The 2019–20 National League season, known as the Vanarama National League for sponsorship reasons, was the fifth season under English football's new title of National League, the sixteenth season consisting of three divisions, and the forty-first season overall.[1]
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the National League season was initially suspended on 16 March 2020 until at least 3 April. On 31 March, this suspension was extended indefinitely until further notice.[2] On 22 April, clubs voted to end the season, with promotions and relegations still "under careful consideration".[3] Due to the knock-on effects of Bury F.C.'s expulsion from EFL League One at the start of the season, it had already been assumed prior to the pandemic that no more than one club instead of the usual two was to be relegated from the English Football League, and that no more than three clubs instead of the usual four were to be relegated from the National division. The cumulative effect that the early termination of the season and Bury's expulsion from the EFL had on the composition of the National League's three divisions would have been determined.
On 17 June 2020, Barrow along with Wealdstone and King's Lynn Town were elected champions of their respective divisions after National League clubs voted to decide the final tables on a points-per-game basis. Barrow were therefore promoted to League Two, with Wealdstone and King's Lynn Town promoted to the National League.[4] [5] AFC Fylde considered mounting a legal challenge with support from Ebbsfleet United against their relegations, but ultimately decided against it.[6]
Promotion play-offs were held in all three divisions to decide the additional promotion places. The semi-finals took place over the final two weekends of July, and the finals took place on 1 and 2 August. Clubs were expected to conduct and fund a COVID-19 prevention and testing process, and were allowed to decline their place in the competition without penalty if they were unable to fulfil this requirement.[7] On 1 July, the Premier League committed £200,000 to the National League to help fund the conclusion of their season.[8]
| Competition: | National League |
| Winners: | Barrow |
| Prevseason: | 2018–19 |
| Nextseason: | 2020–21 |
The National League consists of 24 clubs.
Promoted from 2018–19 National League North
Promoted from 2018–19 National League South
Relegated from 2018–19 League Two
Promoted to 2019–20 League Two
Relegated to 2019–20 National League North
Relegated to 2019–20 National League South
| Team | Location | Stadium | Capacity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AFC Fylde | Wesham | Mill Farm Sports Village | 6,000 | |
| Aldershot | Recreation Ground | 7,200 | ||
| Barnet | The Hive Stadium | 6,418 | ||
| Barrow-in-Furness | Holker Street | 5,045 | ||
| Borehamwood | Meadow Park | 4,502 | ||
| Hayes Lane | 5,300 | |||
| Chesterfield | Chesterfield | Proact Stadium | 10,504 | |
| Chorley | Victory Park | 4,100 | ||
| Victoria Road | 6,078 | |||
| Dover | Crabble Athletic Ground | 5,745 | ||
| Eastleigh | Ten Acres | 5,250 | ||
| Ebbsfleet United | Northfleet | Stonebridge Road | 4,800 | |
| FC Halifax Town | Halifax | The Shay | 10,400 | |
| Harrogate | Wetherby Road | 4,100 | ||
| Hartlepool | Victoria Park | 7,856 | ||
| Maidenhead | York Road | 4,000 | ||
| Notts County | Nottingham | Meadow Lane | 19,588 | |
| Solihull | Damson Park | 5,500 | ||
| Stockport | Edgeley Park | 10,852 | ||
| Gander Green Lane | 5,013 | |||
| Torquay | Plainmoor | 6,500 | ||
| Woking | Kingfield Stadium | 6,036 | ||
| Wrexham | Racecourse Ground | 10,771 | ||
| Yeovil Town | Yeovil | Huish Park | 9,566 |
| Team | width-150 | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Position in table | Incoming manager | Date of appointment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yeovil Town | Neale Marmon | End of Interim Contract | 4 May 2019 | Pre-season | Darren Sarll | 19 June 2019 | |
| FC Halifax Town | Jamie Fullarton | Resigned | 15 July 2019 | Pete Wild | 25 July 2019 | ||
| Wrexham | Bryan Hughes | Dismissed | 25 September 2019 | 21st | Dean Keates | 6 October 2019 | |
| Hartlepool United | Craig Hignett | 10 October 2019 | 16th | Dave Challinor | 11 November 2019 | ||
| Ebbsfleet United | Garry Hill | 24th | Kevin Watson | 4 November 2019 | |||
| AFC Fylde | Dave Challinor | 12 October 2019 | 21st | Jim Bentley | 28 October 2019 | ||
| Dagenham & Redbridge | Peter Taylor | 29 December 2019 | 18th | Daryl McMahon | 3 January 2020 | ||
| Chesterfield | John Sheridan | 2 January 2020 | 22nd | John Pemberton | 2 January 2020 | ||
| Solihull Moors | Tim Flowers | Mutual Consent | 28 January 2020 | 9th | James Shan | 12 February 2020 | |
| Barrow | Ian Evatt | Signed by Bolton Wanderers | 1 July 2020 | 1st | David Dunn | 9 July 2020 | |
See main article: 2020 National League play-off Final.
Each month the Motorama National League announces their official Player of the Month and Manager of the Month.
| Month | Player of the Month | Club | Manager of the Month | Club | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 2019 | Ben Gerring[11] | Woking | Alan Dowson[12] | Woking | |
| September 2019 | John Rooney[13] | Barrow | Darren Sarll[14] | Yeovil Town | |
| October 2019 | Matt Buse[15] | Torquay United | Simon Weaver[16] | Harrogate Town | |
| November 2019 | Jamey Osborne[17] | Solihull Moors | Ian Evatt[18] | Barrow | |
| December 2019 | Courtney Duffus[19] | Yeovil Town | Neal Ardley[20] | Notts County | |
| January 2020 | Warren Burrell[21] | Harrogate Town | Pete Wild[22] | FC Halifax Town | |
| February 2020 | Asa Hall[23] | Torquay United | Simon Weaver[24] | Harrogate Town |
| Competition: | National League North |
| Winners: | King's Lynn Town |
| Promoted: | King's Lynn Town Altrincham |
| Relegated: | none |
| Prevseason: | 2018–19 |
| Nextseason: | 2020–21 |
The National League North consists of 22 teams.
Promoted from 2018–19 Northern Premier League Premier Division
Promoted from 2018–19 Southern League Premier Division Central
Relegated from 2018–19 National League
Transferred from 2018–19 National League South
Promoted to 2019–20 National League
Relegated to 2019–20 Northern Premier League Premier Division
Relegated to 2019–20 Southern League Premier Division Central
| Team | Location | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| AFC Telford United | Telford | New Bucks Head | 6,300 |
| Alfreton Town | Alfreton | North Street | 3,600 |
| Altrincham | Altrincham | Moss Lane | 6,085 |
| Blyth Spartans | Blyth | Croft Park | 4,435 |
| Boston | York Street | 6,643 | |
| Brackley | St. James Park | 3,500 | |
| Bradford | Horsfall Stadium | 3,500 | |
| Chester | Deva Stadium | 6,500 | |
| Ashton-under-Lyne | Tameside Stadium | 4,000 | |
| Darlington | Darlington | Blackwell Meadows | 3,300 |
| Farsley Celtic | Farsley | The Citadel | 3,900 |
| Gateshead | Gateshead International Stadium | 11,800 | |
| Jubilee Stadium (groundshare with Evesham United) | 3,000 | ||
| Guiseley | Nethermoor Park | 4,200 | |
| Hereford | Edgar Street | 5,213 | |
| Kettering Town | Kettering | Latimer Park (groundshare with Burton Park Wanderers) | 2,400 |
| Kidderminster | Aggborough Stadium | 6,238 | |
| King's Lynn | The Walks | 5,733 | |
| Leamington | New Windmill Ground | 2,300 | |
| Southport | Haig Avenue | 3,150 | |
| Spennymoor Town | Spennymoor | The Brewery Field | 6,000 |
| York | Bootham Crescent | 8,256[25] | |
| Team | width-150 | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Position in table | Incoming manager | Date of appointment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gateshead | Dismissed | 30 April 2019 | Pre-season | Dave Dickson | 19 May 2019 | ||
| Blyth Spartans | Signed by Darlington | 21 May 2019 | Lee Clark | 1 June 2019 | |||
| Gateshead | Dave Dickson | Dismissed | 31 May 2019 | Mike Williamson | 11 June 2019 | ||
| Bradford (Park Avenue) | Garry Thompson | Dismissed | 7 August 2019 | 24th | Marcus Law | 8 August 2019 | |
| Hereford | Marc Richards | Dismissed | 12 August 2019 | 13th | Russell Slade | 29 August 2019 | |
| Kidderminster Harriers | John Pemberton | Resigned | 27 November 2019[26] | 17th | 6 December 2019[27] | ||
| Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Adam Marriott | King's Lynn Town | 28 |
| 2 | Lee Ndlovu | Brackley Town | 20 |
| 3 | Akwasi Asante | Chester | 18 |
| 4 | Aaron Martin | Guiseley | 17 |
| Glen Taylor | Spennymoor Town | ||
| 6 | Josh March | Leamington | 16 |
| 7 | Jordan Burrow | York City | 15 |
| Adam Campbell | Darlington | ||
| Amari Morgan-Smith | Alfreton Town | ||
| 10 | Josh Hancock | Altrincham | 14 |
| Jordan Hulme | Altrincham |
Each month the Motorama National League announces their official Player of the Month and Manager of the Month.
| Month | Player of the Month | Club | Manager of the Month | Club | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 2019 | Aaron Martin[28] | Guiseley | Steve Watson[29] | York City | |
| September 2019 | James Armson[30] | Brackley Town | Adam Lakeland[31] | Farsley Celtic | |
| October 2019 | David Morgan[32] | Southport | Alun Armstrong[33] | Darlington | |
| November 2019 | Adam Marriott[34] | King's Lynn Town | Ian Culverhouse | King's Lynn Town | |
| December 2019 | Lee Ndlovu[35] | Brackley Town | Paul Holleran | Leamington | |
| January 2020 | Josh Hancock[36] | Altrincham | Phil Parkinson | Altrincham |
| Competition: | National League South |
| Winners: | Wealdstone |
| Promoted: | Wealdstone Weymouth |
| Relegated: | none |
| Prevseason: | 2018–19 |
| Nextseason: | 2020–21 |
The National League South consists of 22 teams.
Promoted from 2018–19 Isthmian League Premier Division
Promoted from 2018–19 Southern League Premier Division South
Relegated from 2018–19 National League
Promoted to 2019–20 National League
Relegated to 2019–20 Isthmian League Premier Division
Relegated to 2019–20 Southern League Premier Division South
Transferred to 2019–20 National League North
| Team | Location | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bath City | Twerton Park | 8,840 | |
| Billericay Town | Billericay | New Lodge | 3,500 |
| Braintree | Cressing Road | 4,085 | |
| Chelmsford City | Chelmsford | Melbourne Stadium | 3,019 |
| Chippenham | Hardenhuish Park | 3,000 | |
| Canvey Island | Thames Road | 3,300 | |
| Dartford | Dartford | Princes Park | 4,100 |
| Dorking Wanderers | Dorking | Meadowbank Stadium | 2,000 |
| Champion Hill | 3,000 | ||
| Eastbourne Borough | Eastbourne | Priory Lane | 4,151 |
| London | Beveree Stadium | 3,500 | |
| Havant & Waterlooville | Havant | West Leigh Park | 5,300 |
| Hemel Hempstead | Vauxhall Road | 3,152 | |
| Hungerford Town | Hungerford | Bulpit Lane | 2,500 |
| Maidstone | Gallagher Stadium | 4,200 | |
| Court Place Farm | 2,000 | ||
| Slough | Arbour Park | 2,000 | |
| St Albans | Clarence Park | 4,500 | |
| Tonbridge Angels | Tonbridge | Longmead Stadium | 3,000 |
| London | 3,607 | ||
| London | Park View Road | 4,000 | |
| Weymouth | Bob Lucas Stadium | 6,600 | |
| Team | width-150 | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Position in table | Incoming manager | Date of appointment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Billericay Town | Harry Wheeler | Dismissed | 16 September 2019 | 7th | Jamie O'Hara | 16 September 2019 |