1968–69 Northern Premier League

Northern Premier League
Season1968–69
ChampionsMacclesfield Town
PromotedNone
RelegatedAshington
Chorley
Worksop Town
Matches played380
Goals scored1,230 (3.24 per match)
Biggest home winAltrincham 8–1 Northwich Victoria[1]
(25 January 1969)
Biggest away winSouth Liverpool 1–7 Bangor City[1]
(28 August 1968)

Goole Town 1–7 Bangor City[1]
(1 February 1969)

Ashington 0–6 Chorley[1]
(19 April 1969)
Highest scoringBangor City 7–3 Ashington[1]
(8 February 1969)
South Shields 8–2 Runcorn[1]
(15 February 1969)
Longest winning run10 matches
South Shields
(8 February 1969 – 12 April 1969)
Longest unbeaten run14 matches
Wigan Athletic
(10 August 1968 – 12 October 1968)
Macclesfield Town
(28 September 1968 – 4 January 1969)
Longest winless run12 matches
Netherfield
(17 August 1968 – 26 October 1968)
Longest losing run8 matches
Ashington
(25 January 1969 – 5 April 1969)

The 1968–69 Northern Premier League was the inaugural 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 10 August 1968 and concluded on 10 May 1969.[1]

Overview

The League featured twenty teams transferred from the Cheshire County League, the Lancashire Combination, the Midland League, the North Regional League and the West Midlands (Regional) League.

Founding teams

Cheshire County League

Lancashire Combination

Midland League

North Regional League

West Midlands (Regional) League

League table

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GR Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Macclesfield Town (C) 38 27 6 5 82 38 2.158 60
2 Wigan Athletic 38 18 12 8 59 41 1.439 48
3 Morecambe 38 16 14 8 64 37 1.730 46
4 Gainsborough Trinity 38 19 8 11 64 43 1.488 46
5 South Shields 38 19 8 11 78 56 1.393 46
6 Bangor City 38 18 9 11 102 64 1.594 45
7 Hyde United 38 16 10 12 71 65 1.092 42
8 Goole Town 38 15 10 13 80 78 1.026 40
9 Altrincham 38 14 10 14 69 52 1.327 38
10 Fleetwood 38 16 6 16 58 58 1.000 38
11 Gateshead 38 14 9 15 42 48 0.875 37
12 South Liverpool 38 12 13 13 56 66 0.848 37
13 Northwich Victoria 38 16 5 17 59 82 0.720 37
14 Boston United 38 14 8 16 59 65 0.908 36
15 Runcorn 38 12 11 15 59 63 0.937 35
16 Netherfield 38 12 4 22 51 69 0.739 28
17 Scarborough 38 9 10 19 49 68 0.721 28
18 Ashington (R) 38 10 8 20 48 74 0.649 28 Relegation to Northern Alliance
19 Chorley (R) 38 8 9 21 46 75 0.613 25 Relegation to Lancashire Combination
20 Worksop Town (R) 38 6 8 24 34 88 0.386 20 Relegation to Midland League
Updated to match(es) played on 10 May 1969. Source: The Football Archives.Com
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 a losing.
(C) Champions; (R) Relegated

Results

Home \ Away ALT ASH BAN BOS CHO FLE GAI GAT GOO HYD MAC MOR NET NOR RUN SCA SLI SSH WIG WOK
Altrincham 6–0 2–1 1–1 3–0 1–1 3–0 1–0 6–1 1–1 1–1 2–0 2–0 8–1 3–1 2–0 1–2 1–1 0–3 3–2
Ashington 1–2 1–2 4–0 0–6 0–1 1–3 1–0 2–2 0–2 2–3 0–2 5–2 1–0 2–1 0–0 4–0 3–2 1–2 1–0
Bangor City 4–3 7–3 5–2 5–0 1–2 0–2 2–1 4–3 3–3 0–0 2–2 6–0 4–0 2–1 2–3 2–2 1–1 3–3 6–1
Boston United 2–1 0–2 2–6 0–2 0–0 1–1 0–1 4–2 3–1 2–1 1–0 2–1 6–0 2–2 1–0 1–1 5–3 1–2 0–1
Chorley 0–0 0–0 0–1 1–3 1–3 0–4 2–2 1–2 1–1 1–1 0–5 3–1 2–1 1–1 3–1 1–2 1–0 1–2 2–0
Fleetwood 2–0 2–1 4–1 3–0 2–2 0–3 3–1 0–2 0–2 1–2 1–2 2–1 2–3 5–0 1–0 1–3 1–3 1–2 6–2
Gainsborough Trinity 2–1 2–1 0–0 1–0 2–1 1–2 5–0 1–0 4–0 4–1 1–2 4–1 1–0 2–1 4–1 1–1 1–2 0–0 2–0
Gateshead 1–0 1–0 0–0 1–1 3–0 3–1 1–1 6–2 3–0 2–4 1–1 2–1 1–1 0–1 0–2 0–0 0–0 1–0 1–0
Goole Town 3–3 5–2 1–7 3–1 0–2 0–1 0–0 2–1 4–0 5–2 0–5 3–1 5–0 3–0 2–3 2–2 1–3 1–1 4–2
Hyde United 2–0 5–1 2–7 4–0 4–1 4–0 0–0 2–0 3–3 0–1 1–1 1–1 3–2 4–3 2–1 5–1 0–0 2–2 3–0
Macclesfield Town 2–1 1–0 3–1 2–0 2–1 3–2 2–0 3–0 3–0 4–0 2–2 2–0 2–0 1–0 3–3 5–0 3–0 2–0 3–1
Morecambe 3–1 0–0 1–1 1–1 2–1 1–0 5–0 2–0 2–3 3–0 1–2 3–0 2–3 2–0 1–1 2–1 3–0 2–2 0–0
Netherfield 2–2 3–2 0–1 2–1 3–1 4–0 2–1 0–1 3–3 2–1 1–2 0–2 4–1 0–1 5–1 2–0 3–0 0–1 3–0
Northwich Victoria 3–1 2–2 3–1 2–1 3–1 1–2 2–1 0–1 0–3 1–2 2–1 0–0 1–1 1–4 3–2 2–1 1–2 2–1 2–1
Runcorn 0–0 2–0 3–1 2–4 1–1 1–3 4–5 0–1 1–1 2–2 2–0 1–1 5–0 2–2 2–0 2–0 2–0 1–0 4–0
Scarborough 0–1 1–1 2–0 0–4 5–2 2–0 4–0 1–1 1–4 1–2 2–5 0–0 0–1 0–2 0–0 1–1 2–1 0–2 1–1
South Liverpool 0–0 6–0 1–7 3–0 5–3 2–0 0–3 3–1 0–0 3–1 0–1 1–1 1–0 3–4 2–2 4–1 2–2 1–1 0–0
South Shields 4–3 0–0 3–1 2–3 3–0 1–1 2–1 3–1 3–1 2–0 0–4 3–1 1–0 6–2 8–2 2–2 5–0 1–0 5–0
Wigan Athletic 3–2 1–1 4–0 0–3 1–0 1–1 1–1 3–0 1–1 2–0 0–0 1–0 3–1 2–3 3–1 2–1 2–1 1–3 3–1
Worksop Town 2–1 0–3 0–5 1–1 1–1 1–1 1–0 0–3 1–3 2–6 1–3 4–1 2–0 0–3 1–1 1–4 0–1 3–1 1–1
Updated to match(es) played on 10 May 1969. Source: The Football Archives
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Stadia and locations

class=notpageimage|
Locations of the 1968–69 Northern Premier League teams
Team Stadium
Altrincham Moss Lane
Ashington Portland Park
Boston United York Street
Bangor City Farrar Road
Chorley Victory Park
Fleetwood Highbury
Gainsborough Trinity The Northolme
Gateshead Redheugh Park
Goole Town Victoria Pleasure Ground
Hyde United Ewen Fields
Macclesfield Town Moss Rose
Morecambe Christie Park
Netherfield Parkside
Northwich Victoria Drill Field
Runcorn Canal Street
Scarborough Athletic Ground
South Liverpool Holly Park
South Shields Simonside Hall
Wigan Athletic Springfield Park
Worksop Town Central Avenue

Cup results

Challenge Cup

Main article: Northern Premier League Challenge Cup
Stage Home Team Score Away Team Attendance
1st Leg Bangor City 3–1 Runcorn
2nd Leg Runcorn 1–2 Bangor City 2260
Aggregate Bangor City 5–2 Runcorn

FA Cup

Main article: 1968–69 FA Cup

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

Second Round

Home Team Score Away Team
York City 2–0 Morecambe

End of the season

At the end of the first season of the Northern Premier League none of the clubs decided to put their teams forward to be promoted to the Football League. Chorley and Worksop Town were both relegated. Ashington resigned the League, due to financial difficulties.

Football League elections

Alongside the four Football League teams facing re-election, a total of ten non-League teams applied for election, none of which were from the Northern Premier League. All four Football League teams were re-elected.[2]

Team League Votes
Grimsby Town Football League 47
York City Football League 45
Bradford Park Avenue Football League 38
Newport County Football League 27
Cambridge United Southern League 16
Kettering Town Southern League 3
Cambridge City Southern League 2
Hereford United Southern League 2
Romford Southern League 2
Bedford Town Southern League 1
Chelmsford City Southern League 1
Worcester City Southern League 1
Nuneaton Borough Southern League 0
Wimbledon Southern League 0

Promotion and relegation

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

The following three clubs joined the League the following season:

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g "The Football Archives 68–69". The Football Archives.
  2. ^ A history of admission to the Football League