The Northern Premier League is an English football league that was founded in 1968. Together with the Isthmian League and the Southern League it forms levels seven and eight of the English football league system.
Geographically, the league covers all of Northern England and the northern, central areas of the Midlands, and western parts of East Anglia. Originally a single-division competition, a second division was added in 1987: Division One, and in 2007, a third was added when Division One split into two geographic sections - Division One North and Division One South. In 2018, Division One was re-aligned as East and West Divisions, then North West and South East in 2019. In 2021, the FA restructured the non-League football pyramid and created Division One East, West, and Midlands.
Successful teams at the top of the NPL Premier Division are promoted to level six of the pyramid (either National League North or National League South), and at the bottom end of the competition, teams are relegated down to level nine, where several regional feeder leagues promote clubs into the league.
History
The Northern Premier League (NPL) was founded in 1968, as the northern equivalent of the Southern League, decades after the other two leagues at what is now the seventh tier of the English football league system, the Isthmian League and the Southern League. At that time they were the highest level non-League division below the English Football League, the same level as the other league in Northern England, the Cheshire League.
Over the next two decades, the NPL displaced its older rival to become the pre-eminent regional competition in Northern England, with the Cheshire League eventually forced to accept status as feeder league to the NPL. In 1979, upon the creation of the Alliance Premier League (which later became the Conference and is now the National League), the NPL became a feeder league and fell down one level in the English football league system, and with the then-Conference's addition of regional divisions in 2004 the NPL was demoted by a further tier and there are now two levels between it and the English Football League.
From 1992–93 to 1994–95 the league's Division One included two non-English clubs, Caernarfon Town from Wales and Gretna from Scotland, who later joined their countries' league systems. Colwyn Bay, Bangor City, Newtown, and Rhyl have also played in the league.
In 2018, the NPL's member clubs voted 37–27, with one abstention and three clubs' absence, to split Step 4 (level 8) divisions from east to west starting from the 2018–19 season, and one year later, the league published its successful bid to add another division at Step 4 initially in 2020, further altering Division One into northwest and southeast for travel reasons. After the Football Association (FA) deferred its implementation of changes to the NLS, the NPL's additional division was created in 2021 instead.
- 1968–69 to 1986–87: Premier Division
- 1987–88 to 2006–07: Premier Division, Division One
- 2007–08 to 2017–18: Premier Division, Division One North, Division One South
- 2018–19: Premier Division, Division One East, Division One West
- 2019–20 to 2020–21: Premier Division, Division One North West, Division One South East
- 2021–22 onwards: Premier Division, Division One West, Division One East, Division One Midlands
Sponsorship
Owing to title sponsorship deals, the league has been billed under various names, including a sixteen-year spell as the Unibond League, the longest such deal in world football.
When this deal ended in 2010, a new deal was announced which saw the competition billed as the Evo-Stik League until the 2017–18 season.
The League announced on 8 July 2019 that a two-year deal for seasons 2019-20 and 2020-21 had been agreed with new sponsor BetVictor. This sponsorship agreement with BetVictor was subsequently terminated early in April 2020 with a replacement, Entain's Pitching In, announced as the next sponsor for 2020–21. At the time of announcement, Entain went by its former name GVC Holdings. Under this partnership, the NPL is marketed as one of the three Trident Leagues, alongside its Isthmian and Southern counterparts.
Structure
Since 2021, the NPL has had four divisions: the Premier Division, Division One Midlands, Division One West and Division One East. Prior to 2007 there was just a single Division One,
Finals
{| class="wikitable"
!Season
!Winner
!Result
!Runner-up
!Venue
!Attendance
|-
|1968–69
|align="right"|Bangor City
| align="center"|5–2<br>
|Runcorn
|1L: <br>2L:
|1L: <br>2L:
|-
|1969–70
|align="right"|Altrincham
| align="center"|4–3<br>
|Macclesfield Town
|1L: <br>2L: Moss Rose
|1L: 4,400<br>2L: 6,833
|-
|1970–71
|align="right"|Fleetwood
| align="center"|1–1<br><br>1–0 (
|Macclesfield Town
|1L: <br>2L: Moss Rose<br>rep. Springfield Park
|1L: 1,374<br>2L: 2,457<br>rep.
|-
|1971–72
|align="right"|Wigan Athletic
| align="center"|4–2<br>
|Gainsborough Trinity
|1L: <br>2L:
|1L: <br>2L:
|-
|1972–73
|align="right"|Northwich Victoria
| align="center"|3–2<br>
|Wigan Athletic
|1L: <br>2L:
|1L: <br>2L:
|-
|1973–74
|align="right"|Boston United
| align="center"|4–3<br>
|Altrincham
|1L: <br>2L:
|1L: <br>2L:
|-
|1974–75
|align="right"|Runcorn
| align="center"|2–1<br>
|Stafford Rangers
|1L: <br>2L:
|1L: <br>2L:
|-
|1975–76
|align="right"|Boston United
| align="center"|4–3<br>
|Mossley
|1L: York Street <br>2L: Seel Park
|1L: 2,212<br>2L: 711
|-
|1976–77
|align="right"|Scarborough
| align="center"|1–0
|Runcorn
|Maine Road
|
|-
|1977–78
|align="right"|Matlock Town
| align="center"|3–0
|Boston United
|Maine Road
|
|-
|1978–79
|align="right"|Mossley
| align="center"|4–1
|Northwich Victoria
|Maine Road
|5,054
|-
|1979–80
|align="right"|Runcorn
| align="center"|2–0
|Lancaster City
|Maine Road
|
|-
|1980–81
|align="right"|Runcorn
| align="center"|4–3
|Marine
|Maine Road
|
|-
|1981–82
|align="right"|Gainsborough Trinity
| align="center"|1–0
|Mossley
|Maine Road
|1,658
|-
|1982–83
|align="right"|Burton Albion
| align="center"|2–1
|Macclesfield Town
|Maine Road
|2,538
|-
|1983–84
|align="right"|South Liverpool
| align="center"|1–1
|Hyde United
|Maine Road
|
|-
|1984–85
|align="right"|Marine
| align="center"|3–2
|Goole Town
|Maine Road
|
|-
|1985–86
|align="right"|Hyde United
| align="center"|1–0
|Marine
|Maine Road
|
|-
|1986–87
|align="right"|Macclesfield Town
| align="center"|2–0
|Burton Albion
|Maine Road
|2,037
|-
|1987–88
|align="right"|Goole Town
| align="center"|2–2
|Barrow
|Maine Road
|1,579
|-
|1988–89
|align="right"|Mossley
| align="center"|2–1
|Fleetwood
|Maine Road
|2,110
|-
|1989–90
|align="right"|Hyde United
| align="center"|1–0
|Gateshead
|Maine Road
|
|-
|1990–91
|align="right"|Southport
| align="center"|4–1
|Buxton
|Maine Road
|1,700
|-
|1991–92
|align="right"|Marine
| align="center"|1–0
|Frickley Athletic
|Maine Road
|
|-
|1992–93
|align="right"|Winsford United
| align="center"|1–1
|Warrington Town
|Maine Road
|
|-
|1993–94
|align="right"|Spennymoor United
| align="center"|3–1
|Hyde United
|Wetherby Road
|585
|-
|1994–95
|align="right"|Bamber Bridge
| align="center"|2–1
|Bishop Auckland
|Burnden Park
|
|-
|1995–96
|align="right"|Hyde United
| align="center"|1–1
|Leek Town
|Burnden Park
|501
|-
|1996–97
|align="right"|Gainsborough Trinity
| align="center"|1–0
|Boston United
|Sincil Bank
|
|-
|1997–98
|align="right"|Altrincham
| align="center"|2–1
|Gainsborough Trinity
|Saltergate
|
|-
|1998–99
|align="right"|Stalybridge Celtic
| align="center"|2–1
|Guiseley
|
|
|-
|1999–00
|align="right"|Lancaster City
| align="center"|1–0
|Worksop Town
|Bower Fold
|669
|-
|2000–01
|align="right"|Lancaster City
| align="center"|2–2
|Bishop Auckland
|Giant Axe
|530
|-
|2001–02
|align="right"|Accrington Stanley
| align="center"|1–1
|Bradford Park Avenue
|1L: Horsfall Stadium<br>2L: Crown Ground
|1L: 471<br>2L: 1,107
|-
|2002–03
|align="right"|Marine
| align="center"|3–0<br>
|Gateshead
|1L: Filtrona Park<br>2L: Rossett Park
|1L: 184<br>2L: 425
|-
|2003–04
|align="right"|Droylsden
| align="center"|4–1<br>
|Hucknall Town
|1L: Butcher's Arms Ground<br>2L: Watnall Road
|1L: 424<br>2L: 597
|-
|2004–05
|align="right"|Matlock Town
| align="center"|5–3<br>
|Whitby Town
|1L: Causeway Lane <br>2L: Turnbull Ground
|1L: 547<br>2L: 490
|-
|2005–06
|align="right"|Farsley Celtic
| align="center"|1–0
|Stocksbridge Park Steels
|Throstle Nest
|507
|-
|2006–07
|align="right"|Fleetwood
| align="center"|1–0
|Matlock Town
|Wincham Park
|426
|-
|2007–08
|align="right"|Eastwood Town
| align="center"|3–0
|Skelmersdale United
|Tameside Stadium
|372
|-
|2008–09
|align="right"|Guiseley
| align="center"|3–2
|Ilkeston Town
|Tameside Stadium
|227
|-
|2009–10
|align="right"|Boston United
| align="center"|2–0
|Retford United
|Ashby Avenue
|503
|-
|2010–11
|align="right"|Ashton United
| align="center"|1–0
|Northwich Victoria
|Wincham Park
|489
|-
|2011–12
|align="right"|North Ferriby United
| align="center"|4–1
|Rushall Olympic
|Coronation Park
|256
|-
|2012–13
|align="right"|North Ferriby United
| align="center"|1–1
|Curzon Ashton
|Throstle Nest
|179
|-
|2013–14
|align="right"|AFC Fylde
| align="center"|1–0
|Skelmersdale United
|Edgeley Park
|358
|-
|2014–15
|align="right"|Warrington Town
| align="center"|0–0
|Farsley
|Edgeley Park
|731
|-
|2015–16
|align="right"|Marine
| align="center"|2–1
|Scarborough Athletic
|Throstle Nest
|690
|-
|2016–17
|align="right"|Bamber Bridge
| align="center"|2–1
|Grantham Town
|Harrison Park
|474
|-+
|2017–18
|align="right"|Atherton Collieries
| align="center"|2–1
|Coalville Town
|North Street
|374
|-
|2018–19
|align="right"|Trafford
| align="center"|2–1
|Farsley Celtic
|Broadhurst Park
|374
|-
|2019–20
|colspan=5 align="center"|Competition abandoned due to COVID-19
|-
|colspan=6 align="center"|Discontinued since 2020
|-
|-
|-
|}
In the past the league has run three other cup competitions - the President's Cup, Chairman's Cup and Peter Swales Shield.
Winners
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center"
!Season
!President's Cup
!Chairman's Cup
!Peter Swales Shield
|-
|1970–71|| - || - || Wigan Athletic
|-
|1971–72|| - || - || Wigan Athletic
|-
|1972–73|| - || - || Boston United
|-
|1973–74|| - || - || Boston United
|-
|1974–75|| - || - || Wigan Athletic
|-
|1975–76|| - || - || Boston United
|-
|1976–77|| - || - || Boston United
|-
|1977–78|| - || - || Matlock Town
|-
|1978–79|| - || - || Altrincham
|-
|1979–80|| - || - || Runcorn
|-
|1980–81|| - || - || Runcorn
|-
|1981–82|| Buxton || - || Gainsborough Trinity
|-
|1982–83|| King's Lynn || - || Burton Albion
|-
|1983–84|| Workington || - || Barrow
|-
|1984–85|| Rhyl || - || Stafford Rangers
|-
|1985–86|| Worksop Town || - || Gateshead
|-
|1986–87|| Macclesfield Town || - || Bangor City
|-
|1987–88|| South Liverpool || - || Chorley
|-
|1988–89|| Bangor City || - || Mossley
|-
|1989–90|| Fleetwood Town || - || Leek Town
|-
|1990–91|| Witton Albion || - || Witton Albion
|-
|1991–92|| Morecambe || - || Stalybridge Celtic
|-
|1992–93|| Winsford United || - || Southport
|-
|1993–94|| Guiseley|| - || Marine
|-
|1994–95|| Lancaster City || - || Marine
|-
|1995–96|| Worksop Town || - || Hyde United
|-
|1996–97|| Blyth Spartans || - || Gainsborough Trinity
|-
|1997–98|| Runcorn || - || Altrincham
|-
|1998–99|| Droylsden || - || Altrincham
|-
|1999–00|| Trafford || Hyde United|| Leigh RMI
|-
|2000–01|| Stalybridge Celtic || Barrow || Stalybridge Celtic
|-
|2001–02|| Barrow || Worksop Town || Accrington Stanley
|-
|2002–03|| Stalybridge Celtic || Hucknall Town || Accrington Stanley
|-
|2003–04|| Barrow || Hyde United || Droylsden
|-
|2004–05|| Bamber Bridge || Kidsgrove Athletic || Hyde United
|-
|2005–06|| Bradford Park Avenue || Blyth Spartans || Blyth Spartans
|-
|2006–07|| Buxton || Guiseley || Burscough
|-
|2007–08|| FC United of Manchester || Retford United || Fleetwood Town
|-
|2008–09|| Trafford || Durham City || Eastwood Town
|-
|2009–10|| Belper Town || Mickleover Sports || Guiseley
|-
|2010–11|| Lancaster City|| - || FC Halifax Town
|-
|2011–12|| - || - || Chester
|-
|2012–13|| - || - || Skelmersdale United
|-
|2013–14|| - || - || Halesowen Town
|}
See also
- Isthmian League
- Southern League