Introducing the new member clubs: AFC Knowsley
Thu 2nd July 2026 | AFC Knowsley | 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 Mike Gibbons – secretary at AFC Knowsley, who will take their place in the NWCFL First Division North this season following promotion from the West Cheshire League in 2025/26.
AFC Knowsley are a club with little history in terms of having a senior competitive football team, but there’s much more to their story. They were founded in 1987 as a Community Interest Company, geared towards bringing the beautiful game to the Knowsley community area.
Since their inception, their profile has grown to include 42 teams at all levels of the game, with a massive community of coaches and players who work in some capacity or another under the AFC Knowsley IP. They achieved an FA Charter Standard Development award by the Liverpool County FA in 2002.
Their journey into senior football began in 2019, which was a terrible time for grassroots and non-league football in general thanks to the emergence of COVID-19 and a subsequent global pandemic.
Nevertheless, the club made whatever progress they could under the name of Knowsley South. They joined League Two of the Cheshire League in the 2019/20 season, and they were promoted immediately despite the abandonment of the campaign after 17 games. They were able to complete a full season in 2020/21, and they achieved a second straight promotion as champions of League One.
It would be 2021 when the club rebranded as AFC Knowsley ahead of their first season in the Cheshire League Premier Division. This league would be their home for three seasons, before the club moved laterally to the West Cheshire League prior to the 2024/25 campaign.
After finishing 10th in their first season in this division, and fourth last time around, their application for promotion to Step Six of the non-league system for the first time in their history was accepted, and they have been placed in the NWCFL First Division North for 2026/27.
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Mike Gibbons
1. How would you describe AFC Knowsley to someone who had never heard of the club?
a. AFC Knowsley is very much a community club, that is now operating in new £1.4m facilities. Having been established for 40 years as of this year, the club has grown significantly during its life, with over 42 teams, 65 coaches and well over 600 registered players.
More recently the club have diversified a lot, introducing both girls and disability football, and as a result, the club have received the FA three-star accreditation award, which is an amazing achievement for everyone at the club.
2. What does the club mean to the area and local community that you represent?
a. The club works in collaboration with the wider community, which is heavily supported by the local MP, Anneliese Midgley. A large majority of our club members are from the Knowsley area and to be able to offer them football means a lot to us.
Since securing Step Six football, we now offer semi-professional football for the area, and with the ever-increasing costs of higher leagues up the pyramid, we want to work closely with the community so we can offer affordable football at a good level.
3. Tell me about the manager?
a. Last season, we operated with joint managers Dave Platt and Curtis Lopez. Both managers have previously shown an interest in AFC Knowsley and when the opportunity came to manage the club, they both jumped at the chance, leaving Garswood United, who played their football in the Cheshire League Premier Division.
Both work tirelessly to improve the football side of the club and have plenty of contacts in the game. We have always had plenty of players interested in joining the club at a senior level. Now, having secured Step Six football, both managers are looking forward to putting their management skills to the test in a higher league and they’re looking to kick on, which is great news for the club.
4. Tell me a bit about last season – your last one in the West Cheshire League? Was promotion a definite goal, or a happy accident?
a. When I set out on the senior football journey six years ago, my aspiration was to always achieve Step Six football. Last season, within the Knowsley area there were no Step Six football clubs, and to now achieve our goal is huge testament to our hard work both on and off the pitch.
I will not lie, whilst we did not win the league, we were very fortunate and surprised to secure promotion from the West Cheshire League, but every now then you need a bit of luck in football, and we have had a huge slice.
The league has some very good teams, and every game was a good test, so to finish fourth was a massive success. We would like to place on record our thanks to the West Cheshire League for allowing us to participate with them, and ultimately achieve our aspirations and kick on.
5. How well have you been getting along with your pre-season prep? New signings, friendlies, etc?
a. With the new season ahead, preparations and planning are going well. On the field, the big step up in leagues has given us the appetite to push the boundaries with pre-season opponents and we have some quality teams lined up which will prove tough tests for us.
Whilst on the field is shaping up well, lots of work is being undertaken off the field with a strong committee learning new things every day, so it’s all very exciting and we cannot wait to get started out there.
6. What are your ambitions for the upcoming 2026/27 season in the NWCFL?
a. For people who know me and the club, they will know that we are hugely ambitious, so we can hopefully build on our aspirations. Whilst being ambitious, it’s also very important to be level-headed as we embark into Step Six football for the first time in the club’s history.
The main objective for the club this season is to consolidate our position in the league and from there, who knows? It would be great to challenge at the upper end of the league.
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We wish everyone at AFC Knowsley all the best for the 2026/27 season!
Introducing the new member clubs: AFC Knowsley
Thu 2nd July 2026 | AFC Knowsley
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 Mike Gibbons – secretary at AFC Knowsley, who will take their place in the NWCFL First Division North this season following promotion from the West Cheshire League in 2025/26.
AFC Knowsley are a club with little history in terms of having a senior competitive football team, but there’s much more to their story. They were founded in 1987 as a Community Interest Company, geared towards bringing the beautiful game to the Knowsley community area.
Since their inception, their profile has grown to include 42 teams at all levels of the game, with a massive community of coaches and players who work in some capacity or another under the AFC Knowsley IP. They achieved an FA Charter Standard Development award by the Liverpool County FA in 2002.
Their journey into senior football began in 2019, which was a terrible time for grassroots and non-league football in general thanks to the emergence of COVID-19 and a subsequent global pandemic.
Nevertheless, the club made whatever progress they could under the name of Knowsley South. They joined League Two of the Cheshire League in the 2019/20 season, and they were promoted immediately despite the abandonment of the campaign after 17 games. They were able to complete a full season in 2020/21, and they achieved a second straight promotion as champions of League One.
It would be 2021 when the club rebranded as AFC Knowsley ahead of their first season in the Cheshire League Premier Division. This league would be their home for three seasons, before the club moved laterally to the West Cheshire League prior to the 2024/25 campaign.
After finishing 10th in their first season in this division, and fourth last time around, their application for promotion to Step Six of the non-league system for the first time in their history was accepted, and they have been placed in the NWCFL First Division North for 2026/27.
----------
Mike Gibbons
1. How would you describe AFC Knowsley to someone who had never heard of the club?
a. AFC Knowsley is very much a community club, that is now operating in new £1.4m facilities. Having been established for 40 years as of this year, the club has grown significantly during its life, with over 42 teams, 65 coaches and well over 600 registered players.
More recently the club have diversified a lot, introducing both girls and disability football, and as a result, the club have received the FA three-star accreditation award, which is an amazing achievement for everyone at the club.
2. What does the club mean to the area and local community that you represent?
a. The club works in collaboration with the wider community, which is heavily supported by the local MP, Anneliese Midgley. A large majority of our club members are from the Knowsley area and to be able to offer them football means a lot to us.
Since securing Step Six football, we now offer semi-professional football for the area, and with the ever-increasing costs of higher leagues up the pyramid, we want to work closely with the community so we can offer affordable football at a good level.
3. Tell me about the manager?
a. Last season, we operated with joint managers Dave Platt and Curtis Lopez. Both managers have previously shown an interest in AFC Knowsley and when the opportunity came to manage the club, they both jumped at the chance, leaving Garswood United, who played their football in the Cheshire League Premier Division.
Both work tirelessly to improve the football side of the club and have plenty of contacts in the game. We have always had plenty of players interested in joining the club at a senior level. Now, having secured Step Six football, both managers are looking forward to putting their management skills to the test in a higher league and they’re looking to kick on, which is great news for the club.
4. Tell me a bit about last season – your last one in the West Cheshire League? Was promotion a definite goal, or a happy accident?
a. When I set out on the senior football journey six years ago, my aspiration was to always achieve Step Six football. Last season, within the Knowsley area there were no Step Six football clubs, and to now achieve our goal is huge testament to our hard work both on and off the pitch.
I will not lie, whilst we did not win the league, we were very fortunate and surprised to secure promotion from the West Cheshire League, but every now then you need a bit of luck in football, and we have had a huge slice.
The league has some very good teams, and every game was a good test, so to finish fourth was a massive success. We would like to place on record our thanks to the West Cheshire League for allowing us to participate with them, and ultimately achieve our aspirations and kick on.
5. How well have you been getting along with your pre-season prep? New signings, friendlies, etc?
a. With the new season ahead, preparations and planning are going well. On the field, the big step up in leagues has given us the appetite to push the boundaries with pre-season opponents and we have some quality teams lined up which will prove tough tests for us.
Whilst on the field is shaping up well, lots of work is being undertaken off the field with a strong committee learning new things every day, so it’s all very exciting and we cannot wait to get started out there.
6. What are your ambitions for the upcoming 2026/27 season in the NWCFL?
a. For people who know me and the club, they will know that we are hugely ambitious, so we can hopefully build on our aspirations. Whilst being ambitious, it’s also very important to be level-headed as we embark into Step Six football for the first time in the club’s history.
The main objective for the club this season is to consolidate our position in the league and from there, who knows? It would be great to challenge at the upper end of the league.
----------
We wish everyone at AFC Knowsley all the best for the 2026/27 season!
