| Pixels: | 150px |
| Country: | England |
| Teams: | 88
|
| Promotion: | National League North |
| Relegation: | |
| Levels: | 7 and 8 |
| Domest Cup: | National FA Cup FA Trophy League League Challenge Cup |
| Current: | 2024–25 |
The Northern Premier League is an English football league that was founded in 1968. Together with the Isthmian League and the Southern League it forms levels seven and eight of the English football league system.
Geographically, the league covers all of Northern England and the northern, central areas of the Midlands, and western parts of East Anglia. Originally a single-division competition, a second division was added in 1987: Division One, and in 2007 a third was added when Division One split into two geographic sections - Division One North and Division One South. In 2018 Division One was re-aligned as East and West Divisions, then North West and South East in 2019. In 2021, the FA restructured the non-League football pyramid and created Division One East, West, and Midlands.
Successful teams at the top of the NPL Premier Division are promoted to level 6 of the pyramid (either National League North or National League South), and at the bottom end of the competition, teams are relegated down to level 9, where several regional feeder leagues promote clubs into the league.
The Northern Premier League (NPL) was founded in 1968, as the northern equivalent of the Southern League, decades after the other two leagues at what is now the seventh tier of the English football league system, the Isthmian League and the Southern League. At that time they were the highest level non-League division below the English Football League, the same level as the other league in Northern England, the Northern League.[1]
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 (which later became the Conference and is now the National League), the NPL became a feeder league and fell down one level in the English football league system, and with the then-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 English Football League.
From 1992–93 to 1994–95 the league's Division One included two non-English clubs, Caernarfon Town from Wales and Gretna from Scotland, who later joined their countries' league systems. Colwyn Bay, Bangor City, Newtown, and Rhyl have also played in the league.
In 2018, the NPL's member clubs voted 37–27, with one abstention and three clubs' absence, to split Step 4 (level 8) divisions from east to west starting from the 2018–19 season,[2] and one year later, the league published its successful bid to add another division at Step 4 initially in 2020, further altering Division One into northwest and southeast for travel reasons.[3] [4] After the Football Association (FA) deferred its implementation of changes to the NLS, the NPL's additional division was created in 2021 instead.[5]
Owing to title sponsorship deals, the league has been billed under various names, including a sixteen-year spell as the Unibond League, the longest such deal in world football.[6] When this deal ended in 2010, a new deal was announced which saw the competition billed as the Evo-Stik League[7] [8] [9] until the 2017–18 season.[10] The League announced on 8 July 2019 that a two-year deal for seasons 2019-20 and 2020-21 had been agreed with new sponsor BetVictor.[11] This sponsorship agreement with BetVictor was subsequently terminated early in April 2020 with a replacement, Entain's Pitching In, announced as the next sponsor for 2020–21. At the time of announcement, Entain went by its former name GVC Holdings. Under this partnership, the NPL is marketed as one of the three Trident Leagues, alongside its Isthmian and Southern counterparts.[12]
Since 2021, the NPL has had four divisions: the Premier Division, Division One Midlands, Division One West and Division One East. Prior to 2007 there was just a single Division One,[1] and from 2018 to 2021 Division One was arranged on a north-south, then east-west basis.
The Premier Division has 22 clubs, with the champions promoted to the National League along with the winners of a playoff between the second to fifth place clubs. Theoretically, clubs from the NPL could be promoted into either of the National League's two regional divisions, but the geographical footprint of the NPL has never overlapped with that of the National League South, so (as of 2015) all promoted NPL clubs have been placed in the National League North. The bottom three teams are usually relegated to Division One North West or South East, but NPL Premier Division clubs in the most southerly locales could be relegated to the Southern League Division One Central.
From the 2019–20 season, Division One North West and South East have 20 clubs each. In each division, the champions are promoted to the Premier Division, along with the winners of a divisional playoff. 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 League, and the North West Counties League. Clubs in the northern extremities of the Midland League and the United Counties League may also be promoted to the Northern Premier League.
Should there be an unusually large or small number of clubs relegated to and/or promoted to the level of the NPL from Northern England, the National League System (NLS) Committee can order one or more of the NPL's southernmost clubs to transfer to the Southern League (or vice versa) to maintain numerical balance between the leagues.
Division One North West and South East teams receive a bye to the preliminary round of FA Cup Qualification. Premier Division teams receive a bye to the first round of Qualification.
The league currently runs one cup competition, with all member clubs competing in the League Challenge Cup. In the past, the league has run other competitions, such as the Chairman's Cup, the President's Cup and the Peter Swales Shield.
| Id | Club | Home ground | Ground capacity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ashton United | Hurst Cross | 4,250 (250 seated) | |
| 2 | Atherton Collieries | Skuna Stadium | 2,200 | |
| 3 | Bamber Bridge | Sir Tom Finney Stadium | 3,000 (554 seated) | |
| 4 | Basford United | Greenwich Avenue | 1,950 (300 seated) | |
| 5 | Horsfall Stadium | 3,500 | ||
| 6 | FC United of Manchester | Broadhurst Park | 4,400 | |
| 7 | Gainsborough Trinity | The Northolme | 4,340 (504 seated) | |
| 8 | Guiseley | Nethermoor Park | 4,200 | |
| 9 | Hyde United | Ewen Fields | 4,250 (530 seated) | |
| 10 | Ilkeston Town | New Manor Ground | 3,029 | |
| 11 | Lancaster City | Giant Axe | 3,513 (513 seated) | |
| 12 | Macclesfield | Leasing.com Stadium | 5,300 (2,095 seated) | |
| 13 | Marine | Rossett Park | 2,200 (400 seated) | |
| 14 | Marske United | Mount Pleasant | 2,150 | |
| 15 | Matlock Town | Causeway Lane | 2,214 | |
| 16 | Morpeth Town | Craik Park | 1,950 (300 seated) | |
| 17 | Radcliffe | Neuven Stadium | 4,080 (430 seated) | |
| 18 | Stafford Rangers | Marston Road | 4,000 (530 seated) | |
| 19 | Warrington Rylands 1906 | Gorsey Lane | 1,345 | |
| 20 | Whitby Town | Turnbull Ground | 3,500 (505 seated) | |
| 21 | Workington | Borough Park | 3,100 (500 seated) | |
| 22 | Worksop Town | Sandy Lane | 2,200 (200 seated) | |
| Club | Home ground | Ground capacity | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1874 Northwich | Townfield | 1,300 | |
| Avro | Whitebank Stadium | 1,500 | |
| Belper Town | Christchurch Meadow | 2,000 (500 seated) | |
| Bootle | New Bucks Park | 2,000 | |
| Chasetown | The Scholars Ground | 2,000 | |
| City of Liverpool | New Bucks Park | 2,000 | |
| Clitheroe | Shawbridge | 2,000 | |
| Potteries Park | 1,300 | ||
| Hednesford Town | Keys Park | 6,039 | |
| Kidsgrove Athletic | Hollinwood Road | 2,000 | |
| Leek Town | Harrison Park | 3,600 (625 seated) | |
| Liversedge | Clayborn | 2,000 | |
| Mossley | Seel Park | 3,000 (200 seated) | |
| Nantwich Town | Swansway Stadium | 3,500 (300 seated) | |
| Newcastle Town | Lyme Valley Stadium | 4,000 (300 seated) | |
| Prescot Cables | Valerie Park | 2,070 | |
| Runcorn Linnets | APEC Taxis Stadium | 1,600 | |
| Stalybridge Celtic | Bower Fold | 6,500 (1,300 seated) | |
| Trafford | Shawe View | 1,500 | |
| Vauxhall Motors | vanEupen Arena | 3,300 | |
| Widnes | Halton Stadium | 13,350 (all seater stadium) | |
| Witton Albion | Wincham Park | 2,300 (600 seated) | |
| Club | Home ground | Ground capacity | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ashington | Woodhorn Lane | 2,000 (250 seated) | |
| Bridlington Town | Queensgate | 3,000 (542 seated) | |
| Brighouse Town | St Giles Road | 1,350 (150 seated) | |
| Carlton Town | Bill Stokeld Stadium | 1,968 (150 seated) | |
| Cleethorpes Town | Linden Club | 1,300 (180 seated) | |
| Consett | Belle View Stadium | 3,770 (250 seated) | |
| Dunston UTS | Wellington Road | 2,500 (150 seated) | |
| Grantham Town | South Kesteven Sports Stadium | 7,500 (750 seated) | |
| Grimsby Borough | Bradley Football Centre | 1,300 (180 seated) | |
| Hebburn Town | Hebburn Sports & Social Ground | 2,000 (500 seated) | |
| Securicorp Stadium | 1300 (100 seated) | ||
| North Ferriby | The Dransfield Stadium | 3,000 (504 seated) | |
| Ossett United | Ingfield | 1,950 (360 seated) | |
| Pontefract Collieries | Beechnut Lane | 1,500 (300 seated) | |
| Sheffield | Home of Football Ground | 2,089 (250 seated) | |
| Stocksbridge Park Steels | Bracken Moor | 3,500 (450 seated) | |
| Stockton Town | Bishopton Road West | 1,800 (200 seated) | |
| Winterton Rangers | West Street Stadium | 3,000 (300 seated) | |
| Club | Home ground | Ground capacity | |
|---|---|---|---|
| AFC Rushden & Diamonds | Hayden Road | 2,000 (257 seated) | |
| Anstey Nomads | Cropston Road | 1,500 (seated 150) | |
| Bedworth United | The Oval | 3,000 (300 seated) | |
| Boldmere St Michaels | Trevor Brown Memorial Ground | 2,000 (230 seated) | |
| Cambridge City | Westwood Road | 2,000 | |
| Coleshill Town | Pack Meadow | 2,000 | |
| Corby Town | Steel Park | 3,893 (577 seated) | |
| Coventry Sphinx | Sphinx Drive | ||
| Gresley Rovers | Moat Ground | 2,400 | |
| Harborough Town | Bowden Park | 2,000 (200 seated) | |
| Hinckley LRFC | Leicester Road Stadium | 4,329 (732 seayed) | |
| Loughborough Dynamo | Nanpantan Sports Ground | 1,500 (250 seated) | |
| Lye Town | Lye Sports Ground | 1,000 | |
| Quorn | Farley Way Stadium | 1,400 (400 seated) | |
| Butlin Road | 6,000 (740 seated) | ||
| Shepshed Dynamo | The Dovecote Stadium | 2,500 (500 seated) | |
| Spalding United | Sir Halley Stewart Field | 3,500 (1,000 seated) | |
| Sporting Khalsa | Noose Lane | 2,250 | |
| Sutton Coldfield Town | Central Ground | 2,000 | |
| Oak Park | 1,000 (272 seated) | ||
| Premier Division | Division One | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West | East | Midlands (2021–present) | |||
| Farsley Celtic | Morpeth Town | Atherton Collieries | |||
| 2019–201 | South Shields | Leek Town | Workington | ||
| 2020–212 | Mickleover | Colne | Leek Town | ||
| Buxton | Warrington Rylands 1906 | Liversedge | Ilkeston Town | ||
| 2022–23 | South Shields | Macclesfield | Worksop Town | Stamford | |
| 2023–24 | Radcliffe | Leek Town | Hebburn Town | Spalding United | |
Since the league's formation in 1968, the following clubs have won promotion to higher levels of the English football league system -
| Seasons | Promoted to | |
|---|---|---|
| 1958–1979 | Football League Fourth Division | |
| 1979–1986 | Alliance Premier League | |
| 1986–2003 | Football Conference | |
| 2003–2005 | Football Conference National | |
| 2004–2015 | Football Conference North | |
| 2015–Present | National League North |
The league currently runs one cup competition, the League Challenge Cup, which is contested by every club in the league.[13]
| Season | Winner | Result | Runner-up | Venue | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968–69 | Bangor City | 5–2 | Runcorn | 1L: 2L: | 1L: 2L: |
| 1969–70 | Altrincham | 4–3 | Macclesfield Town | 1L: 2L: Moss Rose | 1L: 4,400 2L: 6,833 |
| 1970–71 | Fleetwood | 1–1 1–0 ( | Macclesfield Town | 1L: 2L: Moss Rose rep. Springfield Park | 1L: 1,374 2L: 2,457 rep. |
| 1971–72 | Wigan Athletic | 4–2 | Gainsborough Trinity | 1L: 2L: | 1L: 2L: |
| 1972–73 | Northwich Victoria | 3–2 | Wigan Athletic | 1L: 2L: | 1L: 2L: |
| 1973–74 | Boston United | 4–3 | Altrincham | 1L: 2L: | 1L: 2L: |
| 1974–75 | Runcorn | 2–1 | Stafford Rangers | 1L: 2L: | 1L: 2L: |
| 1975–76 | Boston United | 4–3 | Mossley | 1L: York Street 2L: Seel Park | 1L: 2,212 2L: 711 |
| 1976–77 | Scarborough | 1–0 | Runcorn | Maine Road | |
| 1977–78 | Matlock Town | 3–0 | Boston United | Maine Road | |
| 1978–79 | Mossley | 4–1 | Northwich Victoria | Maine Road | 5,054 |
| 1979–80 | Runcorn | 2–0 | Lancaster City | Maine Road | |
| 1980–81 | Runcorn | 4–3 | Marine | Maine Road | |
| 1981–82 | Gainsborough Trinity | 1–0 | Mossley | Maine Road | 1,658 |
| 1982–83 | Burton Albion | 2–1 | Macclesfield Town | Maine Road | 2,538 |
| 1983–84 | South Liverpool | 1–1 | Hyde United | Maine Road | |
| 1984–85 | Marine | 3–2 | Goole Town | Maine Road | |
| 1985–86 | Hyde United | 1–0 | Marine | Maine Road | |
| 1986–87 | Macclesfield Town | 2–0 | Burton Albion | Maine Road | 2,037 |
| 1987–88 | Goole Town | 2–2 | Barrow | Maine Road | 1,579 |
| 1988–89 | Mossley | 2–1 | Fleetwood | Maine Road | 2,110 |
| 1989–90 | Hyde United | 1–0 | Gateshead | Maine Road | |
| 1990–91 | Southport | 4–1 | Buxton | Maine Road | 1,700 |
| 1991–92 | Marine | 1–0 | Frickley Athletic | Maine Road | |
| 1992–93 | Winsford United | 1–1 | Warrington Town | Maine Road | |
| 1993–94 | Spennymoor United | 3–1 | Hyde United | Wetherby Road | 585 |
| 1994–95 | Bamber Bridge | 2–1 | Bishop Auckland | Burnden Park | |
| 1995–96 | Hyde United | 1–1 | Leek Town | Burnden Park | 501 |
| 1996–97 | Gainsborough Trinity | 1–0 | Boston United | Sincil Bank | |
| 1997–98 | Altrincham | 2–1 | Gainsborough Trinity | Saltergate | |
| 1998–99 | Stalybridge Celtic | 2–1 | Guiseley | ||
| 1999–00 | Lancaster City | 1–0 | Worksop Town | Bower Fold | 669 |
| 2000–01 | Lancaster City | 2–2 | Bishop Auckland | Giant Axe | 530 |
| 2001–02 | Accrington Stanley | 1–1 | Bradford Park Avenue | 1L: Horsfall Stadium 2L: Crown Ground | 1L: 471 2L: 1,107 |
| 2002–03 | Marine | 3–0 | Gateshead | 1L: Filtrona Park 2L: Rossett Park | 1L: 184 2L: 425 |
| 2003–04 | Droylsden | 4–1 | Hucknall Town | 1L: Butcher's Arms Ground 2L: Watnall Road | 1L: 424 2L: 597 |
| 2004–05 | Matlock Town | 5–3 | Whitby Town | 1L: Causeway Lane 2L: Turnbull Ground | 1L: 547 2L: 490 |
| 2005–06 | Farsley Celtic | 1–0 | Stocksbridge Park Steels | Throstle Nest | 507 |
| 2006–07 | Fleetwood | 1–0 | Matlock Town | Wincham Park | 426 |
| 2007–08 | Eastwood Town | 3–0 | Skelmersdale United | Tameside Stadium | 372 |
| 2008–09 | Guiseley | 3–2 | Ilkeston Town | Tameside Stadium | 227 |
| 2009–10 | Boston United | 2–0 | Retford United | Ashby Avenue | 503 |
| 2010–11 | Ashton United | 1–0 | Northwich Victoria | Wincham Park | 489 |
| 2011–12 | North Ferriby United | 4–1 | Coronation Park | 256 | |
| 2012–13 | North Ferriby United | Curzon Ashton | Throstle Nest | 179 | |
| 2013–14 | AFC Fylde | 1–0 | Skelmersdale United | Edgeley Park | 358 |
| 2014–15 | Warrington Town | Farsley | Edgeley Park | 731 | |
| 2015–16 | Marine | 2–1 | Scarborough Athletic | Throstle Nest | 690 |
| 2016–17 | Bamber Bridge | 2–1 | Grantham Town | Harrison Park | 474 |
| 2017–18 | Atherton Collieries | 2–1 | Coalville Town | North Street | 374 |
| 2018–19 | Trafford | 2–1 | Farsley Celtic | Broadhurst Park | 374 |
| 2019–20 | Competition abandoned due to COVID-19 | ||||
| 2020–23 | Not contested | ||||
In the past the league has run three other cup competitions - the President's Cup, Chairman's Cup and Peter Swales Shield.[14]
| Season | President's Cup | Chairman's Cup | Peter Swales Shield | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970–71 | - | - | Wigan Athletic | |
| 1971–72 | - | - | Wigan Athletic | |
| 1972–73 | - | - | Boston United | |
| 1973–74 | - | - | Boston United | |
| 1974–75 | - | - | Wigan Athletic | |
| 1975–76 | - | - | Boston United | |
| 1976–77 | - | - | Boston United | |
| 1977–78 | - | - | Matlock Town | |
| 1978–79 | - | - | Altrincham | |
| 1979–80 | - | - | Runcorn | |
| 1980–81 | - | - | Runcorn | |
| 1981–82 | - | Gainsborough Trinity | ||
| 1982–83 | - | Burton Albion | ||
| 1983–84 | - | Barrow | ||
| 1984–85 | - | Stafford Rangers | ||
| 1985–86 | - | Gateshead | ||
| 1986–87 | - | Bangor City | ||
| 1987–88 | - | Chorley | ||
| 1988–89 | - | Mossley | ||
| 1989–90 | - | Leek Town | ||
| 1990–91 | - | Witton Albion | ||
| 1991–92 | - | Stalybridge Celtic | ||
| 1992–93 | - | Southport | ||
| 1993–94 | Guiseley | - | Marine | |
| 1994–95 | - | Marine | ||
| 1995–96 | - | Hyde United | ||
| 1996–97 | - | Gainsborough Trinity | ||
| 1997–98 | - | Altrincham | ||
| 1998–99 | - | Altrincham | ||
| 1999–00 | Hyde United | Leigh RMI | ||
| 2000–01 | Stalybridge Celtic | |||
| 2001–02 | Accrington Stanley | |||
| 2002–03 | Accrington Stanley | |||
| 2003–04 | Droylsden | |||
| 2004–05 | Hyde United | |||
| 2005–06 | Blyth Spartans | |||
| 2006–07 | Burscough | |||
| 2007–08 | Fleetwood Town | |||
| 2008–09 | Eastwood Town | |||
| 2009–10 | Guiseley | |||
| 2010–11 | Lancaster City | - | FC Halifax Town | |
| 2011–12 | - | - | Chester | |
| 2012–13 | - | - | Skelmersdale United | |
| 2013–14 | - | - | Halesowen Town |