1974–75 Northern Premier League

Northern Premier League
Season1974–75
ChampionsWigan Athletic
PromotedNone
RelegatedNone
Matches played552
Goals scored1,595 (2.89 per match)
Biggest home winRuncorn 7–0 Fleetwood[1]
(14 December 1974)
Biggest away winMatlock Town 0–10 Lancaster City[1]
(14 December 1974)
Highest scoringNorthwich Victoria 4–6 Mossley[1]
(16 September 1974)

Barrow 3–7 Morecambe[1]
(16 October 1974)

Matlock Town 0–10 Lancaster City[1]
(14 December 1974)
Longest winning run11 matches
Wigan Athletic
(9 October 1974 – 21 December 1974)
Longest unbeaten run22 matches
Wigan Athletic
(24 August 1974 – 21 December 1974)
Altrincham
(2 September 1974 – 20 January 1975)
Longest winless run24 matches
Fleetwood
(19 October 1974 – 18 March 1975)
Longest losing run8 matches
Netherfield
(2 November 1974 – 16 December 1974)

The 1974–75 Northern Premier League was the seventh 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 17 August 1974 and concluded on 12 May 1975.[1]

Overview

South Shields changed their name to Gateshead United and moved from Simonside Hall to Gateshead Youth Stadium.

Team changes

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

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GR Pts
1 Wigan Athletic (C) 46 33 6 7 94 38 2.474 72
2 Runcorn 46 30 8 8 102 42 2.429 68
3 Altrincham 46 26 12 8 87 43 2.023 64
4 Stafford Rangers 46 25 13 8 81 39 2.077 63
5 Scarborough 46 24 12 10 75 45 1.667 60
6 Mossley 46 23 11 12 78 52 1.500 57
7 Gateshead United 46 22 12 12 74 48 1.542 56
8 Goole Town 46 19 12 15 75 71 1.056 50
9 Northwich Victoria 46 18 12 16 83 71 1.169 48
10 Great Harwood 46 17 14 15 69 66 1.045 48
11 Matlock Town 46 19 8 19 87 79 1.101 46
12 Boston United 46 16 14 16 64 63 1.016 46
13 Morecambe 46 14 15 17 71 87 0.816 43
14 Worksop Town 46 14 14 18 69 66 1.045 42
15 South Liverpool 46 14 14 18 59 71 0.831 42
16 Buxton 46 11 17 18 50 77 0.649 39
17 Macclesfield Town 46 11 14 21 46 62 0.742 36
18 Lancaster City 46 13 10 23 53 76 0.697 36
19 Bangor City 46 13 9 24 56 67 0.836 35
20 Gainsborough Trinity 46 10 15 21 46 79 0.582 35
21 Skelmersdale United 46 13 7 26 63 93 0.677 33
22 Barrow 46 9 15 22 45 72 0.625 33
23 Netherfield 46 12 8 26 42 91 0.462 32
24 Fleetwood 46 5 10 31 26 97 0.268 20
Updated to match(es) played on 12 May 1975. 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

Home \ Away ALT BAN BRW BOS BUX FLE GAI GAT GOO GHA LNC MAC MAT MOR MOS NET NOR RUN SCA SKU SLI STA WIG WOK
Altrincham 1–0 1–0 5–1 5–0 4–2 0–0 4–2 2–3 0–0 2–2 2–1 5–0 3–2 1–0 3–1 1–1 0–1 2–1 5–0 2–2 2–0 2–2 1–1
Bangor City 0–1 2–2 1–0 6–2 3–0 5–0 1–0 4–3 3–1 3–0 0–2 2–0 1–2 1–2 2–1 2–2 2–0 1–1 0–1 1–2 0–1 1–1 2–2
Barrow 2–0 1–0 1–1 0–1 3–0 1–2 1–1 1–1 2–1 1–0 0–0 3–1 0–0 0–3 0–2 1–1 2–3 0–1 0–1 2–2 1–3 2–4 1–0
Boston United 0–2 2–1 0–0 5–2 3–2 3–1 0–1 0–1 2–2 0–3 1–1 3–3 2–1 1–1 4–0 2–0 3–0 2–1 2–0 2–2 0–0 1–1 0–1
Buxton 1–2 1–1 0–1 0–1 1–0 0–0 0–1 1–1 1–1 1–0 2–2 2–1 0–0 0–1 1–2 2–5 0–0 0–3 0–1 2–1 0–5 0–2 3–0
Fleetwood Town 0–1 0–1 0–0 0–3 0–3 1–0 2–0 0–2 1–2 0–3 1–1 3–0 2–3 1–1 1–0 0–2 0–1 0–1 0–3 0–4 0–0 0–3 2–2
Gainsborough Trinity 1–1 2–0 0–0 0–2 1–1 0–0 1–1 0–2 1–2 1–0 2–1 1–4 1–1 3–1 0–1 2–2 2–2 1–3 2–1 0–0 1–4 3–1 0–0
Gateshead United 2–0 4–1 1–0 1–1 2–0 0–0 3–0 5–1 2–0 2–0 2–0 0–0 4–1 2–1 3–1 1–0 0–3 1–2 1–0 2–3 0–2 0–1 2–2
Goole Town 0–1 1–1 2–0 0–1 4–3 2–1 0–2 1–1 4–1 4–2 1–2 5–1 2–2 3–1 2–3 3–0 1–0 1–0 3–1 3–1 0–0 0–2 1–1
Great Harwood 0–3 0–0 1–1 4–1 4–4 4–0 2–1 2–1 2–1 1–1 3–1 2–0 3–3 1–0 3–1 1–0 2–2 1–1 3–1 0–0 2–2 2–3 2–1
Lancaster City 1–1 4–1 3–0 2–0 0–0 1–1 5–3 1–1 1–1 1–1 2–1 0–10 0–3 2–3 0–1 3–0 5–1 0–2 1–0 2–0 2–0 1–3 0–2
Macclesfield Town 0–3 1–0 2–2 2–0 0–0 4–0 1–1 2–2 1–1 0–1 2–0 1–0 1–2 2–1 2–0 0–1 0–1 1–2 3–0 2–2 0–0 0–1 0–0
Matlock Town 1–0 1–0 4–0 3–3 5–0 4–0 2–2 2–2 1–1 1–0 2–0 3–1 7–2 2–0 0–1 3–2 0–2 1–2 2–0 5–2 2–3 3–0 3–1
Morecambe 2–3 3–1 3–7 1–0 2–2 2–0 3–0 2–1 1–1 2–2 1–1 1–1 4–0 0–1 1–2 4–2 0–2 1–1 3–0 1–2 1–2 1–1 1–1
Mossley 2–2 1–0 5–3 2–1 2–3 0–1 4–0 3–0 2–0 2–0 1–0 2–1 1–1 5–0 2–1 3–1 0–0 1–1 1–0 4–1 3–1 1–0 2–0
Netherfield 1–2 0–0 0–0 1–2 1–1 1–1 3–0 0–5 0–0 0–2 0–0 1–0 2–1 4–1 0–0 1–2 0–3 0–2 1–6 1–0 0–1 0–4 2–2
Northwich Victoria 2–2 2–0 1–0 1–1 2–2 4–1 2–0 0–0 3–0 2–1 5–0 0–1 5–1 0–0 4–6 7–1 3–4 1–1 4–0 0–2 3–1 2–0 1–0
Runcorn 2–0 3–2 5–0 5–1 0–0 7–0 4–1 1–2 4–0 3–1 1–0 3–0 6–0 4–1 4–1 3–0 5–1 1–1 5–2 2–0 2–0 0–1 2–1
Scarborough 1–1 1–0 1–0 1–0 0–1 4–0 2–0 1–3 4–3 4–3 3–0 1–0 1–3 1–1 0–0 3–1 3–1 1–1 2–2 4–0 1–0 0–1 2–0
Skelmersdale United 0–5 4–1 3–2 2–1 1–2 4–1 1–2 1–5 2–3 2–3 4–1 2–2 2–1 2–1 1–1 4–2 1–3 0–0 1–1 1–4 0–0 0–1 1–4
South Liverpool 1–3 1–2 1–0 1–1 0–0 1–1 1–2 0–2 1–2 2–0 4–1 1–0 0–1 1–2 3–2 2–1 1–1 0–1 0–4 1–1 1–1 1–1 3–1
Stafford Rangers 1–0 4–0 1–1 2–2 2–2 5–0 2–1 0–2 5–2 1–0 0–1 2–0 4–0 5–0 2–1 4–0 1–1 2–0 2–1 3–2 0–0 2–0 2–0
Wigan Athletic 0–1 3–1 6–1 2–1 3–1 1–0 2–1 3–0 3–1 1–0 1–0 4–1 2–1 5–1 0–0 5–1 2–0 2–0 3–1 2–1 4–0 0–1 4–0
Worksop Town 1–0 1–0 2–0 0–2 1–2 3–1 2–2 1–1 1–2 1–0 2–1 6–0 1–1 1–2 2–2 4–0 5–1 2–3 3–1 3–1 1–2 2–2 2–3
Updated to match(es) played on 12 May 1975. Source: The Football Archives
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Stadia and locations

class=notpageimage|
Locations of the 1974–75 Northern Premier League teams
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

Challenge Cup

Main article: Northern Premier League Challenge Cup
Stage Home Team Score Away Team
1st Leg Runcorn ?–? Stafford Rangers
2nd Leg Stafford Rangers ?–? Runcorn
Aggregate Runcorn 2–1 Stafford Rangers

Northern Premier League Shield

Main article: Northern Premier League Shield

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

Home Team Score Away Team
Wigan Athletic beat Runcorn

FA Cup

Main article: 1974–75 FA Cup

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
Altrincham 3–0 Gateshead United
Stafford Rangers 2–1 Halifax Town
Wigan Athletic 1–1 Mansfield Town
Mansfield Town 3–1 Wigan Athletic Replay

Third Round

Home Team Score Away Team
Everton 1–1 Altrincham
Altrincham 0–2 Everton Replay
Stafford Rangers 0–0 Rotherham United
Rotherham United 0–2 Stafford Rangers Replay

Fourth Round

Home Team Score Away Team
Stafford Rangers 1–2 Peterborough United

FA Trophy

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
Goole Town 0–1 Matlock Town
Scarborough 1–0 Wimbledon
Wigan Athletic 0–1 Bedford Town

Semi-finals

Stage Home Team Score Away Team
1st Leg Matlock Town 0–1 Burton Albion
2nd Leg Burton Albion 0–2 Matlock Town
Aggregate Matlock Town 2–1 Burton Albion
1st Leg Scarborough 3–1 Bedford Town
2nd Leg Bedford Town 1–3 Scarborough
Aggregate Scarborough 6–2 Bedford Town

Final

Home Team Score Away Team
Matlock Town 4–0 Scarborough

End of the season

At the end of the seventh season of the Northern Premier League none of the teams put forward for election received enough votes to be promoted to the Football League.

Football League elections

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

Club League Votes
Swansea City Football League 43
Scunthorpe United Football League 41
Darlington Football League 32
Workington Football League 28
Kettering Town Southern League 20
Yeovil Town Southern League 8
Wimbledon Southern League 4
Bedford Town Southern League 2
Goole Town Northern Premier League 2
Scarborough Northern Premier League 2
Gainsborough Trinity Northern Premier League 1
Nuneaton Borough Southern League 1
Telford United Southern League 1
Weymouth Southern League 1
Boston United Northern Premier League 0
Chelmsford City Southern League 0

Promotion and relegation

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

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f "The Football Archives 74–75". The Football Archives.
  2. ^ A history of admission to the Football League