2009–10 Northern Premier League
Encyclopedia
The 2009–10 season was the 42nd season for the Northern Premier League
Premier Division
, and the third season for the Northern Premier League
Division One North
and South
.
For Sponsorship reasons, the leagues were more formally known as the Unibond Premier, Unibond 1st Division North and Unibond 1st Division South
This was the last season that the three Northern Premier League divisions were sponsored by Henkel Unibond, ending a record 17 seasons relationship.
The final allocations of teams following the 2008–09 season
was released on May 29, 2009. With the restructuring of the national league system
complete, all three divisions of the Northern Premier League had their full complement of twenty-two teams until the withdrawal of Newcastle Blue Star (see below).
* After extra time
On 9 December 2009, King's Lynn
were officially wound up by the High Court in London over debts and an overdue tax bill, and they will play no further games in the season. The League released a table on 21 December with King's Lynn's playing record expunged from it, and leaving the Premier Division with twenty clubs and only two relegation spots. Then, in March 2010 Chester City F.C.
and Farsley Celtic A.F.C.
were removed from the Conference National
and Conference North
respectively.
Promotion from the First Divisions to the Premier Division took place as planned. Relegation from the First Divisions to the county level was reduced from the planned two per division to one. Relegation from the Premier Division was reduced from two to one on account of developments in the Conference. The final decision on relegations were made during the close season by the FA's National League System
Committee which left this method completely redundant as Chester City
, Farsley Celtic
(now Farsley A.F.C.
), King's Lynn
, Grays Athletic
(lost their ground), Merthyr Tydfil
(expelled), VCD Athletic
(ground grade fail) and Rothwell Town
(resigned) were all demoted to Level 8.
: Teams from all 3 divisions.
President's Cup
: Teams from lower 2 divisions.
Chairman's Cup
: Between Champions of NPL Division One North and NPL Division One South.
Peter Swales Shield
: Between Champions of NPL Premier Division and Winners of the Chairmans Cup.
Northern Premier League
The Northern Premier League, is one of the regional English football leagues which sits directly below the Football Conference featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs. Geographically, the league covers all of Northern England, and the northern areas of the Midlands. Originally just one...
Premier Division
Northern Premier League Premier Division
The Premier Division is the top division of the Northern Premier League. It is at Step 3 of the National League System, placing it six divisions below the Premier League...
, and the third season for the Northern Premier League
Northern Premier League
The Northern Premier League, is one of the regional English football leagues which sits directly below the Football Conference featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs. Geographically, the league covers all of Northern England, and the northern areas of the Midlands. Originally just one...
Division One North
Northern Premier League Division One North
Division One North is one of the two second-tier divisions of the Northern Premier League. It is at tier 4 of the National League System, tier 8 of the English football league system...
and South
Northern Premier League Division One South
Division One South is one of the two second-tier divisions of the Northern Premier League. It is at Step 4 of the National League System, placing it seven divisions below the Premier League...
.
For Sponsorship reasons, the leagues were more formally known as the Unibond Premier, Unibond 1st Division North and Unibond 1st Division South
This was the last season that the three Northern Premier League divisions were sponsored by Henkel Unibond, ending a record 17 seasons relationship.
The final allocations of teams following the 2008–09 season
2008–09 in English football
The 2008–09 season was the 129th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:* West Bromwich Albion, Stoke City and Hull City were all playing in the Premier League after winning promotion from the Championship last season. Stoke returned to the top flight after a 23-year absence, while...
was released on May 29, 2009. With the restructuring of the national league system
National League System
The National League System comprises the seven levels of the English football league system immediately below the level of the Premier League and The Football League. It contains 91 league competitions and more than 1,600 clubs. It comes under the jurisdiction of The Football Association...
complete, all three divisions of the Northern Premier League had their full complement of twenty-two teams until the withdrawal of Newcastle Blue Star (see below).
Premier Division
The Premier Division featured seven new clubs:- BurscoughBurscough F.C.Burscough F.C. is an English football club based in Burscough, Lancashire. The club are members of the Northern Premier League Premier Division and groundshare with Skelmersdale United...
, relegated from the Conference NorthConference NorthThe Conference North also known as Blue Square Bet North for sponsorship reasons, is a division of the Football Conference in England, taking its place immediately below the Conference National. Along with Conference South it is at Step 2 of the National League System and the sixth overall tier of... - Hucknall TownHucknall Town F.C.Hucknall Town F.C. are an English football club based in the town of Hucknall, Nottinghamshire. The club are members of the Northern Premier League Premier Division and play at Watnall Road.-History:...
, relegated from the Conference North - King's LynnKing's Lynn F.C.King's Lynn F.C. was an English football club based in King's Lynn, Norfolk. Established in 1879, they were wound up at the High Court on 25 November 2009 with debts of £77,000 and went out of business in December after a failed appeal...
, demoted under stadium quality rules from the Conference North - Durham City, promoted from NPL Division One North
- Newcastle Blue StarNewcastle Blue Star F.C.Newcastle Blue Star F.C. was a football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It was established in 1930 and joined the Wearside League in 1973. In 1978, it won the FA Vase. Having won promotion to the Northern Premier League Premier Division at the end of the 2008/09 season via the...
, promoted via play-offs from NPL Division One North - Retford UnitedRetford United F.C.Retford United Football Club are an English football club based at Cannon Park in Retford, Nottinghamshire. They currently play in the Northern Counties East League Premier Division.-History:...
, promoted from NPL Division One South - Stocksbridge Park SteelsStocksbridge Park Steels F.C.Stocksbridge Park Steels Football Club is a football club based in Stocksbridge, South Yorkshire, England, playing in the Northern Premier League Premier Division. The club was formed in 1986 after a merger between two other clubs, and initially played in the Northern Counties East League...
, promoted via play-offs from NPL Division One South
League table
Playoffs
Stadia and Locations
| Team | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Gigg Lane Gigg Lane Gigg Lane is an all-seater football stadium in Bury, Greater Manchester, England. Historically within Lancashire, it was built for Bury F.C. in 1885, and has been their home ever since.-History:... (Bury Bury F.C. Bury Football Club is an association football team based in Bury, Greater Manchester. The team currently play in League One. The club's nickname is The Shakers which was bestowed upon them by club chairman JT Ingham, an industrialist and ironmonger of the late 1890s.-Formation of the club and the... ground share) |
11,840 | |
| Kingston Park Kingston Park (stadium) Kingston Park is a multi-purpose stadium in Kingston Park, Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It is used mostly for rugby union matches and is the home stadium of Newcastle Falcons. The stadium is also used for the Newcastle United Reserves to play their home matches... |
10,200 | |
| York Street York Street York Street, currently styled as The Jakemans Stadium for sponsorship purposes, is a football stadium in Boston, England, and is the home ground of Boston United. Originally called Shodfriars Lane, football has been played on the site since the late 19th century by a variety of Boston teams, but... |
6,643 | |
| The Walks | 5,733 | |
| The Silverlands | 5,200 | |
| Horsfall Stadium Horsfall Stadium Horsfall Stadium is a sports stadium located just off Halifax Road in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, approximately three miles south-east of the city centre. It is currently the home of Bradford Park Avenue Football Club and Bradford Airedale Athletics Club.It was originally built as a running... |
5,000 | |
| Watnall Road | 5,000 | |
| Hurst Cross | 4,500 | |
| The Weaver Stadium | 3,500 | |
| Look Local Stadium | 3,500 | |
| Turnbull Ground | 3,500 | |
| New Manor Ground (Ilkeston ground share) | 3,500 | |
| Victoria Park | 3,054 | |
| The Arnott Stadium | 3,000 | |
| Nethermoor Park | 3,000 | |
| The Arriva Stadium | 2,800 | |
| Grange Lane | 2,700 | |
| Lakeland Radio Stadium | 2,400 | |
| Causeway Lane | 2,214 | |
| Westfield Lane | 2,087 | |
| Ingfield | 2,000 | |
| Cannon Park | 2,000 |
Division One North
The Division One North featured three new clubs:- AFC FyldeA.F.C. FyldeA.F.C. Fylde is a football club based at Warton in the Borough of Fylde in the English county of Lancashire. The club were known as Kirkham & Wesham F.C. until the end of the 2007-08 season...
, promoted as champions from the NWCFL Premier Division - Leigh Genesis, relegated from the NPL Premier Division
- Prescot CablesPrescot Cables F.C.Prescot Cables F.C. is a football club based in Prescot, Merseyside. It was established in 1884 and has also been known as Prescot and Prescot Town...
, relegated from the NPL Premier Division
League table
Playoffs
Division One South
The Division One South featured five new clubs:- Witton AlbionWitton Albion F.C.Witton Albion F.C. are a football club based in Northwich, England. They were founded in 1887. They have won the Cheshire Senior Cup 11 times since 1902. Their most recent success in this competition was in 2006, when they defeated Stalybridge Celtic in the final. They have also reached the FA Cup...
, relegated from the NPL Premier Division - Cammell LairdCammell Laird F.C.Cammell Laird Football Club is an English Semi Professional football club based in Birkenhead, Merseyside. The club are currently members of the Northern Premier League Division One North, The 8th Tier of English Football, and play at the Kirklands Stadium....
, demoted under stadium quality rules from the NPL Premier Division - ChasetownChasetown F.C.Chasetown Football Club is an English football club based in the Chasetown area of Burntwood, Staffordshire. The club currently plays in the Northern Premier League Premier Division and is nicknamed The Scholars, having been formed by affiliates of nearby Chase Terrace High School in the Chase...
, moved from the SFL Division One MidlandSouthern Football LeagueThe Southern League is an English football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from the South West, South Central and Midlands of England and South Wales... - Mickleover SportsMickleover Sports F.C.Mickleover Sports F.C. is a football club based in the Mickleover suburb of Derby, England. They are currently members of the Northern Premier League Premier Division...
, promoted as champions from the NCEL Premier Division - Market DraytonMarket Drayton Town F.C.Market Drayton Town F.C. is a football club based in Market Drayton, Shropshire, England.-History:They joined the West Midlands League Division One North in 1998. In 2003, they changed their name from Little Drayton Rangers to their present name...
, promoted as champions from the Midland Football AllianceMidland Football AllianceThe Midland Football Alliance is an English association football league for semi-professional teams. It covers Leicestershire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, West Midlands, Worcestershire and also southern parts of Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire...
League table
Playoffs
Resignations and their effects
On 20 June 2009, three days following the league's AGM which confirmed the 2009-10 allocation, Newcastle Blue Star resigned from the league. As division placements had been confirmed be then, no replacement team could be entered and the Premier Division was reduced to twenty one teams for the season.On 9 December 2009, King's Lynn
King's Lynn F.C.
King's Lynn F.C. was an English football club based in King's Lynn, Norfolk. Established in 1879, they were wound up at the High Court on 25 November 2009 with debts of £77,000 and went out of business in December after a failed appeal...
were officially wound up by the High Court in London over debts and an overdue tax bill, and they will play no further games in the season. The League released a table on 21 December with King's Lynn's playing record expunged from it, and leaving the Premier Division with twenty clubs and only two relegation spots. Then, in March 2010 Chester City F.C.
Chester City F.C.
Chester City Football Club was an English football team from Chester. The club was founded as Chester F.C., and joined the Football League in 1931, spending most of their time in the lower divisions. They changed their name to Chester City in 1983. Chester won their first league title in 2004, the...
and Farsley Celtic A.F.C.
Farsley Celtic A.F.C.
Farsley Celtic Association Football Club was an English football club based in Farsley, in the City of Leeds. The club was known by the nicknames of the Villagers and the Celts; their colours were blue and white. Founded in 1908, the club spent their entire existence in non-league football, winning...
were removed from the Conference National
Conference National
Conference National is the top division of the Football Conference in England. It is the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...
and Conference North
Conference North
The Conference North also known as Blue Square Bet North for sponsorship reasons, is a division of the Football Conference in England, taking its place immediately below the Conference National. Along with Conference South it is at Step 2 of the National League System and the sixth overall tier of...
respectively.
Promotion from the First Divisions to the Premier Division took place as planned. Relegation from the First Divisions to the county level was reduced from the planned two per division to one. Relegation from the Premier Division was reduced from two to one on account of developments in the Conference. The final decision on relegations were made during the close season by the FA's National League System
National League System
The National League System comprises the seven levels of the English football league system immediately below the level of the Premier League and The Football League. It contains 91 league competitions and more than 1,600 clubs. It comes under the jurisdiction of The Football Association...
Committee which left this method completely redundant as Chester City
Chester City F.C.
Chester City Football Club was an English football team from Chester. The club was founded as Chester F.C., and joined the Football League in 1931, spending most of their time in the lower divisions. They changed their name to Chester City in 1983. Chester won their first league title in 2004, the...
, Farsley Celtic
Farsley Celtic A.F.C.
Farsley Celtic Association Football Club was an English football club based in Farsley, in the City of Leeds. The club was known by the nicknames of the Villagers and the Celts; their colours were blue and white. Founded in 1908, the club spent their entire existence in non-league football, winning...
(now Farsley A.F.C.
Farsley A.F.C.
Farsley A.F.C. are a football club based in the town of Farsley in the City of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. They were established in 2010 from the ashes of Farsley Celtic and commenced playing in the Northern Counties East Football League Premier Division....
), King's Lynn
King's Lynn F.C.
King's Lynn F.C. was an English football club based in King's Lynn, Norfolk. Established in 1879, they were wound up at the High Court on 25 November 2009 with debts of £77,000 and went out of business in December after a failed appeal...
, Grays Athletic
Grays Athletic F.C.
Grays Athletic Football Club is an English football club currently based in Corringham, Essex after leaving the New Recreation Ground in Grays at the end of the 2009–10 season...
(lost their ground), Merthyr Tydfil
Merthyr Tydfil F.C.
Merthyr Tydfil Football Club was a Welsh football club based at the Penydarren Park ground in Merthyr Tydfil. In 2010 the club was liquidated and reformed under the name Merthyr Town, which was accepted into Division One of the Western League.-History:...
(expelled), VCD Athletic
VCD Athletic F.C.
VCD Athletic F.C. are a football club based in Crayford, London, England. They joined the Kent League in 1997...
(ground grade fail) and Rothwell Town
Rothwell Town F.C.
Rothwell Town F.C. are a football club based in Rothwell in the north of Northamptonshire. They were founding members of the Northamptonshire League in 1895, and are now playing in the United Counties League Division One...
(resigned) were all demoted to Level 8.
Cup results
Challenge CupNorthern Premier League Challenge Cup
The Northern Premier League Challenge Cup is a knock-out cup competition organised by the Northern Premier League....
: Teams from all 3 divisions.
- Boston United 2–0 Retford United
President's Cup
Northern Premier League President's Cup
The Northern Premier League President's Cup is a knock-out cup competition organised by the Northern Premier League.Teams from both of the Northern Premier League Division One leagues take part in the tournament, with teams that played in the preliminary round of the Northern Premier League...
: Teams from lower 2 divisions.
- Belper Town 3–1 Stamford
Chairman's Cup
Northern Premier League Chairman's Cup
The Northern Premier League Chairman's Cup is currently a one-off game played between the champions of the Northern Premier League Division One North and Division One South. Prior to the creation of these leagues in 2007, the cup was a "plate" competition for teams that lost in the Challenge Cup...
: Between Champions of NPL Division One North and NPL Division One South.
- Halifax 2–2 Mickleover, Mickleover win 3-1 on Pens
Peter Swales Shield
Peter Swales Shield
The Peter Swales Shield is an annual one-off game organised by the Northern Premier League. It is named in memory of Peter Swales....
: Between Champions of NPL Premier Division and Winners of the Chairmans Cup.
- Guiseley 1–1 Mickleover Sports, Guiseley win 5-3 on Pens