1979–80 Northern Premier League

Northern Premier League
Season1979–80
ChampionsMossley
PromotedFrickley Athletic
Relegatednone
Matches played462
Goals scored1,350 (2.92 per match)
Biggest home winBurton Albion 8–0 Gateshead[1]
(22 September 1979)
Matlock Town 8–0 Southport[1]
(30 April 1980)
Biggest away winWorkington 0–5 Grantham[1]
(1 September 1979)
Southport 2–7 Mossley[1]
(10 November 1979)
Highest scoringSouthport 2–7 Mossley[1]
(10 November 1979)
Gainsborough Trinity 4–5 Netherfield[1]
(8 December 1978)
Longest winning run10 matches
Burton Albion
(22 September 1979 – 26 December 1979)
Longest unbeaten run22 matches
Mossley
(5 January 1980 – 3 May 1980)
Longest winless run16 matches
Runcorn
(25 September 1979 – 2 February 1980)
Longest losing run6 matches
Gateshead
(11 November 1978 – 16 December 1978)
Tamworth
(13 October 1979 – 17 November 1979)

The 1979–80 Northern Premier League was the twelfth 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 18 August 1979 and concluded on 7 May 1980.[1]

Overview

The League featured twenty-two clubs.

Team changes

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.

The following seven clubs left the League at the end of the previous season:

The following six clubs joined the League at the start of the season:

League table

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Mossley (C) 42 28 9 5 96 41 +55 65
2 Witton Albion 42 28 8 6 89 30 +59 64
3 Frickley Athletic (P) 42 24 13 5 93 48 +45 61 Promoted to Alliance Premier League
4 Burton Albion 42 25 6 11 83 42 +41 56
5 Matlock Town 42 18 17 7 87 53 +34 53
6 Buxton 42 21 9 12 61 48 +13 51
7 Worksop Town 42 20 10 12 65 52 +13 50
8 Macclesfield Town 42 18 11 13 67 53 +14 47
9 Grantham 42 18 8 16 71 65 +6 44
10 Marine 42 16 10 16 65 57 +8 42
11 Goole Town 42 14 13 15 61 63 −2 41
12 Lancaster City 42 13 13 16 74 77 −3 39
13 Oswestry Town 42 12 14 16 44 60 −16 38
14 Gainsborough Trinity 42 14 8 20 64 75 −11 36
15 Runcorn 42 11 11 20 46 63 −17 33
16 Gateshead 42 11 11 20 50 77 −27 33
17 Morecambe 42 10 12 20 40 59 −19 32
18 Netherfield 42 7 15 20 37 66 −29 29
19 Southport 42 8 13 21 30 75 −45 29
20 South Liverpool 42 7 14 21 51 84 −33 28
21 Workington 42 8 12 22 50 85 −35 28
22 Tamworth 42 8 9 25 26 77 −51 25
Updated to match(es) played on 7 May 1980. 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

Home \ Away BRT BUX FRK GAI GAT GOO GRN LNC MAC MAR MAT MOR MOS NET OSW RUN SLI SOU TAM WTN WRK WKS
Burton Albion 1–2 1–0 2–0 8–0 1–2 3–0 3–1 1–2 2–0 3–2 1–0 3–1 0–4 0–0 2–0 5–1 6–0 3–0 1–1 5–0 4–1
Buxton 2–1 1–1 1–1 0–2 3–0 1–1 3–1 2–0 2–0 2–3 1–0 0–1 0–0 2–1 2–1 4–3 1–1 3–1 2–1 2–0 1–0
Frickley Athletic 1–0 2–2 4–1 2–0 2–2 3–1 4–0 2–1 4–0 2–2 3–1 3–1 4–0 4–2 6–2 3–2 2–2 5–0 2–1 3–1 1–0
Gainsborough Trinity 0–1 3–2 1–2 1–0 1–1 4–1 1–0 0–2 1–1 1–0 2–1 2–3 4–5 2–3 3–1 1–0 1–2 2–0 2–3 3–0 1–0
Gateshead United 0–1 2–0 0–1 0–3 3–2 0–1 2–3 2–0 4–2 0–3 2–2 1–1 2–0 1–0 1–1 1–1 3–0 1–1 3–0 0–0 2–3
Goole Town 1–2 0–1 2–2 5–2 2–1 0–2 2–3 2–1 2–2 4–4 2–1 0–2 1–0 4–1 0–2 4–3 4–1 2–0 0–3 2–0 1–0
Grantham 0–3 2–1 1–1 1–1 4–2 1–0 2–2 2–1 1–1 2–3 3–1 0–1 2–3 3–0 3–2 6–2 2–1 6–0 0–3 3–1 1–3
Lancaster City 1–3 4–4 2–2 4–2 5–0 1–0 3–2 3–1 0–1 1–1 2–0 0–0 1–0 2–2 2–3 2–2 1–1 5–2 1–1 3–4 3–3
Macclesfield Town 3–1 0–0 1–1 4–1 0–0 0–1 1–1 3–2 0–4 1–1 3–1 2–2 4–0 3–1 3–2 0–0 1–0 4–0 3–1 3–0 0–1
Marine 3–1 0–1 2–2 4–1 1–1 1–1 1–2 3–4 3–4 2–2 1–1 1–0 3–0 0–2 2–0 5–2 2–0 1–0 0–1 2–2 2–0
Matlock Town 0–0 2–0 4–1 3–1 2–2 3–2 2–3 4–2 7–0 1–1 2–1 0–3 2–0 2–1 0–1 3–1 8–0 2–0 1–1 2–1 2–2
Morecambe 1–3 0–2 1–2 2–2 2–1 3–0 1–1 2–0 0–4 1–0 1–1 1–1 0–0 1–1 1–0 3–0 0–0 0–1 0–1 2–1 0–2
Mossley 3–2 2–1 2–1 4–2 6–1 2–2 3–0 2–1 2–1 3–1 2–2 1–0 1–0 0–0 1–1 4–0 3–0 6–0 0–3 5–1 3–1
Netherfield 1–1 0–1 0–2 2–4 2–0 1–1 1–0 1–2 2–2 0–4 0–0 1–1 0–0 0–0 2–0 1–1 1–1 2–3 0–2 2–2 0–0
Oswestry Town 1–1 2–1 1–1 1–0 2–0 0–0 2–1 2–0 1–1 1–0 1–1 0–0 0–1 2–0 2–0 1–3 1–0 1–2 1–4 2–0 1–1
Runcorn 0–1 0–2 0–4 1–2 1–1 0–0 1–0 1–1 0–2 1–0 1–1 4–1 0–3 4–2 2–2 0–0 0–1 0–0 1–2 3–0 0–2
South Liverpool 0–1 1–1 1–0 1–1 1–2 1–0 2–2 1–1 2–1 1–2 3–3 1–2 1–2 1–0 2–2 1–3 1–1 0–1 1–5 2–2 1–3
Southport 0–1 0–1 0–3 2–1 2–1 1–1 0–1 0–0 0–0 0–2 0–2 0–1 2–7 0–0 3–0 0–4 2–0 1–1 1–4 1–1 0–1
Tamworth 0–1 0–2 1–1 2–2 1–2 0–3 0–2 2–1 0–2 3–1 0–2 1–1 0–2 1–2 1–0 0–1 0–1 1–1 0–2 1–0 0–2
Witton Albion 3–0 3–1 3–0 2–0 5–0 0–0 4–0 1–0 1–0 2–0 1–1 3–0 4–1 3–0 2–0 3–0 1–2 0–1 0–0 3–0 1–1
Workington 2–2 4–1 1–2 1–1 2–1 1–1 0–5 2–4 0–0 1–3 2–1 1–3 0–4 3–1 3–1 0–0 2–2 4–0 0–0 2–3 3–0
Worksop Town 3–2 1–0 2–2 1–0 3–3 5–2 1–0 2–0 1–3 0–1 1–0 2–0 1–5 1–1 6–0 2–2 1–0 1–2 2–0 2–2 1–0
Updated to match(es) played on 7 May 1980. Source: The Football Archives
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Stadia and locations

class=notpageimage|
Locations of the 1979–80 Northern Premier League teams
Club Stadium
Burton Albion Eton Park
Buxton The Silverlands
Frickley Athletic Westfield Lane
Gainsborough Trinity The Northolme
Gateshead United Gateshead Youth Stadium
Goole Town Victoria Pleasure Ground
Grantham London Road
Lancaster City Great Axe
Macclesfield Town Moss Rose
Marine Rossett Park
Matlock Town Causeway Lane
Morecambe Christie Park
Mossley Seel Park
Netherfield Parkside
Oswestry Town Victoria Road
Runcorn Canal Street
South Liverpool Holly Park
Southport Haig Avenue
Tamworth The Lamb Ground
Witton Albion Central Ground
Workington Borough Park
Worksop Town Central Avenue

Cup results

Challenge Cup

Main article: Northern Premier League Challenge Cup
Home Team Score Away Team
Runcorn 2–0 Lancaster City

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
Runcorn beat Mossley

FA Cup

Main article: 1979–80 FA Cup

None of the twenty-two Northern Premier League clubs reached the second round:

First Round

Home Team Score Away Team
Burton Albion 0–2 Bury
Chester 5–1 Workington
Morecambe 1–1 Rotherham United Replay
Rotherham United 2–0 Morecambe
York City 5–2 Mossley

FA Trophy

Main article: 1979–80 FA Trophy

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

Fourth Round

Home Team Score Away Team
Mossley 1–1 Blyth Spartans
Blyth Spartans 0–2 Mossley Replay

Semi-finals

Stage Home Team Score Away Team
1st Leg Mossley 1–1 Boston United
2nd Leg Boston United 1–2 Mossley
Aggregate Mossley 3–2 Boston United

Final

Home Team Score Away Team
Dagenham 2–1 Mossley

End of the season

At the end of the twelfth season of the Northern Premier League, Frickley Athletic applied to join the Alliance Premier League and were successful

Promotion and relegation

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

The following club joined the League the following season:

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g "The Football Archives 79–80". The Football Archives.