| Northern Premier League |
|---|
 |
| Founded |
| 1968 |
| Nation |
| England God Save the Queen Unofficial: Rule Britannia Land of Hope and Glory Jerusalem... [click for more] |
| WalesWales (Welsh: Cymru; pronounced "Kum-REE", IPA: ) is a country or nation and one of the four constituent parts of the United Kingdom, the other three being England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Wales has a land boundary with England in the island of Great Britain and is otherwise bounded by sea.... [click for more] |
| Feeder To |
| Conference NorthConference North (often referred to as Nationwide North for sponsorship reasons) is a new division of the Football Conference in England, taking its place immediately below the Conference National. Along with Conference South it is at the second level of the National League System and the sixth overall tier of the English football league system.... [click for more] |
| Divisions |
| Premier DivisionThe Premier Division is the top division of the Northern Premier League. It is one of the fifth divisions down in the English football league system. For sponsorship reasons, it is often referred to as the UniBond League Premier Division.... [click for more] (1968-present) Division One North (2007-onwards) Division One South (2007-onwards) First DivisionThe Northern Premier League First Division is an football league covering the north of England. From the 2004-05 season it sits at step 4 of the National League System.... [click for more] (1988-2007) |
| Number of Teams |
| 57 21 (Premier Division) 18 (Division One North) 18 (Division One South) |
| Levels on Pyramid |
| Level 7 and Level 8The English football league system is a series of interconnected leagues for club football in England (though for historical reasons — namely that the league system was originally intended to be United Kingdom-wide — a small number of Welsh clubs also compete).... [click for more] |
| Cups |
| Challenge Cup President's Cup Chairman's Cup |
| Current Champions (2007-08) |
| Fleetwood Town (Premier Division) Bradford Park AvenueBradford A.F.C. (almost always refered to as Bradford (Park Avenue) A.F.C.) is a football (soccer) based in Bradford, England. They currently play in the Conference North.... [click for more] (Division One North) Retford United (Division One South) Eastwood Town (Challenge Cup) FC United of Manchester (President's Cup) Retford United (Chairman's Cup) |
| Website |
| Unibond |
The Northern Premier League, known in recent years as the UniBondHenkel KGaA has been the Düsseldorf based holding company of the Henkel group since 1975. Henkel is a leading European manufacturer of detergents, hygienics and cosmetics, but it produces also adhesives, disinfectants and surface technologies. Internet Links Company Homepage ...
[click for more] League under a title sponsorship contract, is one of the regional English football leagues which sits directly below the Football ConferenceThe Football Conference is a football league at the top of the National League System of so-called non-league football in England. Conference National is the highest of the three divisions within The Football Conference, and Conference North and Conference South serve as regional feeders one step down. The Football Conference consisted of only one division up until 2004, but expanded as part of an extensive restructuring of the National League System which took effect beginning with the 2004-05 season....
[click for more]. Due to restructuring, from 2005 onwards its champions have been promoted to the Conference North division rather than the Conference NationalConference National (often referred to as the Nationwide Conference for sponsorship reasons) is the top division of the Football Conference. It is the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system. Two clubs from Conference National are eligible for promotion to the Football League Two at the end of each season, and the three bottom clubs are liable to be relegated to either Conference North or Conference South, the lower regional divisions of Th...
[click for more] as was previously the case.
The Northern Premier League (NPL) was founded in 1968, as the northern equivalent of the Southern LeagueThe Southern League is an English football league for semi-professional and amateur teams. For other uses, see Southern League (disambiguation). ...
[click for more], decades after the other two leagues at what is now the seventh tier of the English football league system, the Isthmian LeagueThe Isthmian League is a regional football league covering London and South East England. It is more commonly known by the name of its official title sponsor as the Ryman League, and before that as the Diadora League, ICIS League and Vauxhall-Opel League....
[click for more] and the Southern League. At that time they were the highest level non-League division below The Football LeagueThe Football League is an organisation representing 72 professional football clubs in England and Wales, and runs the oldest professional football league competition in the world. It also organises two knockout cup competitions. The Football League was founded in 1888 with 12 member clubs, but steady growth and the addition of more divisions meant that by 1959 the League had 92 clubs. Financial considerations led to a major shake-up in 1992 when, in a step to maximise their revenue, the leading members of T...
[click for more], the same level as the other league in Northern England, the Northern League.
Over the next two decades, the NPL successfully displaced its older rival to become the pre-eminent regional competition in Northern England, with the Northern League eventually forced to accept status as feeder league to the NPL. In 1979, upon the creation of the Alliance Premier League, the NPL became a feeder league and fell down one level in the English football league system, and with the Conference's addition of regional divisions in 2004 the NPL was demoted by a further tier and there are now two levels between it and the Football League.
Since 2007, the NPL has had three divisions: the Premier DivisionThe Premier Division is the top division of the Northern Premier League. It is one of the fifth divisions down in the English football league system. For sponsorship reasons, it is often referred to as the UniBond League Premier Division....
[click for more], Division One North and Division One South. Prior to 2007 there was just a single Division One.
The Premier Division has 21 clubs, with the champions promoted to Conference NorthConference North (often referred to as Nationwide North for sponsorship reasons) is a new division of the Football Conference in England, taking its place immediately below the Conference National. Along with Conference South it is at the second level of the National League System and the sixth overall tier of the English football league system....
[click for more] along with the winners of a playoff between the second to fifth place clubs. The bottom three teams are relegated to Division One North or South, or possibly to the Southern League Division One Midlands, depending on their location.
From the 2007-08 season, Division One North and South have 18 clubs each, although this is expected to increase to 22 clubs each in the near future. In each division, the champions are promoted to the Premier Division, along with the winners of a playoff between the second to fifth place clubs. The bottom two clubs in each division are relegated to one of the feeder leagues below, provided there are enough suitable promotion candidates from those leagues. The champions of the three feeder leagues covering the NPL area are promoted each season. These are the Northern League, the Northern Counties East LeagueThe Northern Counties East League is an English association football league that was founded in 1982 by the merger of the former Yorkshire League and Midland Counties League. Its two divisions are on the ninth and tenth levels of the football pyramid. Another division consisting entirely of reserve teams is not part of the pyramid....
[click for more], and the North West Counties League. Clubs in the northern extremities of the Midland Alliance and the United Counties League may also be promoted to the Northern Premier League.
Due to the size of Division One North and South, in the transitional period the clubs will play in an unusual format. As well as each club playing all of the others in its division home and away, each division will be split into western and eastern sections, with the clubs in each section playing one extra match against each other. This gives each club a total of 42 matches a season, rather than the 34 that would be played under a standard round-robin. This compares with the 40-game season played by the Premier Division clubs. The extra matches are spread through the season, unlike similar arrangements in leagues such as the Scottish Premier LeagueThe Scottish Premier League (SPL for short) is the top division within the current structure of Scottish association football. It is also known as the Bank of Scotland Premierleague after its main sponsor, the Bank of Scotland....
[click for more], where the additional matches are played at the end of the season after the league table is split in half.
The Unibond League has three knockout competitions. All clubs in the three leagues play in the Challenge Cup, with the clubs in the Premier Division given byes to the third round, where they join eleven teams from the lower divisions. In previous seasons, the other two cup competitions, the Chairman's Cup and the President's Cup, have been 'plate' competitions, for clubs losing in the early rounds of the Challenge Cup. In 2007-08, however, the President’s Cup was competed for by all the First Division clubs, while the Chairman’s Cup was contested between the two First Division Champion clubs.
| Season | Premier Division |
|---|---|
| 1968-69 | Macclesfield Town Macclesfield Town F.C. are an English football team. The club was formed in 1874 and is based in the small town of Macclesfield in Cheshire. The club play their home games at the 6,028 capacity Moss Rose stadium. They will contest the 2004/05 season in Football League Two under the management of John Askey. Askey has been at the club for over 18 years. David Moss was in charge of the Silkmen until in the 2003/04 season but was unpopular with the fans and players; and after a very bad spell, his contract wi... [click for more] |
| 1969-70 | Macclesfield Town |
| 1970-71 | Wigan Athletic Wigan Athletic Football Club are a football team based in Wigan, England. They are known as the "Latics". In 2003 they were promoted to the Football League Championship for the first time.... [click for more] |
| 1971-72 | Stafford Rangers |
| 1972-73 | Boston United Boston United Football Club are an English football team currently playing in Football League Two. The club was formed in 1933 as a successor to Boston F.C., and had a moderate amount of success in various leagues, including the Midland League and Southern League. They were founder members of the Northern Premier League in 1968, of which they were champions four times, and of the Alliance Premier League (now the Football Conference) in 1979.... [click for more] |
| 1973-74 | Boston United |
| 1974-75 | Wigan Athletic |
| 1975-76 | RuncornRuncorn FC Halton is a British Association football club playing in Widnes, founded in 1918 as Highfield and Camden Tanneries Recreation Club. They became members of the Lancashire Combination in the same year, winning a cup. They were founder members of the Cheshire County League in 1919, and were its first champions. They won the double in 1937, winning both the league and the League Cup in the same year. After World War II, Runcorn had a lot of members quit, and they were no longer a powerful team. They ... [click for more] |
| 1976-77 | Boston United |
| 1977-78 | Boston United |
| 1978-79 | MossleyMossley Association Football Club are an English football club from the town of Mossley, currently playing in the Northern Premier League First Division.... [click for more] |
| 1979-80 | Mossley |
| 1980-81 | Runcorn |
| 1981-82 | Bangor CityBangor City F.C. is a football team, playing in the League of Wales. The club was founded in 1876 as Bangor F.C., and took its present name in 1923, and plays at the Farrar Road Stadium, Bangor, where their ground accommodates 2200 spectators (800 seated).... [click for more] |
| 1982-83 | GatesheadGateshead F.C. are a football team based in Gateshead, England, who currently play in the Northern Premier League.The abrupt withdrawal of financial backing by chairman Mick Harland in August 2004 has made fans pull together and with the recent appointment of Derek Bell has given Gateshead a chance to honour their fixtures for the current season. In november 2004 a deal with a local firm has enabled to gateshead to drop the status of a crisis club.... [click for more] |
| 1983-84 | BarrowBarrow A.F.C. are a football team based in the town of Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria, England. The team are known by their fans as "The Bluebirds", owing to their blue and white kit. Attendances vary - the record of 16,874 was set against Swansea City in the F.A. Cup Third Round in 1954 - but during the 1990s and 2000s the average has remained consistently between 1,000 and 1,100.... [click for more] |
| 1984-85 | Stafford Rangers |
| 1985-86 | Gateshead |
| 1986-87 | Macclesfield Town |
For the 1987-88 season, Division One was added.
| Season | Premier Division | Division One |
|---|---|---|
| 1987-88 | Chorley | Fleetwood Town |
| 1988-89 | BarrowBarrow A.F.C. are a football team based in the town of Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria, England. The team are known by their fans as "The Bluebirds", owing to their blue and white kit. Attendances vary - the record of 16,874 was set against Swansea City in the F.A. Cup Third Round in 1954 - but during the 1990s and 2000s the average has remained consistently between 1,000 and 1,100.... [click for more] |
Colne Dynamoes |
| 1989-90 | Colne Dynamoes | Leek Town |
| 1990-91 | Witton Albion | Whitley Bay |
| 1991-92 | Stalybridge CelticStalybridge Celtic are an English semi-professional football club from the North western town of Stalybridge. They traditionally play in the colours of blue and white. The club has achieved very few major trophies throughout its history, but has won several local cup and league competitions and was a Football League club for two seasons between 1921 and 1923.... [click for more] |
Colwyn Bay |
| 1992-93 | SouthportSouthport F.C. are an English football club, based in Southport, Merseyside. They are currently in Conference North, and play at Haig Avenue.... [click for more] |
Bridlington Town |
| 1993-94 | MarineMarine Football Club are a football club who play in Crosby, Merseyside. They were founded in 1894, and are members of both the Liverpool County and Lancashire County Football Associations. They currently play in the Northern Premier League Premier Division.... [click for more] |
Guiseley |
| 1994-95 | Marine | Blyth Spartans |
| 1995-96 | Bamber BridgeBamber Bridge Football Club are an English football team based in Bamber Bridge, near Preston, Lancashire. They play at the Irongate ground.... [click for more] |
Lancaster CityLancaster City F.C. are a semi-professional English football team based in the city of Lancaster. They play at the Giant Axe Stadium. They play in the Conference North league at level 6 of the English football league system.... [click for more] |
| 1996-97 | Leek Town | Radcliffe Borough |
| 1997-98 | Barrow | Whitby Town |
| 1998-99 | AltrinchamAltrincham F.C. are a football club from Altrincham, Greater Manchester. They play in the Conference National for the 2005-06 season, having been promoted from the Conference North in the 2004-05 season.... [click for more] |
Droylsden |
| 1999-00 | Leigh RMILeigh Railway Mechanics Institute Football Club, usually known as Leigh RMI, are an English football team currently playing in the Nationwide Conference. The club was known as Horwich RMI until 1995, and joined the Conference in 2000. They were placed in the new Conference North division for 2004-05 on account of finishing second bottom in the nationwide Conference,but have been spared relegation because the lack of a promotable Northern Premier League club spared the team above them and Margate F.C. were t... [click for more] |
Accrington Stanley Accrington Stanley are a non-league football club from Accrington in Lancashire, in the north-west of England. They played in the Football League between 1921 and 1962. They are not to be confused with Accrington F.C., who were one of the original twelve founder members of the Football League. While Stanley have never been particularly successful, they are generally thought of as a true part of the history of British football, especially that in Lancashire. The team's name is often invoked as a symbol of B... [click for more] |
| 2000-01 | Stalybridge Celtic | Bradford Park Avenue |
| 2001-02 | Burton AlbionBurton Albion F.C. are an English football team currently playing in the Nationwide Conference. They play in the town of Burton-upon-Trent, Staffordshire, England.... [click for more] |
Harrogate Town |
| 2002-03 | Accrington Stanley | Alfreton Town Note: Kit colors incorrect. Alfreton Town F.C. is an Association football club based in Alfreton, Derby. The club was founded after a merger between Alfreton Miners Welfare F.C. and Alfreton United F.C. in 1952.... [click for more] |
| 2003-04 | Hucknall TownHucknall Town F.C. are an English association football team based in the town of Hucknall in Nottinghamshire. They were founded in 1945.... [click for more] |
Hyde UnitedHyde United Football Club are a semi-professional team from Hyde on the outskirts of Cheshire, England. Hyde traditionally play in red shirts and white shorts and play their games at Ewen Fields (sometimes referred to as the Tameside Stadium, albeit rarely, especially since local team Curzon Ashton now play at the Tameside Stadium!) which has a 4,100 capacity with 550 seats. Manchester United reserves also play their home games at Hyde, after moving from Altrincham F.C. The clubs record attendance was set b... [click for more] |
| 2004-05 | Hyde United | North Ferriby United |
| 2005-06 | Blyth Spartans | Mossley |
| 2006-07 | Burscough | Buxton |
For the 2007-08 season, Division One was reorganised into North and South regions.
| Season | Premier Division | Division One North | Division One South |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007-08 | Fleetwood Town | Bradford Park AvenueBradford A.F.C. (almost always refered to as Bradford (Park Avenue) A.F.C.) is a football (soccer) based in Bradford, England. They currently play in the Conference North.... [click for more] |
Retford United (not promoted)[1] |
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Ashton United Warning: Kit colors incorrect. Founded in 1878 as Hurst F.C., Ashton made their first appearance in a league in 1909, in the Manchester League. They won the league in 1912. They joined the Lancashire Combination in 1913, but joined the Cheshire County League in 1923, but were impotent. Before the World War Two, they had signed one of the star players of the period, Dixie Dean, but no football was played during World War II. They rejoined the Lancashire Combination in 1947, and still were impotent in league... |
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Bamber Bridge | Chorley | Clitheroe | Colwyn Bay | Curzon Ashton | Durham City | Garforth Town | Harrogate Railway | Lancaster City | MossleyMossley Association Football Club are an English football club from the town of Mossley, currently playing in the Northern Premier League First Division.... |
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Alsager Town | Belper Town | Brigg TownBrigg Town Football Club are the oldest association football team in Lincolnshire, England, dating to 1864. Known as the Zebras,they wear black and white as home colors and have in recent years played in the Northern Counties East League. Champions of the league in the 2000/2001 season, they were denied promotion to the Unibond Northern Premier League because improvements to their ground were not completed before the deadline. They were runners-up the two following years but only the champions of the NCE Le... |
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