Introducing the new member clubs: Trafford FC
Wed 1st July 2026 | Trafford | By Jay Cooper
With the 2026/27 NWCFL campaign fast approaching, now is the perfect time to introduce the new member clubs to their respective divisions.
Or perhaps better – to let the new member clubs introduce themselves.
Earlier this week, I spoke to Pete McGrath – a Director at Trafford FC, who will take their place in the NWCFL Premier Division this season following relegation from the Northern Premier League pyramid in 2025/26.
Trafford are a club that will ring a bell to any halfway-committed NWCFL historians. They were founded in Flixton, near Urmston, in the Greater Manchester area in 1990 as North Trafford.
Within two years of their formation, they had achieved successive promotions in the Mid-Cheshire League, and they were admitted to what was then known as the NWCFL Division Two ahead of the 1992/93 season.
Upon a third promotion in four years to Division One of the NWCFL in 1994, the club dropped their “North” prefix, being renamed as simply “Trafford FC”. Despite that, they have retained the nickname, “The North”, right the way through to modern day. Their first foray into our pyramid would end in the 1996/97 season, when the club won the NWCFL Division One, finishing six points clear of runners-up Newcastle Town.
From there, the club spent six straight years in the NPL Division One, winning the President’s Cup for the first time at the turn of the millennium, and finishing as high as fifth in 2001. However, their stint at Step Four would come to an end in 2003, following relegation back to the NWCFL.
The North spent another five seasons in the NWCFL, finishing as low as 16th in their first season back, but climbing the ranks to fifth by 2007. That was the campaign where FC United of Manchester set a new points record in the league, with a whopping 112, but Trafford would fill their shoes as runaway champions the next season, finishing top with 95 points, ahead of second placed Salford City, who now, of course, compete in EFL League Two.
Five more seasons in what was then known as the NPL Division One North would follow, before arguably the club’s greatest triumph. In the 2012/13 season, Trafford finished fourth in the table, qualifying for the promotion play-offs.
They overcame New Mills (now of the NWCFL First Division North) in the semi-finals, before toppling Cammell Laird (who were succeeded by Cammell Laird 1907 as a phoenix club in 2014) 4-2 in a penalty shootout to reach the NPL Premier Division and Step Three of the non-league system for the first time.
This was a position they would hold for two years, before finishing second bottom of the Premier Division in 2014/15 and being relegated alongside Belper Town and Witton Albion.
From there, Trafford became part of the furniture in the NPL Division One North, which was rebranded to the Division One North West in 2019, and then reorganised into Divisions One West, Midlands and East in 2021. Trafford made their home in the West, where they would remain until last season. They finished second bottom of the league and have joined the NWCFL for a third time.
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Pete McGrath
1. How would you describe Trafford FC to someone who had never heard of the club?
a. I would say we are a very friendly club, with a lovely tree-lined stadium and one of the best grass pitches in non-league. That is courtesy of the legendary Mr. Graham Foxall, who passed away last year and was "Mister Trafford FC". We learnt so much from him and we miss him massively.
Our history goes back to 1990 when we were formed, and Dave Law, who was one of the original founders alongside Dave Brown, Bill Whitten and John Harrison, is still with the club to this day, 36 years later, as a director.
We operate on the basis that you should "do the right things and do them right" - we are all volunteers behind the scenes, but we work to the highest standards that we can. We have some absolutely wonderful human beings at this club, and that filters down through everybody involved. I'd like to think when people visit us, they have a good experience.
2. What does the club mean to the area and local community that you represent?
a. We are very big on our place in our local community. We have good relationships with our neighbours and local residents. We are part of an online community that discusses local topics and looks for help – with that, we do what we can from time-to-time.
We have a youth section that sees in excess of 400 boys and girls playing football and using the game as a foundation for improving, not only as a footballer, but also as a person. This brings families into our club.
We have partnerships with local organisations such as Trafford Veterans CIC, Away Day Care, and the hospital radio station at Trafford General - the birthplace of the NHS! It's our club and our community - there are many others like it, but this one is ours!
3. Tell me about the manager?
a. Tom Baker came in November last year. We were struggling at the foot of the table when Tom returned - he'd previously been manager from 2015 to 2020 and had won silverware for the club during that period. He got us off rock bottom, but it wasn't enough to keep us up.
He is driven, passionate, demands high standards, and has attracted some quality players to join the squad this summer. When he was a player, Tom was at FC Halifax and was captain of a team that included Jamie Vardy!
4. Tell me a bit about last season – your last one in the NPL? Obviously, things didn't play out the way you would've hoped.
Well, our last season in the NPL, for the time being! Yes, you are correct - it didn't play out the way we wanted. Our previous manager, Karl Marginson, did a wonderful job pulling us away from relegation in 2023/24 then finishing 9th the season after, but we couldn't sustain it and sadly slipped out of the NPL.
This is football - ups and downs are part of the game, and you must move with them and work hard to improve next time, which I think we are doing. Having had the disappointment of relegation, we are actually looking forward to playing in the NWCFL this coming season - it's kind of like a refreshing new era, and the supporters I have spoken to are looking forward to visiting some new and perhaps unfamiliar awayday locations this season!
5. How well have you been getting along with your pre-season prep? New signings, friendlies, etc?
a. The squad have been together for about three weeks now, in training. They are looking good. There are several new signings as I alluded to earlier, and they all look like they have real quality from what I have seen.
We kick off our pre-season programme with a double header, away and home (in that order) against our neighbours Flixton FC, who, of course, were resurrected by a wealthy American businessman last year and will be in NWCFL First Division North this season.
They have spent a huge amount of money on their ground and on their squad, so we are expecting two really tough games, starting at their place this Saturday. After that we have several more friendlies before the real business starts at the beginning of August. Anyone interested can find our fixture list on traffordfc.com/fixtures.
6. What are your ambitions for the upcoming 2026/27 season in the NWCFL?
a. If I was to go full-on, Billy Big Spuds, I would say promotion at the first time of asking! But I am realistic, and you cannot be entitled in this game. I would like us to be competitive, and I think we will be.
I believe we have a squad that is good enough to be challengers up there, and a management team who are good enough to lead them there. We know it's a tough league, and very difficult to get out of. But we are feeling refreshed, renewed, and re-born, and I believe we can be in the mix. Let's see how it goes!
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We wish everyone at Trafford all the best for the 2026/27 season!
Introducing the new member clubs: Trafford FC
Wed 1st July 2026 | Trafford
By Jay Cooper
With the 2026/27 NWCFL campaign fast approaching, now is the perfect time to introduce the new member clubs to their respective divisions.
Or perhaps better – to let the new member clubs introduce themselves.
Earlier this week, I spoke to Pete McGrath – a Director at Trafford FC, who will take their place in the NWCFL Premier Division this season following relegation from the Northern Premier League pyramid in 2025/26.
Trafford are a club that will ring a bell to any halfway-committed NWCFL historians. They were founded in Flixton, near Urmston, in the Greater Manchester area in 1990 as North Trafford.
Within two years of their formation, they had achieved successive promotions in the Mid-Cheshire League, and they were admitted to what was then known as the NWCFL Division Two ahead of the 1992/93 season.
Upon a third promotion in four years to Division One of the NWCFL in 1994, the club dropped their “North” prefix, being renamed as simply “Trafford FC”. Despite that, they have retained the nickname, “The North”, right the way through to modern day. Their first foray into our pyramid would end in the 1996/97 season, when the club won the NWCFL Division One, finishing six points clear of runners-up Newcastle Town.
From there, the club spent six straight years in the NPL Division One, winning the President’s Cup for the first time at the turn of the millennium, and finishing as high as fifth in 2001. However, their stint at Step Four would come to an end in 2003, following relegation back to the NWCFL.
The North spent another five seasons in the NWCFL, finishing as low as 16th in their first season back, but climbing the ranks to fifth by 2007. That was the campaign where FC United of Manchester set a new points record in the league, with a whopping 112, but Trafford would fill their shoes as runaway champions the next season, finishing top with 95 points, ahead of second placed Salford City, who now, of course, compete in EFL League Two.
Five more seasons in what was then known as the NPL Division One North would follow, before arguably the club’s greatest triumph. In the 2012/13 season, Trafford finished fourth in the table, qualifying for the promotion play-offs.
They overcame New Mills (now of the NWCFL First Division North) in the semi-finals, before toppling Cammell Laird (who were succeeded by Cammell Laird 1907 as a phoenix club in 2014) 4-2 in a penalty shootout to reach the NPL Premier Division and Step Three of the non-league system for the first time.
This was a position they would hold for two years, before finishing second bottom of the Premier Division in 2014/15 and being relegated alongside Belper Town and Witton Albion.
From there, Trafford became part of the furniture in the NPL Division One North, which was rebranded to the Division One North West in 2019, and then reorganised into Divisions One West, Midlands and East in 2021. Trafford made their home in the West, where they would remain until last season. They finished second bottom of the league and have joined the NWCFL for a third time.
----------
Pete McGrath
1. How would you describe Trafford FC to someone who had never heard of the club?
a. I would say we are a very friendly club, with a lovely tree-lined stadium and one of the best grass pitches in non-league. That is courtesy of the legendary Mr. Graham Foxall, who passed away last year and was "Mister Trafford FC". We learnt so much from him and we miss him massively.
Our history goes back to 1990 when we were formed, and Dave Law, who was one of the original founders alongside Dave Brown, Bill Whitten and John Harrison, is still with the club to this day, 36 years later, as a director.
We operate on the basis that you should "do the right things and do them right" - we are all volunteers behind the scenes, but we work to the highest standards that we can. We have some absolutely wonderful human beings at this club, and that filters down through everybody involved. I'd like to think when people visit us, they have a good experience.
2. What does the club mean to the area and local community that you represent?
a. We are very big on our place in our local community. We have good relationships with our neighbours and local residents. We are part of an online community that discusses local topics and looks for help – with that, we do what we can from time-to-time.
We have a youth section that sees in excess of 400 boys and girls playing football and using the game as a foundation for improving, not only as a footballer, but also as a person. This brings families into our club.
We have partnerships with local organisations such as Trafford Veterans CIC, Away Day Care, and the hospital radio station at Trafford General - the birthplace of the NHS! It's our club and our community - there are many others like it, but this one is ours!
3. Tell me about the manager?
a. Tom Baker came in November last year. We were struggling at the foot of the table when Tom returned - he'd previously been manager from 2015 to 2020 and had won silverware for the club during that period. He got us off rock bottom, but it wasn't enough to keep us up.
He is driven, passionate, demands high standards, and has attracted some quality players to join the squad this summer. When he was a player, Tom was at FC Halifax and was captain of a team that included Jamie Vardy!
4. Tell me a bit about last season – your last one in the NPL? Obviously, things didn't play out the way you would've hoped.
Well, our last season in the NPL, for the time being! Yes, you are correct - it didn't play out the way we wanted. Our previous manager, Karl Marginson, did a wonderful job pulling us away from relegation in 2023/24 then finishing 9th the season after, but we couldn't sustain it and sadly slipped out of the NPL.
This is football - ups and downs are part of the game, and you must move with them and work hard to improve next time, which I think we are doing. Having had the disappointment of relegation, we are actually looking forward to playing in the NWCFL this coming season - it's kind of like a refreshing new era, and the supporters I have spoken to are looking forward to visiting some new and perhaps unfamiliar awayday locations this season!
5. How well have you been getting along with your pre-season prep? New signings, friendlies, etc?
a. The squad have been together for about three weeks now, in training. They are looking good. There are several new signings as I alluded to earlier, and they all look like they have real quality from what I have seen.
We kick off our pre-season programme with a double header, away and home (in that order) against our neighbours Flixton FC, who, of course, were resurrected by a wealthy American businessman last year and will be in NWCFL First Division North this season.
They have spent a huge amount of money on their ground and on their squad, so we are expecting two really tough games, starting at their place this Saturday. After that we have several more friendlies before the real business starts at the beginning of August. Anyone interested can find our fixture list on traffordfc.com/fixtures.
6. What are your ambitions for the upcoming 2026/27 season in the NWCFL?
a. If I was to go full-on, Billy Big Spuds, I would say promotion at the first time of asking! But I am realistic, and you cannot be entitled in this game. I would like us to be competitive, and I think we will be.
I believe we have a squad that is good enough to be challengers up there, and a management team who are good enough to lead them there. We know it's a tough league, and very difficult to get out of. But we are feeling refreshed, renewed, and re-born, and I believe we can be in the mix. Let's see how it goes!
----------
We wish everyone at Trafford all the best for the 2026/27 season!
