2026-27 Northern Premier League West line-up is announced

FA allocations for 2026-27 have been released.

All but one of the six new teams joining Pitching In Northern Premier League West for the coming season are already familiar to us with the exception being Lichfield City.

They move across from the Midlands Division after finishing eighth on debut at Step 4 after promotion as Midlands League Premier Division champions in 2024-25.

Lichfield is in Staffordshire, 18 miles south east of Stafford.

The other five joiners are known to us either as former members of the division, ex-North West Counties League colleagues or both.

Derby duels with 1874 Northwich and Prescot Cables are restored to the calendar.

Wythenshawe return at the first attempt as NWCL Premier Division champions with Padiham also coming up as play-off winners.

Padiham's previous spell at Step 4 in 2013-14 and 2014-15 was ahead of our own promotion in 2017-18.

However, rivalry dates back to our inaugural  season of 2006-07 in NWCL Division Two when we were runners-up and the Storks finished third.

From the Midlands League, Hanley Town return as Premier Division title winners with 1874 coming up through the play-offs.

Hanley are another club back in the NPL after a one-season absence.

We had met them in the previous three West Division campaigns and prior to that, in two NWCL Premier Division seasons.

1874's promotion was sealed on our ground last month when they pipped Linnets' tenants Northwich Victoria 1-0 in their play-off decider.

They are back in the NPL after a two-season gap as are Prescot, who had been promoted to NPL Premier through the West Division play-offs at the end of 2023-24.

All allocations are subject to appeal.

Leaving our division are Bury and Avro (who are both promoted to NPL Premier) while  Sporting Khalsa, Wythenshawe Town, Trafford and Darlaston Town are relegated to Step 5.