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, there were no changes in the allocations of teams for the Northern Premier League. 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.
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. The scheduled restructuring of non-league will take place at the end of the season, with a new division to be added to Northern Premier League at Step 4 for 2021–22. This will result in 20 extra teams joining the league, either through promotions or reallocations, and some movement of teams currently in the two Division Ones.
Premier Division[]
| Northern Premier League Premier Division 2020–21 | ||
| Season information | ||
|---|---|---|
| Season statistics | ||
← 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.
Stadia and locations[]
| 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 Sports | 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 |
League table[]
| Pos |
Team | Pld |
W |
D |
L |
GF |
GA |
GD |
Pts |
Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ashton United | 0 | 0 | 0 | Promotion to the National League North | |||||
| 2 | Atherton Collieries | 0 | 0 | 0 | Qualification for the Premier Division play-offs | |||||
| 3 | Bamber Bridge | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| 4 | Basford United | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| 5 | Buxton | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| 6 | Gainsborough Trinity | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| 7 | Grantham Town | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| 8 | Hyde United | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| 9 | Lancaster City | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| 10 | Matlock Town | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| 11 | Mickleover Sports | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| 12 | Morpeth Town | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| 13 | Nantwich Town | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| 14 | Radcliffe | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| 15 | Scarborough Athletic | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| 16 | South Shields | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| 17 | Stafford Rangers | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| 18 | Stalybridge Celtic | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| 19 | Warrington Town | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| 20 | Whitby Town | 0 | 0 | 0 | Possible relegation to Northern Premier League West/East | |||||
| 21 | Witton Albion | 0 | 0 | 0 | Relegation to the Northern Premier League West/East | |||||
| 22 | F.C. United of Manchester | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Source: NPL official site
Rules for classification: 1st points; 2nd goal difference; 3rd number of goals scored.
(C) = Champion; (R) = Relegated; (P) = Promoted; (O) = Play-off winner; (A) = Advances to a further round; (Q) = Qualified to the phase of tournament
Division One West[]
| Northern Premier League Division One West 2020–21 | ||
| Season information | ||
|---|---|---|
| Season statistics | ||
← 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.
Stadia and locations[]
| 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 |
League table[]
| Pos |
Team | Pld |
W |
D |
L |
GF |
GA |
GD |
Pts |
Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brighouse Town | 0 | 0 | 0 | Promotion to the Premier Division | |||||
| 2 | City of Liverpool | 0 | 0 | 0 | Qualification for Division One South & West play-offs | |||||
| 3 | Clitheroe | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| 4 | Colne | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| 5 | Dunston UTS | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| 6 | Kendal Town | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| 7 | Marine | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| 8 | Marske United | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| 9 | Mossley | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| 10 | Ossett United | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| 11 | Pickering Town | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| 12 | Pontefract Collieries | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| 13 | Prescot Cables | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| 14 | Ramsbottom United | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| 15 | Runcorn Linnets | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| 16 | Tadcaster Albion | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| 17 | Trafford | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| 18 | Widnes | 0 | 0 | 0 | Relegation to Level 9 | |||||
| 19 | Workington | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Source: [ BBC Sport]
Rules for classification: 1st points; 2nd goal difference; 3rd number of goals scored.
(C) = Champion; (R) = Relegated; (P) = Promoted; (O) = Play-off winner; (A) = Advances to a further round; (Q) = Qualified to the phase of tournament
Division One East[]
| Northern Premier League Division One East 2020–21 | ||
| Season information | ||
|---|---|---|
| Season statistics | ||
← 2019–20
|
2021–22 →
| |
Division One South East comprised the same set of 20 teams which competed in the aborted competition the previous season.
Stadia and locations[]
| 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 |
League table[]
| Pos |
Team | Pld |
W |
D |
L |
GF |
GA |
GD |
Pts |
Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liversedge | 19 | 16 | 2 | 1 | 54 | 14 | +40 | 50 | Promotion to the Premier Division |
| 2 | Marske United | 19 | 15 | 1 | 3 | 51 | 16 | +35 | 46 | Qualification for Division One South & West play-offs |
| 3 | Shildon | 20 | 13 | 3 | 4 | 39 | 16 | +23 | 42 | |
| 4 | Stockton Town | 21 | 12 | 5 | 4 | 44 | 21 | +23 | 41 | |
| 5 | Cleethorpes Town | 21 | 13 | 2 | 6 | 49 | 33 | +16 | 41 | |
| 6 | Worksop Town | 19 | 10 | 4 | 5 | 33 | 26 | +7 | 34 | |
| 7 | Ossett United | 21 | 9 | 5 | 7 | 26 | 28 | −2 | 32 | |
| 8 | Dunston UTS | 21 | 9 | 2 | 10 | 38 | 33 | +5 | 29 | |
| 9 | Yorkshire Amateur | 19 | 8 | 3 | 8 | 25 | 28 | −3 | 27 | |
| 10 | Brighouse Town | 20 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 30 | 31 | −1 | 25 | |
| 11 | Hebburn Town | 20 | 7 | 4 | 9 | 26 | 30 | −4 | 25 | |
| 12 | Stocksbridge Park Steels | 20 | 7 | 3 | 10 | 31 | 34 | −3 | 24 | |
| 13 | Pontefract Collieries | 19 | 6 | 2 | 11 | 22 | 33 | −11 | 20 | |
| 14 | Lincoln United | 21 | 5 | 5 | 11 | 30 | 58 | −28 | 20 | |
| 15 | Bridlington Town | 21 | 5 | 4 | 12 | 23 | 39 | −16 | 19 | |
| 16 | Frickley Athletic | 21 | 5 | 4 | 12 | 15 | 33 | −18 | 19 | Reprieved from inter-step play-offs |
| 17 | Tadcaster Albion | 21 | 4 | 4 | 13 | 26 | 42 | −16 | 16 | Possible qualification to inter-step play-offs |
| 18 | Pickering Town | 21 | 4 | 3 | 14 | 31 | 58 | −27 | 15 | Relegation to Level 5 |
| 19 | Sheffield | 18 | 3 | 5 | 10 | 20 | 40 | −20 | 14 |
Source: NPL official site
Rules for classification: 1st points; 2nd goal difference; 3rd number of goals scored.
(C) = Champion; (R) = Relegated; (P) = Promoted; (O) = Play-off winner; (A) = Advances to a further round; (Q) = Qualified to the phase of tournament
Challenge Cup[]
| Northern Premier League Challenge Cup 2020–21 | ||
← 2019–20
|
2021–22 →
| |
The 2020–21 Northern Premier League Challenge Cup, known as the 2020–21 Integro Doodson League Cup for sponsorship reasons, did not take place due to the coronavirus pandemic-originated lockdowns.
The defending champions were Trafford.
See also[]
External links[]
| Northern Premier League seasons |
| 2015–16 · 2016–17 · 2017–18 · 2018–19 · 2019–20 · 2020–21 · 2021–22 · 2022–23 · 2023–24 · 2024–25 · |
| Football in England | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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