1969–70 Northern Premier League

Northern Premier League
Season1969–70
ChampionsMacclesfield Town
PromotedNone
RelegatedGateshead
Hyde United
Matches played380
Goals scored1,158 (3.05 per match)
Biggest home winScarborough 8–0 Great Harwood[1]
(14 March 1970)
Biggest away winGateshead 0–7 South Shields[1]
(27 December 1969)
Highest scoringRuncorn 4–4 Great Harwood[1]
(1 November 1969)

Runcorn 2–6 Matlock Town[1]
(29 November 1969)
Great Harwood 3–5 Gainsborough Trinity[1]
(7 March 1970)

Scarborough 8–0 Great Harwood[1]
(14 March 1970)
Longest winning run8 matches
Macclesfield Town
(13 September 1969 – 22 November 1969)
Longest unbeaten run16 matches
Macclesfield Town
(8 September 1969 – 28 February 1970)
Longest winless run26 matches
Gateshead
(30 August 1969 – 27 March 1970)
Longest losing run7 matches
Goole Town
(27 March 1970 – 2 May 1970)

The 1969–70 Northern Premier League was the second season of the Northern Premier League, a regional football league in Northern England, the northern areas of the Midlands and North Wales. The season began on 9 August 1969 and concluded on 9 May 1970.[1]

Overview

The League featured twenty teams for the second consecutive season.

Team changes

The following three clubs left the League at the end of the previous season:

The following three clubs joined the League at the start of the season:

League table

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GR Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Macclesfield Town (C) 38 22 8 8 72 41 1.756 52
2 Wigan Athletic 38 20 12 6 56 32 1.750 52
3 Boston United 38 21 8 9 65 33 1.970 50
4 Scarborough 38 20 10 8 74 39 1.897 50
5 South Shields 38 19 7 12 66 43 1.535 45
6 Gainsborough Trinity 38 16 11 11 64 49 1.306 43
7 Stafford Rangers 38 16 7 15 59 52 1.135 39
8 Bangor City 38 15 9 14 68 63 1.079 39
9 Northwich Victoria 38 15 8 15 60 66 0.909 38
10 Netherfield 38 14 9 15 56 54 1.037 37
11 Hyde United (R) 38 15 7 16 59 59 1.000 37 Relegated to Cheshire County League
12 Altrincham 38 14 8 16 62 65 0.954 36
13 Fleetwood 38 13 10 15 53 60 0.883 36
14 Runcorn 38 11 13 14 57 72 0.792 35
15 Morecambe 38 10 13 15 41 51 0.804 33
16 South Liverpool 38 11 11 16 44 55 0.800 33
17 Great Harwood 38 10 9 19 63 92 0.685 29
18 Matlock Town 38 8 12 18 52 67 0.776 28
19 Goole Town 38 10 6 22 50 71 0.704 26
20 Gateshead (R) 38 5 12 21 37 94 0.394 22 Relegated to Wearside League
Updated to match(es) played on 10 May 1969. Source: The Football Archives
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal average; 3) number of goals scored.

The system of using goal average to separate two teams tied on points was used up until the 1976–77 season.

The points system up until the 1982–83 season: 2 points for a win, 1 point for a draw and 0 points for losing.
(C) Champions; (R) Relegated

Results

Home \ Away ALT BAN BOS FLE GAI GAT GOO GHA HYD MAC MAT MOR NET NOR RUN SCA SLI SSH STA WIG
Altrincham 1–1 1–0 3–2 1–2 3–1 4–2 2–1 4–1 2–4 3–3 0–3 4–1 1–2 2–1 0–2 2–2 3–1 1–2 1–3
Bangor City 3–4 1–1 1–1 1–1 3–1 5–2 3–0 5–0 2–0 4–0 2–0 1–2 3–2 4–1 0–2 1–0 3–0 1–0 2–1
Boston United 1–0 0–0 3–0 1–2 7–0 1–0 3–0 2–0 1–0 2–0 2–0 4–0 5–0 1–0 2–0 1–1 2–0 2–0 0–0
Fleetwood 1–1 4–2 3–1 1–3 1–1 1–2 2–2 1–0 3–2 1–0 0–0 2–0 3–0 5–0 0–0 0–6 3–0 2–1 1–0
Gainsborough Trinity 3–0 2–1 1–3 1–1 2–1 5–0 6–1 0–1 0–0 1–1 0–0 3–2 2–2 1–1 2–1 4–2 1–3 2–3 1–1
Gateshead 1–2 2–1 0–0 3–2 2–2 2–2 2–1 3–1 1–0 3–3 1–1 1–2 1–2 1–3 0–4 1–1 0–7 0–1 0–0
Goole Town 3–3 2–3 0–0 2–0 3–1 6–1 1–2 3–1 1–3 1–0 2–1 2–1 0–3 0–0 0–3 1–0 0–1 0–2 0–1
Great Harwood 1–2 4–1 5–1 2–0 3–5 1–1 2–4 1–7 2–3 2–0 2–1 3–1 2–2 2–2 1–5 1–1 2–1 4–1 2–1
Hyde United 2–1 3–1 2–1 5–2 1–2 3–0 1–0 1–1 4–0 1–1 2–0 2–1 0–0 1–0 3–3 0–0 0–1 1–0 2–3
Macclesfield Town 1–1 4–0 2–0 2–1 1–0 4–0 2–0 5–2 2–1 3–1 5–0 1–0 1–0 2–2 2–3 1–1 0–0 4–1 0–0
Matlock Town 2–1 0–0 1–4 1–1 2–4 4–1 2–2 1–1 1–2 0–2 3–0 0–3 4–0 1–0 0–3 1–1 1–1 4–1 5–0
Morecambe 1–4 5–1 0–1 1–1 0–1 2–0 2–1 2–0 2–1 1–3 3–0 0–0 2–0 1–1 1–3 2–0 1–1 2–2 2–1
Netherfield 2–0 2–3 1–1 1–3 1–1 1–1 2–1 3–3 3–0 2–3 2–1 2–0 2–1 4–0 2–2 3–1 0–0 3–2 1–0
Northwich Victoria 2–0 2–0 3–2 1–0 2–1 5–1 4–2 1–0 3–0 2–2 2–2 1–1 2–1 3–4 1–2 1–0 0–2 1–1 1–2
Runcorn 2–0 3–3 2–4 4–1 2–1 1–1 2–1 4–4 1–1 2–2 2–6 1–1 1–0 2–2 1–1 1–0 1–2 2–1 0–4
Scarborough 2–1 1–1 1–1 3–1 1–0 1–1 2–1 8–0 3–1 0–1 5–0 1–0 1–0 2–1 2–0 0–0 0–1 1–1 1–1
South Liverpool 0–0 1–0 0–2 1–2 0–0 2–0 1–1 3–2 1–5 0–1 1–0 3–0 0–3 3–4 2–0 3–2 3–1 2–1 0–2
South Shields 2–1 4–1 0–1 3–0 0–1 5–1 2–0 4–1 4–1 3–1 3–1 1–1 3–1 5–1 1–4 3–2 0–1 0–0 1–1
Stafford Rangers 0–1 3–2 3–2 2–1 2–0 5–0 3–1 1–0 2–2 0–2 1–0 1–1 1–1 4–1 1–2 4–1 4–0 1–0 1–2
Wigan Athletic 2–2 2–2 4–0 0–0 1–0 3–1 2–1 1–0 1–0 2–1 0–0 1–1 0–0 1–0 3–2 2–0 5–1 2–0 1–0
Updated to match(es) played on 9 May 1970. Source: The Football Archives
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Stadia and locations

class=notpageimage|
Locations of the 1969–70 Northern Premier League teams
Team Stadium
Altrincham Moss Lane
Bangor City Farrar Road
Boston United York Street
Fleetwood Highbury
Gainsborough Trinity The Northolme
Gateshead Redheugh Park
Goole Town Victoria Pleasure Ground
Great Harwood The Showground
Hyde United Ewen Fields
Macclesfield Town Moss Rose
Matlock Town Causeway Lane
Morecambe Christie Park
Netherfield Parkside
Northwich Victoria Drill Field
Runcorn Canal Street
Scarborough Athletic Ground
South Liverpool Holly Park
South Shields Simonside Hall
Stafford Rangers Marston Road
Wigan Athletic Springfield Park

Cup results

Challenge Cup

Main article: Northern Premier League Challenge Cup
Stage Home Team Score Away Team
1st Leg Altrincham ?–? Macclesfield Town
2nd Leg Macclesfield Town ?–? Altrincham
Aggregate Altrincham 4–3 Macclesfield Town

FA Cup

Main article: 1969–70 FA Cup

Out of the twenty clubs from the Northern Premier League only South Shields reached for the second round:

Second Round

Home Team Score Away Team
South Shields 0–0 Oldham Athletic
Oldham Athletic 1–2 South Shields Replay

Third Round

Home Team Score Away Team
Queens Park Rangers 4–1 South Shields

FA Trophy

Main article: 1969–70 FA Trophy

Out of the twenty clubs from the Northern Premier League only Macclesfield Town reached for the fourth round:

Fourth Round

Home Team Score Away Team
Burton Albion 1–1 Macclesfield Town
Macclesfield Town 4–2 Burton Albion Replay

Semi-finals

Home Team Score Away Team
Macclesfield Town 1–0 Barnet

Final

Home Team Score Away Team
Macclesfield Town 2–0 Telford United

End of the season

At the end of the second season of the Northern Premier League none of the teams put forward, for election, received enough votes to be promoted to the Football League. Hyde United resigned the league, due to financial difficulties and Gateshead was relegated.

Football League elections

Alongside the four Football League teams facing re-election, a total of thirteen non-League teams applied for election, three of which were from the Northern Premier League. Three out of the four Football League teams were re-elected. Cambridge United from the Southern League replaced Bradford Park Avenue from the Football League as they didn't receive enough votes. Bradford Park Avenue was subsequently relegated to the Northern Premier League.[2]

Team League Votes
Darlington Football League 47
Hartlepool Football League 42
Cambridge United Southern League 31
Newport County Football League 31
Bradford Park Avenue Football League 17
Wigan Athletic Northern Premier League 3
Cambridge City Southern League 2
Yeovil Town Southern League 1
Bedford Town Southern League 1
Hereford United Southern League 1
Morecambe Northern Premier League 1
Romford Southern League 1
Boston United Northern Premier League 0
Chelmsford City Southern League 0
Hillingdon Borough Southern League 0
Telford United Southern League 0
Wimbledon Southern League 0

Promotion and relegation

The League expanded from twenty clubs to twenty-two clubs for the following season.

The following two clubs left the League at the end of the season:

The following four clubs joined the League the following season:

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g "The Football Archives 69–70". The Football Archives.
  2. ^ A history of admission to the Football League

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