Conference National
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Conference National | |
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| Sport | Football |
| Founded | 1979 |
| No. of teams | 24 |
| Country |  England |
| Current champions | Accrington Stanley |
Conference National (often referred to as the Nationwide Conference for sponsorship reasons) is the top division of the Football Conference. It is the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system.
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[edit] History
The league was formed as the 'Alliance Premier League' in 1979. It was the first attempt to create a fully national league underneath the football league, drawing its clubs from the Northern Premier League and the Southern League. It greatly improved the quality of football at this lower level, as well as improving the financial status of the top clubs. This was reflected in 1986, when the Football League began accepting direct promotion/relegatation between the Conference (as it was known by then) and its lowest level - at that time the Football League Fourth Division.
Since 2002-03, the league has been granted a second promotion place, with a play-off deciding who joins the champions in the football league. Previously, no promotion from the Conference would occur if the winners did not have adequate stadium facilities. As of the start of the 2002-03 season, if a club achieves the automatic promotion or the play-off places but does not have an adequate stadium, their place will be re-allocated to someone who does have adequate facilities. In 2004-05, the Conference increased its size by adding two lower divisions, the Conference North and Conference South respectedly. In 2006 the Conference expanded from 22 to 24 teams. This was achieved by relegating 2 teams and promoting 4 teams. From the 2006/07 season there will be a 4 up/4 down system between the Conference National and its two feeder divisions.
The champions of the division are Accrington Stanley.
[edit] Conference National clubs, 2006-07
| Club |
Finishing position last season |
|---|---|
| Aldershot Town | 13th |
| Altrincham | 22nd |
| Burton Albion | 9th |
| Cambridge United | 12th |
| Crawley Town | 17th |
| Dagenham & Redbridge | 10th |
| Exeter City | 7th |
| Forest Green Rovers | 19th |
| Gravesend & Northfleet | 16th |
| Grays Athletic | 3rd |
| Halifax Town | 4th |
| Kidderminster Harriers | 15th |
| Morecambe | 5th |
| Northwich Victoria | 1st in Conference North |
| Oxford United | 23rd in League Two |
| Rushden & Diamonds | 24th in League Two |
| Southport | 18th |
| St. Albans City | 2nd in Conference South |
| Stafford Rangers | 2nd in Conference North |
| Stevenage Borough | 6th |
| Tamworth | 20th |
| Weymouth | 1st in Conference South |
| Woking | 11th |
| York City | 8th |
[edit] Past Conference National winners
| Season | Winner | Playoff Winner |
|---|---|---|
| 1979-80 | Altrincham | |
| 1980-81 | Altrincham | |
| 1981-82 | Runcorn | |
| 1982-83 | Enfield | |
| 1983-84 | Maidstone United | |
| 1984-85 | Wealdstone | |
| 1985-86 | Enfield | |
| 1986-87 | Scarborough* | |
| 1987-88 | Lincoln City* | |
| 1988-89 | Maidstone United* | |
| 1989-90 | Darlington* | |
| 1990-91 | Barnet* | |
| 1991-92 | Colchester United* | |
| 1992-93 | Wycombe Wanderers* | |
| 1993-94 | Kidderminster Harriers | |
| 1994-95 | Macclesfield Town | |
| 1995-96 | Stevenage Borough | |
| 1996-97 | Macclesfield Town* | |
| 1997-98 | Halifax Town* | |
| 1998-99 | Cheltenham Town* | |
| 1999-2000 | Kidderminster Harriers* | |
| 2000-01 | Rushden & Diamonds* | |
| 2001-02 | Boston United* | |
| 2002-03 | Yeovil Town* | Doncaster Rovers* |
| 2003-04 | Chester City* | Shrewsbury Town* |
| 2004-05 | Barnet* | Carlisle* |
| 2005-06 | Accrington Stanley* | Hereford United* |
| * Promoted to The Football League (Fourth Division until 1991, Third Division from 1992 until 2003 and League Two since) | ||
[edit] External links
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Conference National 2006–07
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Aldershot Town | Altrincham | Burton Albion | Cambridge United | Crawley Town | Dagenham & Redbridge | Exeter City | Forest Green Rovers | Gravesend & Northfleet | Grays Athletic | Halifax Town | Kidderminster Harriers | Morecambe | Northwich Victoria | Oxford United | Rushden & Diamonds | Southport | Stafford Rangers | St Albans City | Stevenage Borough | Tamworth | Weymouth | Woking | York City |
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| English football league system - Level 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Promotion to: Football League Two | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Relegation to: Conference North and South | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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