1978–79 Northern Premier League

The 1978–79 Northern Premier League was the eleventh 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 19 August 1978 and concluded on 21 May 1979.[1]

Northern Premier League
Season1978–79
ChampionsMossley
PromotedAltrincham
Scarborough
Boston United
Stafford Rangers
Northwich Victoria
Bangor City
Barrow
Relegatednone
Matches played506
Goals scored1,414 (2.79 per match)
Biggest home winStafford Rangers 7–0 Netherfield[1]
(11 November 1978)
Biggest away winWorkington 0–6 Mossley[1]
(31 January 1979)
Highest scoringLancaster City 5–3 Macclesfield Town[1]
(25 November 1978)
Longest winning run7 matches
Mossley
(20 January 1979 – 24 March 1979)
Longest unbeaten run18 matches
Mossley
(25 November 1978 – 14 April 1979)
Longest winless run19 matches
Gateshead
(23 September 1978 – 5 March 1979)
Longest losing run6 matches
Netherfield
(11 November 1978 – 16 December 1978)

Macclesfield Town
(25 November 1978 – 24 February 1979)

Macclesfield Town
(18 April 1979 – 28 April 1979)

Overview

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The League featured twenty-three clubs.

Team changes

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The following two clubs 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 GD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Mossley (C) 44 32 5 7 117 48 +69 69
2 Altrincham (P) 44 25 11 8 93 39 +54 61 Promoted to Alliance Premier League
3 Matlock Town 44 24 8 12 100 59 +41 56
4 Scarborough (P) 44 19 14 11 61 44 +17 52 Promoted to Alliance Premier League
5 Southport 44 19 14 11 62 49 +13 52
6 Boston United (P) 44 17 18 9 40 33 +7 52 Promoted to Alliance Premier League
7 Runcorn 44 21 9 14 79 54 +25 51
8 Stafford Rangers (P) 44 18 14 12 67 41 +26 50 Promoted to Alliance Premier League
9 Goole Town 44 17 15 12 56 61 −5 49
10 Northwich Victoria (P) 44 18 11 15 64 52 +12 47 Promoted to Alliance Premier League
11 Lancaster City 44 17 12 15 62 54 +8 46
12 Bangor City (P) 44 15 14 15 65 66 −1 44 Promoted to Alliance Premier League
13 Worksop Town 44 13 14 17 55 67 −12 40
14 Workington 44 16 7 21 62 74 −12 39
15 Netherfield 44 13 11 20 39 69 −30 37
16 Barrow (P) 44 14 9 21 47 78 −31 37 Promoted to Alliance Premier League
17 Gainsborough Trinity 44 12 12 20 52 67 −15 36
18 Morecambe 44 11 13 20 55 65 −10 35
19 Frickley Athletic 44 13 9 22 58 70 −12 35
20 South Liverpool 44 12 10 22 48 85 −37 34
21 Gateshead 44 11 11 22 42 63 −21 33
22 Buxton 44 11 9 24 50 84 −34 31
23 Macclesfield Town 44 8 10 26 40 92 −52 26
Updated to match(es) played on 21 May 1979. Source: The Football Archives
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored. 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; (P) Promoted

Results

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Home \ Away ALT BAN BRW BOS BUX FRK GAI GAT GOO LNC MAC MAT MOR MOS NET NOR RUN SCA SLI SOU STA WRK WOK
Altrincham 3–2 4–0 3–0 0–1 1–2 3–0 2–0 2–1 0–0 0–1 3–1 1–1 0–1 1–0 1–1 2–1 2–0 5–1 1–3 0–0 3–2 4–1
Bangor City 1–1 1–3 1–1 2–0 4–2 1–1 1–2 2–2 2–1 2–1 3–3 4–0 3–1 1–1 1–0 1–2 0–0 3–0 0–2 0–2 2–0 2–4
Barrow 1–6 0–1 0–0 1–0 1–0 2–1 4–2 0–0 2–1 1–2 3–2 0–0 2–5 3–3 2–4 0–3 0–1 0–0 0–2 1–1 1–2 1–1
Boston United 1–4 1–1 2–0 1–0 2–0 1–0 1–1 0–0 0–0 2–0 2–1 3–0 1–0 0–0 1–0 0–0 0–0 1–0 1–0 0–1 2–1 2–2
Buxton 0–4 5–1 2–1 0–0 1–0 1–1 0–1 2–1 3–1 2–1 1–3 1–6 1–3 1–1 0–2 0–2 0–3 4–1 1–1 0–1 0–4 1–2
Frickley Athletic 0–4 1–3 1–2 1–1 2–1 4–0 1–1 1–2 3–2 3–1 1–3 1–1 0–2 5–0 1–3 1–0 1–0 6–0 1–3 0–3 3–1 1–1
Gainsborough Trinity 2–4 1–1 1–2 2–0 1–2 1–1 0–1 1–2 1–0 2–1 3–3 2–1 2–1 0–1 0–1 2–3 1–2 1–2 3–0 1–0 3–0 1–2
Gateshead United 0–3 2–4 1–2 0–1 0–0 1–0 1–0 0–1 0–1 0–1 1–2 2–0 1–3 1–3 2–2 1–1 1–2 1–1 2–1 1–1 0–1 0–2
Goole Town 1–1 3–1 3–1 0–0 3–3 2–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 2–0 1–1 3–2 0–4 1–0 1–0 3–0 2–2 2–1 0–2 2–1 2–1 1–2
Lancaster City 0–4 3–1 0–1 0–2 4–1 1–3 3–0 1–0 1–2 5–3 0–0 4–2 2–3 0–0 1–0 2–3 1–0 4–0 2–2 1–0 4–1 1–1
Macclesfield Town 1–5 0–0 1–1 0–2 2–2 0–2 2–2 0–1 1–2 0–1 0–4 1–3 1–1 1–1 1–0 3–2 1–1 3–2 1–1 0–2 3–0 1–0
Matlock Town 2–0 1–2 0–1 1–0 4–1 1–0 2–3 4–1 2–2 2–0 5–0 1–1 2–4 2–1 3–2 2–3 6–0 3–1 1–1 3–2 5–1 1–1
Morecambe 2–4 3–1 0–0 0–0 3–1 1–1 2–2 1–2 3–2 2–0 4–0 0–1 1–2 3–1 0–0 1–0 1–3 2–1 0–1 0–1 2–0 1–4
Mossley 1–1 3–0 6–1 1–1 3–1 4–3 2–0 3–3 5–1 3–1 5–0 3–1 3–2 2–0 2–3 4–2 2–2 6–0 1–2 2–1 4–1 4–0
Netherfield 0–0 1–0 0–1 0–2 2–4 1–0 0–2 0–0 3–0 0–0 2–0 1–6 0–0 1–3 3–1 0–2 1–0 3–1 2–1 1–1 1–0 2–0
Northwich Victoria 1–0 1–2 3–0 3–0 0–0 4–0 1–2 3–1 0–0 2–2 3–0 2–1 0–0 2–0 3–0 2–3 2–0 0–0 2–2 2–0 2–1 1–1
Runcorn 0–0 0–0 2–1 4–2 6–0 0–1 3–0 2–0 4–0 1–3 6–0 2–3 2–0 0–2 4–0 1–2 0–0 4–1 0–0 3–2 0–0 2–0
Scarborough 1–2 1–1 1–0 0–0 1–1 2–0 3–0 2–1 3–1 1–3 2–2 0–1 0–0 2–1 5–0 4–0 3–0 2–0 1–0 1–1 2–1 2–0
South Liverpool 1–1 1–1 2–0 3–1 1–0 3–0 2–2 0–1 2–0 0–2 1–1 0–3 3–1 0–1 2–1 2–1 4–1 2–0 0–1 0–2 1–1 1–0
Southport 3–1 0–0 1–2 1–0 2–1 0–0 3–3 0–2 1–1 2–2 3–2 2–1 1–0 0–1 2–1 2–2 0–3 1–2 2–2 1–2 3–1 2–0
Stafford Rangers 1–1 3–2 4–2 0–0 4–3 1–0 0–1 1–1 3–0 1–1 2–0 1–2 0–0 0–2 7–0 3–0 4–0 0–0 5–1 1–1 0–2 0–0
Workington 0–4 3–1 3–0 1–2 2–1 2–2 0–0 3–2 3–3 0–0 2–0 1–0 3–1 0–6 0–1 4–1 1–1 3–2 6–1 0–2 1–0 3–0
Worksop Town 1–2 1–3 3–1 1–1 0–1 3–3 1–1 2–1 0–1 0–1 3–1 2–5 3–2 1–2 1–0 2–0 1–1 2–2 1–1 0–2 2–2 1–0
Updated to match(es) played on 21 May 1979. Source: The Football Archives
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Stadia and locations

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Club Stadium
Altrincham Moss Lane
Bangor City Farrar Road
Barrow Holker Street
Boston United York Street
Buxton The Silverlands
Frickley Athletic Westfield Lane
Gainsborough Trinity The Northolme
Gateshead United Gateshead Youth Stadium
Goole Town Victoria Pleasure Ground
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
South Liverpool Holly Park
Southport Haig Avenue
Stafford Rangers Marston Road
Workington Borough Park
Worksop Town Central Avenue

Cup results

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Challenge Cup

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Home Team Score Away Team
Mossley 4–1 Northwich Victoria

Northern Premier League Shield

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Between Champions of NPL Premier Division and Winners of the NPL Cup.
As Mossley won both the Northern Premier League and the Challenge Cup, Altrincham qualified as 2nd placed team of the NPL.

Home Team Score Away Team
Altrincham beat Mossley

FA Cup

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Only two of the twenty-four Northern Premier League clubs reached the second round:

Second Round

Home Team Score Away Team
Droylsden 0–2 Altrincham
York City 3–0 Scarborough

Third Round

Home Team Score Away Team
Tottenham Hotspur 1–1 Altrincham
Altrincham 0–3 Tottenham Hotspur Replay

FA Trophy

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Two of the twenty-four Northern Premier League clubs reached the fourth round:

Fourth Round

Home Team Score Away Team
Bishop Auckland 1–1 Stafford Rangers
Stafford Rangers 3–1 Bishop Auckland Replay
Runcorn 2–1 Hayes

Semi-finals

Stage Home Team Score Away Team
1st Leg Runcorn 1–2 Stafford Rangers
2nd Leg Stafford Rangers 1–1 Runcorn
Aggregate Stafford Rangers 3–2 Runcorn

Final

Home Team Score Away Team
Stafford Rangers 2–0 Kettering Town

End of the season

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At the end of the eleventh season of the Northern Premier League, Altrincham who was put forward for election did not receive enough votes to be promoted to the Football League.

The Alliance Premier League was established as a new, national top division of non-League football. Seven Northern Premier League clubs and thirteen clubs from the Premier Division of the Southern League joined the newly created Alliance Premier League. The remaining clubs in the Northern Premier League had effectively been relegated down one tier in the English football league system.

Football League elections

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Alongside the four Football League clubs facing re-election, two non-League clubs, one from the Northern Premier League and the other from the Southern League, applied to be elected. All four Football League clubs were re-elected.[2]

Club League Votes
Doncaster Rovers Football League Division Four 50
Crewe Alexandra Football League Division Four 49
Darlington Football League Division Four 43
Halifax Town Football League Division Four 37
Altrincham Northern Premier League 13
Kettering Town Southern League Premier Division 12

Promotion and relegation

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

The following seven clubs left the league at the end of the season:

The following six clubs joined the league the following season:

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "The Football Archives 78–79". The Football Archives.
  2. ^ A history of admission to the Football League
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