The 2020–21 season was the 53rd season of the Northern Premier League. The league consists of three divisions, the Premier Division at Step 3 of the National League System, and the West and East Divisions at Step 4.
As the previous season was terminated due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with all results removed,[1] there were no changes in the allocations of teams for the Northern Premier League.[2] The planned restructuring of the National League System, including the expansion of the Northern Premier League to include a further division at Step 4, was postponed until 2021–22.[3]
For this season it was announced to member clubs that the League Cup would not take place during the season.
Due to the restrictions on clubs' ability to play matches in the COVID-19 lockdowns, competitions at Steps 3–6 were curtailed on 24 February 2021.[4] The scheduled restructuring of non-league took place at the end of the season, with a new division added to the Northern Premier League at Step 4 for 2021–22.[5] This resulted in 20 extra teams joining the league, either through promotions or reallocations, and some movement of teams currently in the two Division Ones.[5]
Premier Division
edit| Season | 2020–21 |
|---|---|
← 2019–20 2021–22 → | |
Premier Division comprised the same set of 22 teams which competed in the aborted competition the previous season. On 1 June 2020, Mickleover Sports were renamed Mickleover F.C.[6]
Premier Division table at the time of curtailment
edit| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mickleover | 10 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 23 | 11 | +12 | 22 |
| 2 | Basford United | 9 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 15 | 9 | +6 | 19 |
| 3 | Buxton | 8 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 22 | 11 | +11 | 17 |
| 4 | Warrington Town | 9 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 16 | 11 | +5 | 16 |
| 5 | Witton Albion | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 13 | 7 | +6 | 15 |
| 6 | South Shields | 9 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 12 | 8 | +4 | 15 |
| 7 | Whitby Town | 9 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 15 | 14 | +1 | 14 |
| 8 | Matlock Town | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 4 | +6 | 13 |
| 9 | Atherton Collieries | 8 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 13 | 8 | +5 | 13 |
| 10 | Gainsborough Trinity | 8 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 13 | 12 | +1 | 12 |
| 11 | Scarborough Athletic | 8 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 10 | 11 | −1 | 11 |
| 12 | Lancaster City | 7 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 12 | 10 | +2 | 10 |
| 13 | FC United of Manchester | 7 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 9 | 7 | +2 | 10 |
| 14 | Radcliffe | 9 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 15 | 23 | −8 | 10 |
| 15 | Nantwich Town | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 9 |
| 16 | Morpeth Town | 7 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 10 | −1 | 9 |
| 17 | Hyde United | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 6 | −1 | 6 |
| 18 | Stalybridge Celtic | 9 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 17 | −10 | 6 |
| 19 | Ashton United | 7 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 13 | −8 | 5 |
| 20 | Bamber Bridge | 9 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 6 | 17 | −11 | 4 |
| 21 | Grantham Town | 8 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 14 | −9 | 3 |
| 22 | Stafford Rangers | 8 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 3 | 15 | −12 | 1 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored; 4) number of matches won; 5) head-to-head results[7]
Top 10 goalscorers
edit| Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Diego De Girolamo | Buxton | 8 |
| 2 |  Nathan Cartman | Scarborough Athletic | 6 |
| Jason Gilchrist | South Shields | ||
| 4 |  Jacob Hazel | Whitby Town | 5 |
| Rod Orlando-Young | Gainsborough Trinity | ||
| 6 |  Jean-Louis Akpa Akpro | Radcliffe | 4 |
| Josh Amis | Warrington Town | ||
| Scott Bakkor | Witton Albion | ||
| Stuart Beavon | Mickleover | ||
| Bohan Dixon | Warrington Town | ||
| Marcus Giles | Whitby Town |
Updated to matches played on 3 November 2020
Results table
editStadia and locations
edit
| Club | Location | Ground | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ashton United | Ashton-under-Lyne | Hurst Cross | 4,500 |
| Atherton Collieries | Atherton | Alder Street | 2,500 |
| Bamber Bridge | Bamber Bridge | Irongate | 2,264 |
| Basford United | Nottingham (Basford) | Greenwich Avenue | 2,200 |
| Buxton | Buxton | The Silverlands | 5,200 |
| FC United of Manchester | Manchester (Moston) | Broadhurst Park | 4,400 |
| Gainsborough Trinity | Gainsborough | The Northolme | 4,304 |
| Grantham Town | Grantham | South Kesteven Sports Stadium | 7,500 |
| Hyde United | Hyde | Ewen Fields | 4,250 |
| Lancaster City | Lancaster | Giant Axe | 3,500 |
| Matlock Town | Matlock | Causeway Lane | 2,214 |
| Mickleover | Derby (Mickleover) | Station Road | 1,500 |
| Morpeth Town | Morpeth | Craik Park | 1,500 |
| Nantwich Town | Nantwich | The Weaver Stadium | 3,500 |
| Radcliffe | Radcliffe | Stainton Park | 3,500 |
| Scarborough Athletic | Scarborough | Flamingo Land Stadium | 2,833 |
| South Shields | South Shields | Mariners Park | 3,500 |
| Stafford Rangers | Stafford | Marston Road | 4,000 |
| Stalybridge Celtic | Stalybridge | Bower Fold | 6,500 |
| Warrington Town | Warrington | Cantilever Park | 3,500 |
| Whitby Town | Whitby | Turnbull Ground | 3,500 |
| Witton Albion | Northwich | Wincham Park | 4,813 |
Division One North West
edit| Season | 2020–21 |
|---|---|
← 2019–20 2021–22 → | |
The division was renamed to Division One North West instead of Division One West from the previous season. Division One North West comprised 19 teams, one fewer than the previous season, following Droylsden's resignation from NPL.[8]
Division One North-West table at the time of curtailment
edit| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Colne | 9 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 20 | 9 | +11 | 22 | |
| 2 | Ramsbottom United | 8 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 19 | 9 | +10 | 19 | |
| 3 | Workington | 9 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 19 | 9 | +10 | 19 | |
| 4 | Clitheroe | 9 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 15 | 9 | +6 | 18 | |
| 5 | Dunston UTS | 7 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 8 | +5 | 16 | Transferred to the NPL Division One East |
| 6 | Marine | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 16 | 5 | +11 | 15 | |
| 7 | Runcorn Linnets | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 15 | 11 | +4 | 15 | |
| 8 | Marske United | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 14 | 5 | +9 | 11 | Transferred to the NPL Division One East |
| 9 | Tadcaster Albion | 8 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 13 | 10 | +3 | 11 | |
| 10 | City of Liverpool | 9 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 19 | 21 | −2 | 10 | |
| 11 | Kendal Town | 12 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 11 | 22 | −11 | 10 | |
| 12 | Widnes | 9 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 15 | −7 | 8 | |
| 13 | Mossley | 7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 10 | 11 | −1 | 7 | |
| 14 | Trafford | 7 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 8 | 11 | −3 | 7 | |
| 15 | Prescot Cables | 9 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 11 | 15 | −4 | 7 | |
| 16 | Pickering Town | 9 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 8 | 19 | −11 | 7 | Transferred to the NPL Division One East |
| 17 | Brighouse Town | 8 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 13 | 20 | −7 | 5 | |
| 18 | Pontefract Collieries | 8 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 22 | −14 | 5 | |
| 19 | Ossett United | 8 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 15 | −9 | 4 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored; 4) number of matches won; 5) head-to-head results[7]
Top 10 goalscorers
edit| Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Matty Tymon | Marske United | 7 |
| 2 | Jamie Cooke | Colne | 6 |
| Reuben Jerome | Workington | ||
| 4 | Scott Allison | Workington | 5 |
| Nathan Burke | City of Liverpool | ||
| Sefton Gonzales | Ramsbottom United |
Updated to matches played on November 4, 2020
Results table
editStadia and locations
edit 
| Team | Location | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brighouse Town | Brighouse | St Giles Road | 1,000 |
| City of Liverpool | Aintree | New Bucks Park | 3,750 |
| Clitheroe | Clitheroe | Shawbridge | 2,000 |
| Colne | Colne | Holt House | 1,800 |
| Dunston UTS | Dunston | Wellington Road | 2,500 |
| Kendal Town | Kendal | Parkside Road | 2,400 |
| Marine | Crosby | Marine Travel Arena | 3,185 |
| Marske United | Marske-by-the-Sea | Mount Pleasant | 2,500 |
| Mossley | Mossley | Seel Park | 4,000 |
| Ossett United | Ossett | Ingfield | 1,950 |
| Pickering Town | Pickering | Mill Lane | 2,000 |
| Pontefract Collieries | Pontefract | Harratt Nissan Stadium | 1,200 |
| Prescot Cables | Prescot | Valerie Park | 3,200 |
| Ramsbottom United | Ramsbottom | The Harry Williams Riverside | 2,000 |
| Runcorn Linnets | Runcorn | Millbank Linnets Stadium | 1,600 |
| Tadcaster Albion | Tadcaster | Ings Lane | 2,000 |
| Trafford | Urmston | Shawe View | 2,500 |
| Widnes | Widnes | Select Security Stadium | 13,350 |
| Workington | Workington | Borough Park | 3,101 |
Division One South East
edit| Season | 2020–21 |
|---|---|
← 2019–20 2021–22 → | |
Division One South East comprised the same set of 20 teams which competed in the aborted competition the previous season.
Division One South-East table at the time of curtailment
editRules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored; 4) number of matches won; 5) head-to-head results[7]
Top 10 goalscorers
edit| Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jonathon Margetts | Frickley Athletic | 8 |
| Alex Troke | Ilkeston Town | ||
| 3 | Joey Butlin | Chasetown | 7 |
| Matthew Cotton | Lincoln United | ||
| Ryan McLean | Newcastle Town | ||
| 6 | Curtis Burrows | Loughborough Dynamo | 6 |
| Timothy Grice | Leek Town | ||
| Scott Vernon | Cleethorpes Town | ||
| Seven others on 5 goals | |||
Updated to matches played on 3 November 2020
Results table
editStadia and locations
edit
| Team | Location | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belper Town | Belper | Christchurch Meadow | 2,650 |
| Carlton Town | Carlton | Bill Stokeld Stadium | 1,500 |
| Chasetown | Burntwood | The Scholars Ground | 2,000 |
| Cleethorpes Town | Grimsby | Bradley Football Centre | 1,000 |
| Frickley Athletic | South Elmsall | Westfield Lane | 2,087 |
| Glossop North End | Glossop | The Amdec Forklift Stadium | 1,350 |
| Ilkeston Town | Ilkeston | New Manor Ground | 3,029 |
| Kidsgrove Athletic | Kidsgrove | The Autonet Insurance Stadium | 2,000 |
| Leek Town | Leek | Harrison Park | 3,600 |
| Lincoln United | Lincoln | Ashby Avenue | 2,200 |
| Loughborough Dynamo | Loughborough | Nanpantan Sports Ground | 1,500 |
| Market Drayton Town | Market Drayton | Greenfields Sports Ground | 1,000 |
| Newcastle Town | Newcastle-under-Lyme | Lyme Valley Stadium | 4,000 |
| Sheffield | Dronfield | Coach and Horses Ground | 2,089 |
| Spalding United | Spalding | Sir Halley Stewart Field | 3,500 |
| Stamford | Stamford | Borderville Sports Centre | 2,000 |
| Stocksbridge Park Steels | Stocksbridge | Bracken Moor | 3,500 |
| Sutton Coldfield Town | Sutton Coldfield | Central Ground | 2,000 |
| Wisbech Town | Wisbech | Fenland Stadium | 1,118 |
| Worksop Town | Worksop | Sandy Lane | 2,500 |
Challenge Cup
edit| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Country | England |
| Teams | 62 |
The 2020–21 Northern Premier League Challenge Cup, known as the 2020–21 Tysers League Cup for sponsorship reasons, did not take place due to the coronavirus pandemic-originated lockdowns.
The defending champions were Trafford.
See also
editNotes
editReferences
edit- ^ "Coronavirus: All football below National League to end". BBC Sport. 26 March 2020. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
- ^ "National League System club allocations – Steps 1 to 4, Season 2020–21" (PDF). The Non-League Paper. 21 July 2020.
- ^ "Non-League seasons are declared null and void thanks to COVID-19 outbreak". Ilkeston Advertiser. 26 March 2020. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
- ^ "FA Update On Steps 3-6". 24 February 2021. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
- ^ a b "EXPLAINED: The 2021-22 Non-League restructure". The Non-League Paper. 12 April 2021. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
- ^ "We will always be 'The Sports' but now we are Mickleover F.C." Mickleover F.C. 1 June 2020.
- ^ a b c "The FA Handbook 2020/2021 Part 29 Standardised Rules Section 12.2". The FA. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
- ^ "Droylsden resign from Northern Premier League". Droylsden Football Club. 6 August 2020. Archived from the original on 13 November 2020. Retrieved 6 August 2020.