The 1978–79 Northern Premier League was the eleventh 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 19 August 1978 and concluded on 21 May 1979.
Overview The League featured twenty-three clubs.
Team changes The following two clubs left the League at the end of the previous season: Wigan Athletic promoted to Football League Fourth Division Great Harwood folded
The following club joined the League at the start of the season: Southport demoted from Football League Fourth Division
League table
Results
Stadia and locations
Club StadiumAltrinchamMoss LaneBangor CityFarrar RoadBarrowHolker StreetBoston UnitedYork StreetBuxtonThe SilverlandsFrickley AthleticWestfield LaneGainsborough TrinityThe NortholmeGateshead UnitedGateshead Youth StadiumGoole TownVictoria Pleasure GroundLancaster CityGreat AxeMacclesfield TownMoss RoseMatlock TownCauseway LaneMorecambeChristie ParkMossleySeel ParkNetherfieldParksideNorthwich VictoriaDrill FieldRuncornCanal StreetScarboroughAthletic GroundSouth LiverpoolHolly ParkSouthportHaig AvenueStafford RangersMarston RoadWorkingtonBorough ParkWorksop TownCentral Avenue
Cup results Challenge Cup
Home team Score Away teamMossley4–1Northwich Victoria
Northern Premier League Shield
Between Champions of NPL Premier Division and Winners of the NPL Cup. As Mossley won both the Northern Premier League and the Challenge Cup, Altrincham qualified as 2nd placed team of the NPL. Home team Score Away teamAltrinchambeatMossley
FA Cup
Only two of the twenty-four Northern Premier League clubs reached the second round:
Second Round Home team Score Away teamDroylsden0–2AltrinchamYork City3–0Scarborough
Third Round Home team Score Away teamTottenham Hotspur1–1AltrinchamAltrincham0–3Tottenham HotspurReplay
FA Trophy
Two of the twenty-four Northern Premier League clubs reached the fourth round:
Fourth Round Home team Score Away teamBishop Auckland1–1Stafford RangersStafford Rangers3–1Bishop AucklandReplayRuncorn2–1Hayes
Semi-finals Stage Home team Score Away team1st LegRuncorn1–2Stafford Rangers2nd LegStafford Rangers1–1RuncornAggregateStafford Rangers3–2Runcorn
Final Home team Score Away teamStafford Rangers2–0Kettering Town
End of the season At the end of the eleventh season of the Northern Premier League, Altrincham who was put forward for election did not receive enough votes to be promoted to the Football League.
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.
Football League elections Alongside the four Football League clubs facing re-election, two non-League clubs, one from the Northern Premier League and the other from the Southern League, applied to be elected. All four Football League clubs were re-elected.
ClubLeagueVotesDoncaster RoversFootball League Division Four50Crewe AlexandraFootball League Division Four49DarlingtonFootball League Division Four43Halifax TownFootball League Division Four37AltrinchamNorthern Premier League13Kettering TownSouthern League Premier Division12
Promotion and relegation The number of clubs reduced from twenty-three to twenty-two for the following season.
The following seven clubs left the league at the end of the season: Altrincham promoted to Alliance Premier League Bangor City promoted to Alliance Premier League Barrow promoted to Alliance Premier League Boston United promoted to Alliance Premier League Northwich Victoria promoted to Alliance Premier League Scarborough promoted to Alliance Premier League Stafford Rangers promoted to Alliance Premier League
The following six clubs joined the league the following season: Burton Albion promoted from Southern League Division One North Grantham promoted from Southern League Division One North Marine promoted from Cheshire County League Division One Oswestry Town promoted from Southern League Division One North Tamworth promoted from Southern League Division One North Witton Albion promoted from Cheshire County League Division One
References
External links Northern Premier League official website Northern Premier League tables at RSSSF Football Club History Database