1978–79 Northern Premier League


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:
The following club joined the League at the start of the season:

Results

Stadia and locations

ClubStadium
AltrinchamMoss Lane
Bangor CityFarrar Road
BarrowHolker Street
Boston UnitedYork Street
BuxtonThe Silverlands
Frickley AthleticWestfield Lane
Gainsborough TrinityThe Northolme
Gateshead UnitedGateshead Youth Stadium
Goole TownVictoria Pleasure Ground
Lancaster CityGreat Axe
Macclesfield TownMoss Rose
Matlock TownCauseway Lane
MorecambeChristie Park
MossleySeel Park
NetherfieldParkside
Northwich VictoriaDrill Field
RuncornCanal Street
ScarboroughAthletic Ground
South LiverpoolHolly Park
SouthportHaig Avenue
Stafford RangersMarston Road
WorkingtonBorough Park
Worksop TownCentral Avenue

Cup results

Challenge Cup

Home TeamScoreAway Team
Mossley4–1Northwich 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 TeamScoreAway Team
AltrinchambeatMossley

FA Cup

Only two of the twenty-four Northern Premier League clubs reached the second round:
Second Round
Home TeamScoreAway Team
Droylsden0–2Altrincham
York City3–0Scarborough

Third Round
Home TeamScoreAway Team
Tottenham Hotspur1–1Altrincham
Altrincham0–3Tottenham HotspurReplay

FA Trophy

Two of the twenty-four Northern Premier League clubs reached the fourth round:
Fourth Round
Home TeamScoreAway Team
Bishop Auckland1–1Stafford Rangers
Stafford Rangers3–1Bishop AucklandReplay
Runcorn2–1Hayes

Semi-finals
StageHome TeamScoreAway Team
1st LegRuncorn1–2Stafford Rangers
2nd LegStafford Rangers1–1Runcorn
AggregateStafford Rangers3–2Runcorn

Final
Home TeamScoreAway Team
Stafford 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 received 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.
ClubLeagueVotes
Doncaster RoversFootball League Division Four50
Crewe AlexandraFootball League Division Four49
DarlingtonFootball League Division Four43
Halifax TownFootball League Division Four37
AltrinchamNorthern Premier League13
Kettering 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:
The following six clubs joined the league the following season: