The 1997–98 Northern Premier League season was the 30th 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
[edit]Season | 1997–98 |
---|---|
Champions | Barrow |
Promoted | Barrow |
Relegated | Alfreton Town Radcliffe Borough |
Matches played | 462 |
Goals scored | 1,270 (2.75 per match) |
← 1996–97 1998–99 → |
The Premier League featured three new teams:
- Altrincham relegated from the Football Conference
- Leigh RMI promoted as runners up from Division One
- Radcliffe Borough promoted as champions from Division One
League table
[edit]Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Barrow (C, P) | 42 | 25 | 8 | 9 | 61 | 29 | +32 | 83 | Promotion to Football Conference |
2 | Boston United | 42 | 22 | 12 | 8 | 55 | 40 | +15 | 78 | Transferred to the Southern League Premier Division |
3 | Leigh RMI | 42 | 21 | 13 | 8 | 63 | 41 | +22 | 76 | |
4 | Runcorn | 42 | 22 | 9 | 11 | 80 | 50 | +30 | 75 | |
5 | Gainsborough Trinity | 42 | 22 | 9 | 11 | 60 | 39 | +21 | 75 | |
6 | Emley | 42 | 22 | 8 | 12 | 81 | 61 | +20 | 74 | |
7 | Winsford United | 42 | 19 | 12 | 11 | 54 | 43 | +11 | 69 | |
8 | Altrincham | 42 | 18 | 11 | 13 | 76 | 44 | +32 | 65 | |
9 | Guiseley | 42 | 16 | 16 | 10 | 61 | 53 | +8 | 64 | |
10 | Bishop Auckland | 42 | 17 | 12 | 13 | 78 | 60 | +18 | 63 | |
11 | Marine | 42 | 15 | 11 | 16 | 56 | 59 | −3 | 56 | |
12 | Hyde United | 42 | 13 | 16 | 13 | 60 | 55 | +5 | 55 | |
13 | Colwyn Bay | 42 | 15 | 9 | 18 | 53 | 57 | −4 | 54 | |
14 | Spennymoor United | 42 | 14 | 11 | 17 | 58 | 72 | −14 | 52[a] | |
15 | Chorley | 42 | 14 | 7 | 21 | 51 | 70 | −19 | 49 | |
16 | Frickley Athletic | 42 | 12 | 12 | 18 | 45 | 62 | −17 | 48 | |
17 | Lancaster City | 42 | 13 | 8 | 21 | 55 | 74 | −19 | 47 | |
18 | Blyth Spartans | 42 | 12 | 13 | 17 | 52 | 63 | −11 | 39[b] | |
19 | Bamber Bridge | 42 | 9 | 12 | 21 | 51 | 74 | −23 | 39 | |
20 | Accrington Stanley | 42 | 8 | 14 | 20 | 49 | 68 | −19 | 38 | |
21 | Radcliffe Borough (R) | 42 | 6 | 12 | 24 | 39 | 70 | −31 | 30 | Relegation to NPL Division One |
22 | Alfreton Town (R) | 42 | 3 | 13 | 26 | 32 | 86 | −54 | 22 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Notes:
Results
[edit]Division One
[edit]Season | 1997–98 |
---|---|
Champions | Whitby Town |
Promoted | Whitby Town Worksop Town |
Relegated | Buxton Workington |
Matches played | 462 |
Goals scored | 1,433 (3.1 per match) |
← 1996–97 1998–99 → |
Division One featured five new teams:
- Buxton relegated from the NPL Premier Division
- Belper Town promoted as runners-up from the NCEFL Premier Division
- Trafford promoted as champions from the NWCFL Division One
- Whitby Town promoted as champions from the Northern League Division One
- Witton Albion relegated from the NPL Premier Division
League table
[edit]Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Whitby Town (C, P) | 42 | 30 | 8 | 4 | 99 | 48 | +51 | 98 | Promotion to Premier Division |
2 | Worksop Town (P) | 42 | 28 | 7 | 7 | 93 | 44 | +49 | 91 | |
3 | Ashton United | 42 | 26 | 9 | 7 | 93 | 43 | +50 | 87 | |
4 | Droylsden | 42 | 24 | 8 | 10 | 70 | 49 | +21 | 80 | |
5 | Lincoln United | 42 | 20 | 11 | 11 | 76 | 62 | +14 | 71 | |
6 | Farsley Celtic | 42 | 20 | 10 | 12 | 72 | 66 | +6 | 70 | |
7 | Witton Albion | 42 | 19 | 9 | 14 | 77 | 55 | +22 | 66 | |
8 | Eastwood Town | 42 | 18 | 12 | 12 | 68 | 51 | +17 | 66 | |
9 | Bradford Park Avenue | 42 | 18 | 11 | 13 | 62 | 46 | +16 | 65 | |
10 | Belper Town | 42 | 18 | 7 | 17 | 68 | 66 | +2 | 61 | |
11 | Stocksbridge Park Steels | 42 | 17 | 9 | 16 | 68 | 63 | +5 | 60 | |
12 | Trafford | 42 | 16 | 6 | 20 | 59 | 61 | −2 | 54 | |
13 | Whitley Bay | 42 | 14 | 12 | 16 | 60 | 63 | −3 | 54 | |
14 | Matlock Town | 42 | 14 | 11 | 17 | 68 | 54 | +14 | 53 | |
15 | Gretna | 42 | 13 | 9 | 20 | 58 | 64 | −6 | 48 | |
16 | Netherfield[a] | 42 | 12 | 11 | 19 | 55 | 75 | −20 | 47 | |
17 | Flixton | 42 | 10 | 12 | 20 | 45 | 73 | −28 | 42 | |
18 | Congleton Town | 42 | 11 | 8 | 23 | 65 | 101 | −36 | 41 | |
19 | Harrogate Town | 42 | 8 | 14 | 20 | 57 | 80 | −23 | 38 | |
20 | Great Harwood Town | 42 | 8 | 12 | 22 | 41 | 88 | −47 | 36 | |
21 | Workington (R) | 42 | 8 | 7 | 27 | 38 | 84 | −46 | 31 | Relegation to NWCFL Division One |
22 | Buxton (R) | 42 | 7 | 3 | 32 | 41 | 87 | −46 | 24 | Relegation to NCEFL Premier Division |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Notes:
- ^ From the next season Netherfield were renamed as Netherfield Kendal.
Results
[edit]Promotion and relegation
[edit]In the thirtieth season of the Northern Premier League Barrow (as champions) were automatically promoted to the Football Conference. Radcliffe Borough and Alfreton Town were relegated to the First Division; these two clubs were replaced by relegated Conference sides Gateshead and Stalybridge Celtic, First Division winners Whitby Town and second placed Worksop Town. In the First Division Workington and Buxton left the League at the end of the season and were replaced by newly admitted Hucknall Town and Burscough.
Cup results
[edit]Challenge Cup: Teams from both leagues.
- Altrincham bt. Gainsborough Trinity
President's Cup: 'Plate' competition for losing teams in the NPL Cup.
- Runcorn bt. Guiseley
Peter Swales Shield: Between Champions of NPL Premier Division and Winners of the NPL Cup.
- Altrincham bt. Barrow