1975–76 Northern Premier League

The 1975–76 Northern Premier League was the eighth 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 16 August 1975 and concluded on 1 May 1976.[1]

Northern Premier League
Season1975–76
ChampionsRuncorn
PromotedNone
RelegatedSkelmersdale United
Matches played552
Goals scored1,562 (2.83 per match)
Biggest home winBoston United 8–0 Barrow[1]
(10 April 1976)
Biggest away winFleetwood 0–6 Northwich Victoria[1]
(1 November 1975)
Fleetwood 1–7 Worksop Town[1]
(10 April 1976)
Highest scoringGreat Harwood 3–7 Wigan Athletic[1]
(5 April 1976)
Longest winning run8 matches
Runcorn
(22 November 1975 – 27 December 1975)
Boston United
(24 January 1976 – 24 March 1976)
Longest unbeaten run16 matches
Stafford Rangers
(28 October 1975 – 14 February 1976)
Longest winless run14 matches
Fleetwood
(1 November 1975 – 21 February 1976)
Longest losing run7 matches
Great Harwood
(10 January 1976 – 21 February 1976)
Goole Town
(28 December 1970 – 20 February 1971)

Overview

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The League featured twenty-four teams.

Team changes

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No clubs were promoted, conversely, none of the clubs were relegated.

League table

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GR Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Runcorn (C) 46 29 10 7 95 42 2.262 68
2 Stafford Rangers 46 26 15 5 81 41 1.976 67
3 Scarborough 46 26 10 10 84 43 1.953 62
4 Matlock Town 46 26 9 11 96 63 1.524 61
5 Boston United 46 27 6 13 95 58 1.638 60
6 Wigan Athletic 46 21 15 10 81 42 1.929 57
7 Altrincham 46 20 14 12 77 57 1.351 54
8 Bangor City 46 21 12 13 80 70 1.143 54
9 Mossley 46 21 11 14 70 58 1.207 53
10 Goole Town 46 20 13 13 58 49 1.184 53
11 Northwich Victoria 46 17 17 12 79 59 1.339 51
12 Lancaster City 46 18 9 19 61 70 0.871 45
13 Worksop Town 46 17 10 19 63 56 1.125 44
14 Gainsborough Trinity 46 13 17 16 58 69 0.841 43
15 Macclesfield Town 46 15 12 19 50 64 0.781 42
16 Gateshead United 46 17 7 22 64 63 1.016 41
17 Buxton 46 11 13 22 37 62 0.597 35
18 Skelmersdale United (R) 46 12 10 24 45 74 0.608 34 Relegated to Lancashire Combination
19 Netherfield 46 11 11 24 55 76 0.724 33
20 Morecambe 46 11 11 24 47 67 0.701 33
21 Great Harwood 46 13 7 26 58 86 0.674 33
22 South Liverpool 46 12 9 25 45 78 0.577 33
23 Barrow 46 12 9 25 47 84 0.560 33
24 Fleetwood 46 3 9 34 36 131 0.275 15 Club Folded
Updated to match(es) played on 1 May 1976. 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

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Home \ Away ALT BAN BRW BOS BUX FLE GAI GOO GAT GHA LNC MAC MAT MOR MOS NET NOR RUN SCA SKU SLI STA WIG WOK
Altrincham 1–0 4–0 1–0 4–0 2–1 3–0 1–1 3–0 3–2 2–2 3–2 1–2 4–1 0–0 2–2 1–1 3–1 0–1 3–1 1–1 5–2 1–0 0–1
Bangor City 0–3 3–1 2–2 4–1 2–1 4–2 2–1 3–1 2–3 2–1 0–1 5–1 1–1 3–3 1–0 1–1 0–3 1–1 4–0 5–1 1–0 2–2 3–2
Barrow 1–1 1–2 2–3 1–0 4–0 1–1 1–2 1–0 0–2 1–0 2–0 3–1 1–0 1–2 1–1 1–6 0–2 2–1 0–2 0–1 0–0 0–4 1–1
Boston United 4–1 4–1 8–0 3–1 2–1 1–2 2–1 1–0 4–0 4–2 6–0 2–1 4–1 3–0 3–1 4–1 0–1 2–0 3–2 3–0 2–2 2–1 3–1
Buxton 1–1 0–1 0–0 0–1 1–1 2–2 3–4 1–0 4–1 1–4 1–1 1–1 0–1 0–1 0–1 1–2 1–1 2–1 3–0 2–1 1–0 2–0 0–0
Fleetwood Town 0–1 1–1 2–3 1–1 0–0 0–2 1–1 0–3 2–2 1–3 0–1 1–2 1–0 0–3 0–4 0–6 2–2 0–2 1–4 3–1 0–2 0–4 1–7
Gainsborough Trinity 5–0 1–1 4–2 2–1 0–0 5–1 0–1 3–3 0–2 0–0 3–1 1–0 2–1 1–3 3–1 2–2 0–2 1–1 2–1 3–0 1–1 0–0 1–1
Goole Town 0–3 1–1 1–0 0–0 3–1 5–0 2–1 3–0 1–0 1–1 2–1 1–1 1–1 2–1 2–0 0–3 0–2 2–1 1–0 1–2 1–0 0–0 2–1
Gateshead United 0–2 4–2 1–0 1–0 0–1 8–1 0–0 0–0 1–0 2–1 0–2 5–1 2–0 2–2 1–0 0–1 2–3 2–0 2–2 2–0 0–2 1–2 3–0
Great Harwood 0–3 1–2 2–4 0–1 0–1 2–2 1–1 2–0 1–3 2–3 2–1 1–4 0–1 2–2 2–4 0–4 0–3 1–2 1–0 2–1 0–1 3–7 1–0
Lancaster City 2–1 0–2 3–2 2–3 0–0 7–1 2–1 1–2 0–1 1–5 0–1 4–2 3–2 2–0 3–2 0–0 0–4 2–2 1–0 1–0 0–2 0–0 1–0
Macclesfield Town 2–1 1–2 1–1 1–0 2–1 0–0 2–0 4–3 3–0 3–0 0–1 1–1 0–1 1–1 2–1 1–1 1–2 1–1 0–1 2–0 1–1 1–1 0–0
Matlock Town 4–3 1–1 2–0 4–1 3–1 4–2 3–0 2–0 2–1 3–1 2–0 1–0 4–1 3–0 2–0 2–1 0–1 2–2 1–0 2–2 3–2 2–2 1–2
Morecambe 0–0 0–2 1–2 1–2 1–0 2–0 5–0 2–1 0–1 0–1 1–2 2–0 0–1 0–2 0–1 3–3 1–1 1–2 2–1 2–0 1–1 3–0 0–2
Mossley 0–1 3–1 1–0 1–0 3–0 3–2 0–1 0–1 2–1 4–1 1–0 4–0 0–4 2–2 2–1 1–0 1–0 2–3 0–0 0–0 3–3 1–1 6–2
Netherfield 1–1 0–1 1–1 1–4 0–0 2–1 2–2 0–2 1–6 0–3 0–0 1–1 1–3 2–0 2–0 0–0 0–1 1–1 2–0 6–0 0–1 0–2 1–3
Northwich Victoria 0–0 1–2 1–2 1–3 1–0 4–0 1–1 0–0 1–1 0–0 2–1 1–1 5–3 5–2 5–3 1–2 0–2 1–0 1–1 0–0 3–3 1–3 4–1
Runcorn 6–2 4–1 3–1 0–0 3–0 2–1 2–0 2–0 3–1 2–1 4–0 3–1 1–1 3–1 1–0 4–4 0–1 1–1 6–0 4–2 2–2 2–0 1–2
Scarborough 1–0 4–1 5–0 4–1 1–0 6–1 3–0 1–0 5–1 1–0 3–0 5–2 4–2 1–1 0–0 2–1 1–2 2–0 2–0 4–3 0–1 0–0 3–0
Skelmersdale United 2–2 3–1 2–1 3–1 0–1 1–0 2–1 1–1 1–1 2–1 0–1 2–0 1–6 0–0 0–1 0–2 2–0 1–1 0–1 0–0 1–1 1–2 0–3
South Liverpool 1–1 1–1 2–0 2–0 1–2 2–3 3–0 1–1 2–1 1–3 2–1 1–2 0–3 2–1 1–0 2–0 3–1 0–2 0–1 3–2 0–1 0–0 0–2
Stafford Rangers 2–1 3–2 1–1 2–0 1–0 4–0 4–0 2–1 1–0 1–1 4–0 2–0 1–1 1–1 2–1 4–1 1–1 2–1 1–0 4–1 3–0 2–2 1–0
Wigan Athletic 4–1 2–0 1–0 6–0 6–0 3–0 0–0 1–3 1–0 0–0 1–1 0–1 1–0 0–0 2–3 5–2 1–2 1–1 2–1 4–1 2–0 1–2 3–0
Worksop Town 0–0 1–1 3–1 1–1 0–0 5–0 1–1 0–0 3–0 1–3 1–2 3–1 0–2 3–0 1–2 1–0 3–1 3–0 0–1 0–1 2–0 0–2 0–1
Updated to match(es) played on 1 May 1976. 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
Buxton The Silverlands
Fleetwood Highbury
Gainsborough Trinity The Northolme
Gateshead United Gateshead Youth Stadium
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
Stafford Rangers Marston Road
Wigan Athletic Springfield Park
Worksop Town Central Avenue

Cup results

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Challenge Cup

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Stage Home Team Score Away Team
1st Leg Boston United 4–0 Mossley Town
2nd Leg Mossley Town 1–2 Boston United
Aggregate Boston United 5–2 Mossley

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
Boston United beat Runcorn

FA Cup

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

Second Round

Home Team Score Away Team
Sheffield Wednesday 2–0 Wigan Athletic
Stafford Rangers 1–3 Halifax Town
Scarborough 3–2 Preston North End
Gateshead United 1–1 Rochdale
Rochdale 3–1 Gateshead United Replay

Third Round

Home Team Score Away Team
Scarborough 1–2 Crystal Palace

FA Trophy

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

Fourth Round

Home Team Score Away Team
Bedford Town 1–2 Runcorn
Scarborough 1–0 Tooting & Mitcham United
Stafford Rangers 2–0 Hillingdon Borough

Semi-finals

Stage Home Team Score Away Team
1st Leg Scarborough 1–0 Enfield
2nd Leg Enfield 0–0 Scarborough
Aggregate Scarborough 1–0 Enfield
1st Leg Stafford Rangers 1–0 Runcorn
2nd Leg Runcorn 0–0 Stafford Rangers
Aggregate Stafford Rangers 1–0 Runcorn

Final

Home Team Score Away Team
Scarborough 3–2 Stafford Rangers

End of the season

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At the end of the eighth season of the Northern Premier League none of the teams put forward for election received enough votes to be promoted to the Football League. Skelmersdale United resigned and Fleetwood folded.

Football League elections

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

Club League Votes
Stockport County Football League 42
Newport County Football League 41
Southport Football League 38
Workington Football League 21
Yeovil Town Southern League 18
Kettering Town Southern League 14
Wigan Athletic Northern Premier League 6
Wimbledon Southern League 3
Chelmsford City Southern League 3
Nuneaton Borough Southern League 2
Telford United Southern League 2
Gainsborough Trinity Northern Premier League 1
Scarborough Northern Premier League 1

Promotion and relegation

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The number of clubs reduced from twenty-four clubs to twenty-three clubs for the following season.

The following two clubs 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 "The Football Archives 75–76". The Football Archives.
  2. ^ A history of admission to the Football League
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