1996–97 Northern Premier League
The 1996–97 Northern Premier League season was the 29th in the history of the Northern Premier League, a football competition in England. Teams were divided into two divisions; the Premier and the First. It was known as the Unibond League for sponsorship reasons.[1]
Premier Division
| Season | 1996–97 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Leek Town |
| Promoted | Leek Town |
| Relegated |
Buxton Witton Albion |
| Matches played | 506 |
| Goals scored | 1466 (2.9 per match) |
|
← 1995–96 1997–98 → | |
The Premier League featured three new teams:
- Alfreton Town promoted as runners-up from Division One
- Lancaster City promoted as champions from Division One
- Runcorn relegated from the Conference
League Table
| Pos |
Team |
Pld |
W |
D |
L |
GF |
GA |
GD |
Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Leek Town (C) (P) | 44 | 28 | 9 | 7 | 71 | 35 | +36 | 93 | Promotion to Conference |
| 2 | Bishop Auckland | 44 | 23 | 14 | 7 | 88 | 43 | +45 | 83 | |
| 3 | Hyde United | 44 | 22 | 16 | 6 | 93 | 46 | +47 | 82 | |
| 4 | Emley | 44 | 23 | 12 | 9 | 89 | 54 | +35 | 81 | |
| 5 | Barrow | 44 | 23 | 11 | 10 | 71 | 45 | +26 | 80 | |
| 6 | Boston United | 44 | 22 | 13 | 9 | 74 | 47 | +27 | 79 | |
| 7 | Blyth Spartans | 44 | 22 | 11 | 11 | 74 | 49 | +25 | 77 | |
| 8 | Marine | 44 | 20 | 15 | 9 | 53 | 37 | +16 | 75 | |
| 9 | Guiseley | 44 | 20 | 11 | 13 | 63 | 54 | +9 | 71 | |
| 10 | Gainsborough Trinity | 44 | 18 | 12 | 14 | 65 | 46 | +19 | 66 | |
| 11 | Accrington Stanley | 44 | 18 | 12 | 14 | 77 | 70 | +7 | 66 | |
| 12 | Runcorn | 44 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 63 | 62 | +1 | 60 | |
| 13 | Chorley | 44 | 16 | 9 | 19 | 69 | 66 | +3 | 57 | |
| 14 | Winsford United | 44 | 13 | 14 | 17 | 50 | 56 | −6 | 53 | |
| 15 | Knowsley United | 44 | 12 | 14 | 18 | 58 | 79 | −21 | 50 | Club folded at the end of the season |
| 16 | Colwyn Bay | 44 | 11 | 13 | 20 | 60 | 76 | −16 | 46 | |
| 17 | Lancaster City | 44 | 12 | 9 | 23 | 48 | 75 | −27 | 45 | |
| 18 | Frickley Athletic | 44 | 12 | 8 | 24 | 62 | 91 | −29 | 44 | |
| 19 | Spennymoor United | 44 | 10 | 10 | 24 | 52 | 68 | −16 | 40 | |
| 20 | Bamber Bridge | 44 | 11 | 7 | 26 | 59 | 99 | −40 | 40 | |
| 21 | Alfreton Town | 44 | 8 | 13 | 23 | 45 | 86 | −41 | 37 | |
| 22 | Witton Albion (R) | 44 | 5 | 14 | 25 | 49 | 91 | −42 | 29 | Relegation to NPL Division One |
| 23 | Buxton (R) | 44 | 5 | 12 | 27 | 33 | 86 | −53 | 27 |
Updated to games played on 7 November 2015.
Source: Northern Premier Division.
Rules for classification:
1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored
(C) = Champion; (R) = Relegated; (P) = Promoted; (E) = Eliminated; (O) = Play-off winner; (A) = Advances to a further round.
Only applicable when the season is not finished:
(Q) = Qualified to the phase of tournament indicated; (TQ) = Qualified to tournament, but not yet to the particular phase indicated; (RQ) = Qualified to the relegation tournament indicated; (DQ) = Disqualified from tournament.
Results
| Home ╲ Away | ACC | ALF | BAM | BRW | BIS | BLY | BOS | BUX | CHO | COL | Emley | FRK | GAI | GUI | HYD | Knowsley United | LNC | LEE | MAR | RUN | SPU | WNS | WTN |
| Accrington Stanley | 4–2 | 4–1 | 1–2 | 1–4 | 2–3 | 3–1 | 5–3 | 0–3 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 4–0 | 0–4 | 1–2 | 3–2 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 1–0 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 0–0 | 4–1 | |
| Alfreton Town | 1–3 | 2–1 | 2–3 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 0–3 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 4–5 | 0–3 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 2–1 | |
| Bamber Bridge | 1–1 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 1–2 | 0–1 | 0–2 | 2–2 | 0–2 | 2–3 | 0–3 | 5–1 | 1–1 | 6–4 | 1–4 | 1–2 | 0–2 | 0–4 | 1–0 | 0–5 | 1–3 | 1–2 | 4–2 | |
| Barrow | 4–3 | 3–0 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 2–2 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 3–0 | 1–0 | 3–0 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–0 | 3–0 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 3–1 | |
| Bishop Auckland | 1–1 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 0–1 | 1–3 | 1–0 | 5–0 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 0–1 | 2–2 | 3–3 | 1–0 | 3–0 | 4–1 | 4–2 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 4–1 | 2–0 | 5–0 | |
| Blyth Spartans | 1–1 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 1–2 | 5–0 | 1–3 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 6–3 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 6–0 | 3–1 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 2–0 | 1–2 | 0–0 | |
| Boston United | 3–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–5 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 3–0 | 3–0 | 3–2 | 4–1 | 2–3 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 4–2 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–1 | |
| Buxton | 1–3 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 0–2 | 0–1 | 2–2 | 0–3 | 1–3 | 2–1 | 0–1 | 0–3 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–2 | 1–1 | |
| Chorley | 1–1 | 2–1 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 3–4 | 2–2 | 4–0 | 1–2 | 0–1 | 3–4 | 1–0 | 3–3 | 2–2 | 0–2 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 4–0 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 6–1 | |
| Colwyn Bay | 0–2 | 1–1 | 5–2 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 3–0 | 1–5 | 3–4 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 5–0 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 5–0 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 0–0 | 3–3 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 0–0 | |
| Emley | 3–1 | 4–0 | 1–2 | 3–0 | 2–0 | 3–2 | 1–1 | 3–0 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 3–3 | 3–3 | 4–0 | 2–4 | 2–4 | 2–2 | 2–3 | 5–1 | 2–1 | 3–0 | 1–1 | 4–1 | |
| Frickley Athletic | 0–1 | 7–2 | 1–0 | 0–2 | 0–4 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 2–1 | 3–4 | 1–2 | 2–2 | 0–1 | 0–3 | 0–2 | 3–1 | 2–3 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 5–2 | 3–2 | 1–2 | |
| Gainsborough Trinity | 2–2 | 3–0 | 0–2 | 3–0 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–0 | 2–0 | 0–3 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 4–1 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 3–0 | |
| Guiseley | 1–0 | 1–1 | 5–0 | 3–1 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 1–4 | 0–1 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2–3 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 3–0 | |
| Hyde United | 7–2 | 5–0 | 2–2 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 3–2 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 5–1 | 2–1 | 2–2 | 4–0 | 0–0 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 4–0 | 0–0 | 1–0 | |
| Knowsley United | 1–1 | 1–1 | 5–0 | 0–3 | 0–5 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 4–1 | 4–1 | 3–0 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 0–1 | 2–2 | 3–3 | 3–1 | 3–2 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 0–3 | 2–1 | |
| Lancaster City | 1–2 | 1–0 | 2–3 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 4–1 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 0–2 | 1–2 | 0–4 | 2–2 | 0–3 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 2–1 | |
| Leek Town | 2–1 | 4–0 | 4–1 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 4–0 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 3–0 | 1–0 | 1–3 | 0–0 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 2–1 | |
| Marine | 2–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–3 | 0–3 | 1–0 | 3–0 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 5–1 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 3–0 | 0–0 | |
| Runcorn | 1–3 | 1–0 | 1–2 | 0–0 | 1–3 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 5–0 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 1–3 | 1–0 | 3–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 4–3 | 4–0 | |
| Spennymoor United | 0–0 | 3–2 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 1–5 | 0–2 | 1–3 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 1–2 | 2–3 | 3–1 | 1–2 | 4–1 | 1–1 | 5–0 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 6–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | |
| Winsford United | 1–1 | 1–0 | 4–2 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 0–2 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 3–0 | 2–2 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 3–1 | 0–1 | 0–2 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | |
| Witton Albion | 0–1 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 1–0 | 1–4 | 0–2 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 1–3 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 2–2 | 1–5 | 1–2 | 1–3 |
Updated to games played on 3 May 1997.
Source: Northern Premier Division results grid
1 ^ The home team is listed in the left-hand column.
Colours: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
Division One
| Season | 1996–97 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Radcliffe Borough |
| Promoted |
Leigh RMI Radcliffe Borough |
| Relegated |
Atherton L.R. Curzon Ashton Warrington Town |
| Matches played | 462 |
| Goals scored | 1281 (2.77 per match) |
|
← 1995–96 1997–98 → | |
Division One featured four new teams:
- Droylsden relegated from the Premier Division
- Flixton promoted as champions from the NWCFL Division One
- Matlock Town relegated from the Premier Division
- Stocksbridge Park Steels promoted as runners-up from the NCEFL Premier Division
League Table
| Pos |
Team |
Pld |
W |
D |
L |
GF |
GA |
GD |
Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Radcliffe Borough (C) (P) | 42 | 26 | 7 | 9 | 77 | 33 | +44 | 85 | Promotion to Premier Division |
| 2 | Leigh RMI (P) | 42 | 24 | 11 | 7 | 65 | 33 | +32 | 83 | |
| 3 | Lincoln United | 42 | 25 | 8 | 9 | 78 | 47 | +31 | 83 | |
| 4 | Farsley Celtic | 42 | 23 | 8 | 11 | 75 | 48 | +27 | 77 | |
| 5 | Worksop Town | 42 | 20 | 12 | 10 | 68 | 38 | +30 | 72 | |
| 6 | Stocksbridge Park Steels | 42 | 19 | 11 | 12 | 66 | 54 | +12 | 68 | |
| 7 | Bradford Park Avenue | 42 | 20 | 8 | 14 | 58 | 50 | +8 | 68 | |
| 8 | Ashton United | 42 | 17 | 14 | 11 | 73 | 52 | +21 | 65 | |
| 9 | Great Harwood Town | 42 | 16 | 12 | 14 | 56 | 46 | +10 | 60 | |
| 10 | Droylsden | 42 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 69 | 67 | +2 | 59 | |
| 11 | Matlock Town | 42 | 16 | 9 | 17 | 60 | 69 | −9 | 57 | |
| 12 | Whitley Bay | 42 | 14 | 12 | 16 | 47 | 54 | −7 | 54 | |
| 13 | Flixton | 42 | 15 | 7 | 20 | 57 | 72 | −15 | 52 | |
| 14 | Netherfield | 42 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 54 | 56 | −2 | 50 | |
| 15 | Eastwood Town | 42 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 42 | 49 | −7 | 50 | |
| 16 | Gretna | 42 | 11 | 17 | 14 | 55 | 67 | −12 | 50 | |
| 17 | Harrogate Town | 42 | 13 | 8 | 21 | 54 | 76 | −22 | 47 | |
| 18 | Congleton Town | 42 | 12 | 9 | 21 | 47 | 64 | −17 | 45 | |
| 19 | Workington | 42 | 10 | 12 | 20 | 45 | 63 | −18 | 42 | |
| 20 | Curzon Ashton (R) | 42 | 8 | 10 | 24 | 48 | 79 | −31 | 34 | Relegation to NCEFL Premier Division |
| 21 | Warrington Town (R) | 42 | 5 | 18 | 19 | 42 | 79 | −37 | 33* | Relegation to NWCFL Division One |
| 22 | Atherton Laburnum Rovers (R) | 42 | 7 | 9 | 26 | 45 | 85 | −40 | 30 |
Updated to games played on May 1997.
Source: .
Rules for classification:
1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored
* Warrington Town were relegated an extra level due to ground standards issues.
(C) = Champion; (R) = Relegated; (P) = Promoted; (E) = Eliminated; (O) = Play-off winner; (A) = Advances to a further round.
Only applicable when the season is not finished:
(Q) = Qualified to the phase of tournament indicated; (TQ) = Qualified to tournament, but not yet to the particular phase indicated; (RQ) = Qualified to the relegation tournament indicated; (DQ) = Disqualified from tournament.
Promotion and relegation
In the twenty-ninth season of the Northern Premier League Leek Town (as champions) were automatically promoted to the Football Conference. Witton Albion and Buxton were relegated to the First Division while Knowsley United left the League at the end of the season. Boston United moved to the Southern League. These clubs were replaced by relegated Conference side Altrincham, First Division winners Radcliffe Borough and second placed Leigh RMI. In the First Division Curzon Ashton, Warrington Town and Atherton Laburnum Rovers left the League at the end of the season and were replaced by newly admitted Whitby Town, Belper Town and Trafford.
Cup Results
Challenge Cup: Teams from both leagues.
- Gainsborough Trinity bt. Boston United
President's Cup: 'Plate' competition for losing teams in the NPL Cup.
- Blyth Spartans bt. Runcorn
Peter Swales Shield: Between Champions of NPL Premier Division and Winners of the NPL Cup.
- Gainsborough Trinity bt. Leek Town