North West. 

The League gained it's first commercial sponsor in 1986 when major brewing concern Bass came on board, supporting the League until 1995, the longest running sponsorship in 
non-league football at that time. In 1998, the regional rail operator First North Western Trains became the competition's new sponsor in a two year deal. 

The League is administered by a Committee of unpaid Officers and Members, drawing on a wealth of experience and skills. Canon Reg Smith (famous after dinner speaker and 
Vice-Chairman at Bury FC) was our President until April 1997 when he sadly passed away. Our next President was Eric Hinchcliffe TD, our founder Chairman and a model servant to the League, until April 1999 when he died, to be replaced by Bill King. 

In the short history of the League, many clubs have excelled in our own, and national, competitions, particularly the FA Vase where we have provided a host of finalists and two winners, St Helens Town and Colne Dynamoes claiming the prestigious silverware. Fleetwood Town were our first finalist in 1985, losing to Halesowen Town, before the all-North West Counties Final between St Helens Town and Warrington Town in 1987. Next were Colne Dynamoes who beat Emley in 1988, and our latest representative at the twin towers were Clitheroe, who were beaten by Brigg Town in 1996. In the FA Cup, the League is regularly represented in the latter qualifying rounds, and Newcastle Town became the latest of our clubs to reach the First Round Proper in 1997, bowing out to Notts County at the Victoria Ground, but ex-member clubs Horwich RMI, Penrith, Colwyn Bay and Stalybridge Celtic have also reached this stage. 

In domestic action, the fiercely competitive nature of the League is reflected in the fact that only two clubs have ever completed a League and Challenge Cup double, Ashton United in 1992, and Kidsgrove Athletic in 1998. Atherton LR are the only club to claim consecutive Championships, in 1992 and 1993, whilst Workington became the first club to regain NPL status at the first attempt in 1999. The outstanding achievement of Clitheroe in the 1980's, collecting each divisional Championship in successive seasons between 1984 and 1986 is one that will probably remain without peer. Only St Helens Town have competed in the First Division in every season since the League's formation. In county cup competition, Glossop North End's recent Manchester Premier Cup successes stand out, and our clubs figure prominently across the whole region, regularly accounting for clubs from higher leagues. Outside the top flight, our Second Division continues to prove a very healthy competition, producing a steady stream of ambitious clubs looking to progress onwards and upwards, and a clutch of our reserve teams have made the headlines through the years, claiming county cup silverware.