North West Counties Football League
1996/97 Tables◄ 1997/98 Tables ►1998/99 Tables
North West Counties League Division 1 1997/98
| Pos | Club | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | Notes |
| 1st | Kidsgrove Athletic | 42 | 32 | 3 | 7 | 127 | 50 | +77 | 99 | Champions |
| 2nd | Burscough | 42 | 29 | 7 | 6 | 101 | 30 | +71 | 94 | ▲Runners Up |
| 3rd | Newcastle Town | 42 | 23 | 16 | 3 | 82 | 32 | +50 | 85 | - |
| 4th | Vauxhall Motors | 42 | 24 | 9 | 9 | 91 | 52 | +39 | 81 | - |
| 5th | St Helens Town | 42 | 22 | 12 | 8 | 91 | 59 | +32 | 78 | - |
| 6th | Clitheroe | 42 | 21 | 10 | 11 | 72 | 51 | +21 | 73 | - |
| 7th | Prescot Cables | 42 | 19 | 11 | 12 | 72 | 57 | +15 | 68 | - |
| 8th | Glossop North End | 42 | 19 | 7 | 16 | 78 | 69 | +9 | 64 | - |
| 9th | Mossley | 42 | 16 | 14 | 12 | 67 | 52 | +15 | 62 | - |
| 10th | Nantwich Town | 42 | 17 | 6 | 19 | 71 | 79 | -8 | 57 | - |
| 11th | Maine Road | 42 | 15 | 10 | 17 | 56 | 70 | -14 | 55 | - |
| 12th | Chadderton | 42 | 15 | 8 | 19 | 63 | 59 | +4 | 53 | ▼Demoted |
| 13th | Rossendale United | 42 | 15 | 6 | 21 | 61 | 80 | -19 | 51 | - |
| 14th | Blackpool Rovers | 42 | 13 | 9 | 20 | 67 | 84 | -17 | 48 | Resigned |
| 15th | Atherton Laburnum Rovers | 42 | 12 | 11 | 19 | 54 | 73 | -19 | 47 | - |
| 16th | Haslingden | 42 | 12 | 10 | 20 | 68 | 95 | -27 | 46 | Resigned |
| 17th | Ramsbottom United | 42 | 12 | 9 | 21 | 58 | 84 | -26 | 46 | - |
| 18th | Salford City | 42 | 13 | 4 | 25 | 64 | 92 | -28 | 43 | - |
| 19th | Warrington Town | 42 | 10 | 10 | 22 | 56 | 72 | -16 | 40 | ▼Demoted |
| 20th | Holker Old Boys | 42 | 7 | 12 | 23 | 46 | 96 | -50 | 33 | - |
| 21st | Darwen | 42 | 6 | 13 | 23 | 42 | 93 | -51 | 31 | ▼Relegated |
| 22nd | Atherton Collieries | 42 | 7 | 9 | 26 | 42 | 100 | -58 | 30 | - |
North West Counties League Division 2 1997/98
| Pos | Club | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | Notes |
| 1st | Oldham Town | 40 | 27 | 8 | 5 | 118 | 49 | +69 | 89 | Champions |
| 2nd | Skelmersdale United | 40 | 26 | 7 | 7 | 111 | 50 | +61 | 85 | ▲Runners Up |
| 3rd | Leek County School Old Boys | 40 | 26 | 7 | 7 | 77 | 39 | +38 | 85 | ▲Promoted |
| 4th | Cheadle Town | 40 | 24 | 9 | 7 | 108 | 58 | +50 | 81 | ▲Promoted |
| 5th | Woodley Sports | 40 | 22 | 7 | 11 | 118 | 56 | +62 | 73 | - |
| 6th | Formby | 40 | 22 | 7 | 11 | 90 | 63 | +27 | 73 | - |
| 7th | Bootle | 40 | 19 | 15 | 6 | 82 | 60 | +22 | 72 | ▲Promoted |
| 8th | Garswood United | 40 | 19 | 10 | 11 | 98 | 62 | +36 | 67 | Resigned |
| 9th | Tetley Walker | 40 | 19 | 9 | 12 | 98 | 62 | +36 | 66 | - |
| 10th | Castleton Gabriels | 40 | 18 | 7 | 15 | 86 | 59 | +27 | 61 | - |
| 11th | Maghull | 40 | 16 | 10 | 14 | 68 | 63 | +5 | 58 | - |
| 12th | Fleetwood Freeport | 40 | 15 | 11 | 14 | 73 | 55 | +18 | 56 | - |
| 13th | Nelson | 40 | 17 | 5 | 18 | 69 | 76 | -7 | 56 | - |
| 14th | Bacup Borough | 40 | 13 | 8 | 19 | 58 | 83 | -25 | 47 | - |
| 15th | Squires Gate | 40 | 11 | 9 | 20 | 72 | 88 | -16 | 42 | - |
| 16th | Daisy Hill | 40 | 11 | 9 | 20 | 60 | 86 | -26 | 42 | - |
| 17th | Middlewich Athletic | 40 | 11 | 8 | 21 | 48 | 90 | -42 | 41 | Resigned |
| 18th | Colne | 40 | 8 | 7 | 25 | 48 | 91 | -43 | 31 | - |
| 19th | Ashton Town | 40 | 6 | 6 | 28 | 73 | 137 | -64 | 24 | - |
| 20th | Stantondale | 40 | 4 | 4 | 32 | 50 | 146 | -96 | 16 | Resigned |
| 21st | Blackpool Mechanics | 40 | 2 | 5 | 33 | 33 | 165 | -132 | 11 | - |
Teams Leaving the North West Counties League
| ▲Burscough were Promoted to Northern Premier League Division 1 |
| ▼Blackpool Rovers Resigned from the League and Joined the West Lancashire League |
| ▼Garswood United Resigned from the League and Joined the Mid-Cheshire League |
| ▼Haslingden Resigned from the League and Folded |
| ▼Middlewich Athletic Resigned from the League and Joined the Mid-Cheshire League |
| ▼Stantondale Resigned from the League and Folded |
Teams Joining the North West Counties League
| ▼Workington were Relegated from the Northern Premier League Division 1 |
| ►Curzon Ashton Transferred from the Northern Counties East League |
| ▲Abbey Hey Joined from the Manchester League |
1996/97 Tables◄ 1997/98 Tables ►1998/99 Tables