Northern Premier League Premier Division

Encyclopedia : N : NO : NOR : Northern Premier League Premier Division

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The Premier Division is the top division of the Northern Premier League. It is at Step 3 (or level 7) of the National League System, placing it six divisions below the FA Premier League. For sponsorship reasons, it is often referred to as the UniBond League Premier Division.

The league was founded in 1968, as the northern equivalent of the Southern League, being the highest level Non-League division below The Football League. In 1979, upon the creation of the Alliance Premier League, it became a feeder league and fell down one 'level' in the English football league system. Since then, its prestige has fallen further: there are now two levels between it and the Football League.

The division is at the same level as the Premier Divisions of the Southern League and the Isthmian League. At the end of each season two clubs are promoted to the Conference North: the league champions, and the winners of a play-off competition held between the 2nd through 5th placed clubs. The four lowest placed teams are relegated to the Northern Premier League First Division. However, these are all dependent on these teams having adequate stadium-requirements for the higher level league. If not, promotion will be offered to the team below them, or cancelled for a year. In 1995, for example, Morecambe were promoted over champions Marine, whose ground was of an indequate quality.

Current Clubs

Club	last season
A.F.C. Telford United	Division One
Ashton United	21st in Conference North
Blyth Spartans	12th
Bradford Park Avenue	22nd in Conference North
Burscough	6th
Farsley Celtic	3rd
Frickley Athletic	18th
Gateshead	17th
Guiseley	10th
Ilkeston Town	Division One
Leek Town	7th
Lincoln United	14th
Marine	15th
Matlock Town	11th
North Ferriby United	Division One
Ossett Town	16th
Prescot Cables	5th
Radcliffe Borough	9th
Runcorn FC Halton	20th in Conference North
Wakefield-Emley	13th
Whitby Town	4th
Witton Albion	8th

Past winners

Season	Winner	Runner-Up
2005-06	Blyth Spartans	Frickley Athletic
2004-05	Hyde United	Workington
2003-04	Hucknall Town	Droylsden
2002-03	Accrington Stanley	Barrow A.F.C.
2001-02	Burton Albion	Vauxhall Motors
2000-01	Stalybridge Celtic	Emley
1999-2000	Leigh RMI	Hyde United
1998-99	Altrincham	Worksop
1997-98	Barrow A.F.C.	Boston United
1996-97	Leek Town	Bishop Auckland
1995-96	Bamber Bridge	Boston United
1994-95	Marine	Morecambe
1993-94	Marine	Leek Town
1992-93	Southport	Winsford United
1991-92	Stalybridge Celtic	Marine
1990-91	Witton Albion	Stalybridge Celtic
1989-90	Colne Dynamoes	Gateshead
1988-89	Barrow A.F.C.	Hyde United
1987-88	Chorley	Hyde United
1986-87	Macclesfield Town	Bangor City
1985-86	Gateshead	Marine
1984-85	Stafford Rangers	Macclesfield Town
1983-84	Barrow A.F.C.	Matlock Town
1982-83	Gateshead	Mossley A.F.C.
1981-82	Bangor City	Mossley A.F.C.
1980-81	Runcorn	Mossley A.F.C.
1979-80	Mossley A.F.C.	Witton Albion
1978-79	Mossley A.F.C.	Altrincham
1977-78	Boston United	Wigan Athletic
1976-77	Boston United	Northwich Victoria
1975-76	Runcorn	Stafford Rangers
1974-75	Wigan Athletic	Runcorn
1973-74	Boston United	Wigan Athletic
1972-73	Boston United	Scarborough
1971-72	Wigan Athletic	Stafford Rangers
1970-71	Macclesfield Town	Wigan Athletic
1969-70	Macclesfield Town	Wigan Athletic

|- !colspan="3" style="background:#ccf; text-align:center;"|Northern Premier League Premier Division 2006/07 |- |colspan="3" style="padding:0 5% 0 5%; text-align:center;"| AFC Telford United | Ashton United | Burscough | Fleetwood Town | Frickley Athletic | Gateshead | Grantham Town | Guiseley | Hednesford Town | Ilkeston Town | Kendal Town | Leek Town | Lincoln United | Marine | Matlock Town | Mossley | North Ferriby United | Ossett Town | Prescot Cables | Radcliffe Borough | Whitby Town | Witton Albion     [http://encycl.opentopia.com/ edit]

|- | align="center" colspan= "3" style="background:#ffdead;" | English football league system - Level 7 |- | align="center" colspan= "3" | Promotion to: Conference North |- | align="center" colspan= "3" | Relegation to: Northern Premier League First Division |-

|- ! colspan="3" style="background:#ccf;" | Football in England |- ! style="background:#ffdead; width:19em;" | League competitions | style="width:9em;" align="center" | The FA ! style="background:#ffdead; width:19em;" | Cup competitions |- | align="center" |FA Premier League | align="center" |England | align="center" |FA Cup |- | align="center" |The Football League (Champ, 1, 2) | align="center" |(U-21) (B) | align="center" |League Cup |- | align="center" |Football Conference (Nat, N, S) | align="center" |List of clubs | align="center" |FA Community Shield |- | align="center" |Northern Premier League (Prem, 1) | align="center" | | align="center" |Football League Trophy |- | align="center" |Southern League (Prem, Mid, S&W) | align="center" |(by capacity) | align="center" |FA Trophy |- | align="center" |Isthmian League (Prem, 1N, 1S) | align="center" | | align="center" |FA Vase |- | align="center" |English football league system | align="center" |Records | align="center" |FA NLS Cup |- | style="background:#ccf;" colspan="3" align="center" | Women's football in England |- ! style="background:#ffdead; width:19em;" | League competitions | style="width:9em;" align="center" |   ! style="background:#ffdead; width:19em;" | Cup competitions |- | align="center" |Women's Premier League (Nat, N, S) | align="center" |England women | align="center" |FA Women's Cup |- | | align="center" |List of clubs | align="center" |Premier League Cup

 

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