1973–74 Northern Premier League

The 1973–74 Northern Premier League was the sixth 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 11 August 1973 and concluded on 9 May 1974.[1]

Northern Premier League
Season1973–74
ChampionsBoston United
PromotedNone
Relegatednone
Matches played552
Goals scored1,479 (2.68 per match)
Biggest home winWigan Athletic 7–0 Matlock Town[1]
(8 September 1973)

Wigan Athletic 7–0 Great Harwood[1]
(22 September 1973)

Gainsborough Trinity 7–0 Fleetwood[1]
(26 April 1974)
Biggest away winBradford Park Avenue 1–7 Stafford Rangers[1]
(8 September 1973)

Bradford Park Avenue 0–6 South Shields[1]
(18 September 1973)

Morecambe 0–6 South Shields[1]
(2 May 1974)
Highest scoringBradford Park Avenue 1–7 Stafford Rangers[1]
(8 September 1973)

Runcorn 6–2 Mossley[1]
(8 October 1973)
Wigan Athletic 5–3 Northwich Victoria[1]
(10 November 1973)
South Shields 7–1 Morecambe[1]
(17 November 1973)
Lancaster City 7–1 Goole Town[1]
(22 December 1973)
South Liverpool 5–3 Northwich Victoria[1]
(3 March 1974)

Goole Town 7–1 Morecambe[1]
(20 April 1974)
Longest winning run10 matches
Stafford Rangers
(24 November 1973 – 9 February 1974)
Longest unbeaten run17 matches
Scarborough
(21 August 1973 – 20 October 1973)
Longest winless run17 matches
Bradford Park Avenue
(11 August 1973 – 27 October 1973)
Mossley
(8 October 1973 – 26 January 1974)
Longest losing run7 matches
Netherfield
(9 February 1974 – 16 March 1974)

Overview

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Team changes

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The following club left the League at the end of the previous season:

The following club joined the League at the start of the season:

League table

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GR Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Boston United (C) 46 27 11 8 69 32 2.156 65
2 Wigan Athletic 46 28 8 10 96 39 2.462 64
3 Altrincham 46 26 11 9 77 34 2.265 63
4 Stafford Rangers 46 27 9 10 101 45 2.244 63
5 Scarborough 46 22 14 10 62 43 1.442 58
6 South Shields 46 25 6 15 87 48 1.813 56
7 Runcorn 46 21 14 11 72 47 1.532 56
8 Macclesfield Town 46 18 15 13 48 47 1.021 51
9 Bangor City 46 19 11 16 65 56 1.161 49
10 Gainsborough Trinity 46 18 11 17 77 64 1.203 47
11 South Liverpool 46 16 15 15 55 47 1.170 47
12 Skelmersdale United 46 16 13 17 50 59 0.847 45
13 Goole Town 46 14 15 17 60 69 0.870 43
14 Fleetwood 46 14 15 17 48 68 0.706 43
15 Northwich Victoria 46 14 13 19 68 75 0.907 41
16 Mossley 46 15 11 20 53 65 0.815 41
17 Morecambe 46 13 13 20 62 84 0.738 39
18 Buxton 46 14 10 22 45 71 0.634 38
19 Matlock Town 46 11 14 21 50 79 0.633 36
20 Great Harwood 46 10 14 22 52 74 0.703 34
21 Bradford Park Avenue 46 9 15 22 42 84 0.500 33 Club Folded
22 Barrow 46 13 7 26 46 94 0.489 33
23 Lancaster City 46 10 12 24 52 67 0.776 32
24 Netherfield 46 11 5 30 42 88 0.477 27
Updated to match(es) played on 9 May 1974. 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

Results

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Home \ Away ALT BAN BRW BOS BPA BUX FLE GAI GOO GHA LNC MAC MAT MOR MOS NET NOR RUN SCA SKU SLI SSH STA WIG
Altrincham 4–0 3–0 2–0 4–1 6–0 1–0 1–1 4–2 3–1 0–0 0–1 1–0 1–0 1–0 4–0 1–1 3–0 1–1 3–0 2–1 1–1 1–0 3–0
Bangor City 1–0 2–0 4–0 0–2 1–0 0–1 3–0 1–0 3–2 1–0 0–1 1–1 2–4 0–0 1–2 5–2 1–1 2–0 4–0 2–0 2–1 0–2 1–2
Barrow 0–3 1–3 0–0 1–0 1–0 1–2 0–2 0–1 3–1 2–0 1–0 1–0 1–1 0–3 3–1 1–4 2–2 2–0 2–5 2–2 1–2 1–0 0–3
Boston United 1–1 2–1 4–1 1–1 1–0 2–0 0–1 0–0 1–1 1–1 3–0 4–1 2–0 4–1 2–0 2–0 2–0 1–0 3–0 4–2 4–1 1–0 2–2
Bradford Park Avenue 0–0 0–3 3–1 0–1 2–1 1–0 1–1 1–3 1–0 1–0 2–0 2–1 0–1 1–1 2–0 2–2 1–1 0–3 1–4 0–2 0–6 1–7 0–0
Buxton 0–3 0–0 2–0 1–1 3–1 1–1 1–1 1–1 2–1 2–1 1–2 2–2 1–4 1–1 1–0 1–0 0–1 2–1 2–0 1–1 0–1 2–0 0–4
Fleetwood Town 0–2 1–1 2–2 0–0 3–1 2–0 1–1 2–3 0–0 1–0 0–0 0–0 1–1 3–0 3–0 2–2 0–3 0–3 1–1 1–0 1–2 1–1 2–1
Gainsborough Trinity 0–1 2–2 0–1 0–1 4–0 3–2 7–0 4–3 1–1 1–1 0–1 0–0 4–1 1–4 4–0 5–0 0–3 1–1 1–0 4–0 3–1 3–2 2–1
Goole Town 0–2 0–1 4–1 0–1 2–2 1–4 1–1 1–0 0–0 1–0 0–0 2–2 7–1 2–0 2–1 2–0 1–2 0–2 0–1 0–0 3–2 2–3 2–1
Great Harwood 1–2 1–2 1–1 1–1 1–0 4–2 4–2 1–2 2–1 2–1 1–1 4–0 0–1 1–4 2–4 0–1 1–1 0–0 1–1 0–0 2–2 0–1 1–1
Lancaster City 1–2 1–1 4–2 0–1 1–1 3–0 1–2 2–2 7–1 3–1 1–1 2–1 3–1 2–1 0–0 4–2 0–0 2–0 2–0 0–0 0–1 1–3 1–4
Macclesfield Town 1–1 1–1 3–2 0–2 1–0 1–0 1–0 1–0 2–2 0–1 0–0 1–1 3–0 1–0 0–0 2–2 1–2 2–2 2–0 3–0 1–0 2–1 0–0
Matlock Town 1–2 2–2 1–0 2–1 1–1 2–0 0–3 4–3 1–1 1–0 3–0 2–1 2–0 0–1 3–1 1–1 2–2 1–2 0–0 2–0 0–2 2–0 2–3
Morecambe 2–2 3–0 3–0 0–2 1–1 0–0 0–2 3–2 4–1 3–3 2–0 3–0 2–2 2–2 5–0 1–3 2–2 0–0 1–2 2–2 0–6 1–3 0–2
Mossley 2–1 0–1 1–2 1–2 2–2 0–1 1–1 2–1 3–0 3–1 2–1 0–1 2–0 1–1 2–0 1–0 0–1 0–0 1–1 0–1 2–4 0–3 0–3
Netherfield 4–1 1–2 1–2 0–3 2–1 1–1 6–1 0–2 0–0 1–3 1–0 1–2 2–1 0–2 0–2 1–2 2–1 0–1 1–2 0–0 1–2 1–5 1–0
Northwich Victoria 1–2 1–1 5–0 0–1 2–2 1–2 1–3 0–2 1–1 2–1 4–2 1–0 4–2 0–0 0–1 5–1 0–2 1–0 1–1 1–0 3–1 1–1 1–2
Runcorn 2–1 2–1 2–0 0–0 2–0 1–2 1–0 1–2 2–2 0–1 3–1 2–0 0–0 4–0 6–2 3–0 1–1 1–1 1–2 2–1 3–1 1–2 0–1
Scarborough 2–0 1–1 0–0 2–1 1–0 2–1 5–0 3–1 1–1 1–0 1–0 3–2 4–0 1–0 2–2 4–1 2–1 1–3 0–2 1–1 2–1 0–1 1–0
Skelmersdale United 1–0 3–1 3–0 0–1 2–2 0–1 0–0 1–1 2–0 1–0 2–2 0–0 4–1 0–2 0–2 0–3 0–2 1–1 1–2 1–0 2–0 1–1 2–1
South Liverpool 2–0 1–0 4–0 0–1 1–1 4–1 0–1 4–0 1–2 2–0 3–1 0–0 2–0 2–0 2–0 1–0 5–3 0–2 1–1 3–1 1–0 2–2 0–0
South Shields 0–0 2–0 6–1 1–0 1–0 1–0 3–1 2–0 2–0 0–2 3–0 3–1 1–0 7–1 4–0 0–1 0–0 3–1 6–0 0–0 2–0 1–3 0–2
Stafford Rangers 1–1 4–3 1–3 3–2 6–0 2–0 5–0 3–1 0–1 5–1 2–0 4–1 5–0 2–1 0–0 2–0 3–0 1–1 0–2 4–0 1–1 1–1 3–0
Wigan Athletic 1–0 2–1 4–1 1–0 4–1 5–0 2–0 3–1 1–1 7–0 2–0 2–4 7–0 3–0 4–0 3–0 5–3 2–0 0–0 2–0 0–0 2–1 1–2
Updated to match(es) played on 9 May 1974. Source: The Football Archives
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Stadia and locations

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Team Stadium
Altrincham Moss Lane
Bangor City Farrar Road
Barrow Holker Street
Boston United York Street
Bradford Park Avenue Park Avenue
Buxton The Silverlands
Fleetwood Highbury
Gainsborough Trinity The Northolme
Goole Town Victoria Pleasure Ground
Great Harwood The Showground
Lancaster City Great Axe
Macclesfield Town Moss Rose
Matlock Town Causeway Lane
Morecambe Christie Park
Mossley Seel Park
Netherfield Parkside
Northwich Victoria Drill Field
Runcorn Canal Street
Scarborough Athletic Ground
Skelmersdale United White Moss Park
South Liverpool Holly Park
South Shields Simonside Hall
Stafford Rangers Marston Road
Wigan Athletic Springfield Park

Cup results

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Challenge Cup

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Stage Home Team Score Away Team
1st Leg Boston United ?–? Altrincham
2nd Leg Altrincham ?–? Boston United
Aggregate Boston United 4–3 Altrincham

Northern Premier League Shield

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Between Champions of NPL Premier Division and Winners of the NPL Cup.

Home Team Score Away Team
Wigan Athletic beat Boston United

FA Cup

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Out of the twenty-four clubs from the Northern Premier League, only three teams reached for the second round:

Second Round

Home Team Score Away Team
Blackburn Rovers 0–0 Altrincham
Altrincham 0–2 Blackburn Rovers Replay
Boston United 1–0 Hitchin Town
Port Vale 2–1 Scarborough

Third Round

Home Team Score Away Team
Derby County 0–0 Boston United
Boston United 1–6 Derby County Replay

FA Trophy

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Out of the twenty-four clubs from the Northern Premier League, four teams reached for the fourth round:

Fourth Round

Home Team Score Away Team
Bedford Town 0–1 Morecambe
Stafford Rangers 0–0 Macclesfield Town
Macclesfield Town 2–0 Stafford Rangers Replay
South Shields 0–0 Worcester City
Worcester City 0–2 South Shields Replay

Semi-finals

Stage Home Team Score Away Team
1st Leg Macclesfield Town 0–0 Dartford
2nd Leg Dartford 2–1 Macclesfield Town
Aggregate Dartford 2–1 Macclesfield Town
1st Leg South Shields 0–1 Morecambe
2nd Leg Morecambe 2–0 South Shields
Aggregate Morecambe 3–0 South Shields

Final

Home Team Score Away Team
Morecambe 2–1 Dartford

End of the season

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At the end of the sixth season of the Northern Premier League none of the teams put forward for election received enough votes to be promoted to the Football League. Bradford Park Avenue folded.

Football League elections

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Alongside the four Football League teams facing re-election, a total of seven non-League teams applied for election, one of which were from the Northern Premier League. All four Football League teams were re-elected.[2]

Club League Votes
Doncaster Rovers Football League 46
Stockport County Football League 38
Crewe Alexandra Football League 37
Workington Football League 21
Kettering Town Southern League 16
Yeovil Town Southern League 14
Wigan Athletic Northern Premier League 10
Chelmsford City Southern League 8
Nuneaton Borough Southern League 1
Telford United Southern League 1
Cambridge City Southern League 0

Promotion and relegation

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The following club left the League at the end of the season:

The following club joined the League the following season:

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "The Football Archives 73–74". The Football Archives.
  2. ^ A history of admission to the Football League
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