Conference National
| Countries |  England and one club from  Wales |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1979 (as Alliance Premier League) |
| Number of teams | 24 |
| Promotion to | League Two |
| Relegation to | Conference North Conference South |
| Levels on pyramid | Level 5 |
| Domestic cup(s) | FA Cup FA Trophy Conference League Cup |
| Current champions | Aldershot Town (2007–08) |
| Website | Conference |
 Football Conference 2008–09 |
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Conference National (currently named the Blue Square Premier for sponsorship reasons) [1] 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. While all of the clubs in the top four tiers of English football are full-time professional, the Conference National has a mixture of full-time and semi-professional clubs.
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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 and relegation between the Conference (which the league had been renamed by then) and the bottom division of the Football League which at that time was known as the Football League Fourth Division and is now Football League Two. The first team to be promoted by this method was Scarborough and the first team relegated was Lincoln City.
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 the next highest placed club, that has the required facilities. In 2004-05, the Conference increased its size by adding two lower divisions, the Conference North and Conference South respectively. In 2006 the Conference expanded from 22 to 24 teams by relegating two teams and promoting four teams. In the 2006-07 season a "four up and four down" system between the Conference National and its two feeder divisions was introduced.
In April 2007, it was announced all the Football Conference had agreed a three year sponsorship deal with online betting firm Blue Square. Under the deal, all three Conference leagues would be sponsored by Blue Square from the 2007-08 season. This would also lead to a renaming of the leagues with the Conference National becoming the Blue Square Premier, the Conference North becoming Blue Square North and the Conference South becoming Blue Square South.[1]
Media coverage
In August 2006 Setanta Sports signed a five year deal with the Blue Square Premier. Under the deal, Setanta Sports started showing live matches in the 2007-08 season, with 79 live matches each season. Included in the deal were the annual Play Off matches as well as the Setanta Shield, a cup competition for the three Football Conference divisions. [2] Setanta show two live matches a week, with one on Thursday evening and one at the weekend. [3] In Australia the English Conference is broadcast by Setanta Sports Australia.
Conference National clubs, 2008-09
| Finishing position last season | |
|---|---|
| Altrincham | 21st 1 |
| Barrow | 5th in Conference North |
| Burton Albion | 5th |
| Cambridge United | 2nd |
| Crawley Town | 15th |
| Eastbourne Borough | 2nd in Conference South |
| Ebbsfleet United | 11th |
| Forest Green Rovers | 8th |
| Grays Athletic | 10th |
| Histon | 7th |
| Kettering Town | 1st in Conference North |
| Kidderminster Harriers | 13th |
| Lewes | 1st in Conference South |
| Mansfield Town | 23rd in League Two |
| Northwich Victoria | 19th |
| Oxford United | 9th |
| Rushden & Diamonds | 16th |
| Salisbury City | 12th |
| Stevenage Borough | 6th |
| Torquay United | 3rd |
| Weymouth | 18th |
| Woking | 17th |
| Wrexham | 24th in League Two |
| York City | 14th |
1 Not relegated due to Halifax Town being demoted.
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 Harriers1 | |
| 1994-95 | Macclesfield Town1 | |
| 1995-96 | Stevenage Borough1 | |
| 1996-97 | Macclesfield Town | |
| 1997-98 | Halifax Town | |
| 1998-99 | Cheltenham Town | |
| 1999-00 | Kidderminster Harriers | |
| 2000-01 | Rushden & Diamonds | |
| 2001-02 | Boston United2 | |
| 2002-03 | Yeovil Town | Doncaster Rovers |
| 2003-04 | Chester City | Shrewsbury Town |
| 2004-05 | Barnet | Carlisle United |
| 2005-06 | Accrington Stanley | Hereford United |
| 2006-07 | Dagenham & Redbridge | Morecambe |
| 2007-08 | Aldershot Town | Exeter City |
1Not promoted due to stadium not being adequate for the Football League
2Boston United allowed to retain championship title and subsequent promotion to the Football League despite having been found guilty of serious financial misconduct during their title winning season. Following their later relegation back from the Football League, due to ongoing financial concerns and irregularities at the club, Boston United were passed straight back through the Conference National and placed into Conference North.
Conference National Play-Off Results
| Season | First Semifinal (2nd vs 5th) | Second Semifinal (3rd vs 4th) | Final |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002-03 | Dagenham & Redbridge 2-1 Morecambe Morecambe 2-1 Dagenham & Redbridge |
Doncaster Rovers 1-1 Chester City Chester City 1-1 Doncaster Rovers |
Doncaster Rovers 3-2 Dagenham & Redbridge Doncaster won with a golden goal (Match Report) |
| 2003-04 | Aldershot Town 1-1 Hereford United Hereford United 0-0 Aldershot Town |
Barnet 2-1 Shrewsbury Town
Shrewsbury Town 1-0 Barnet |
Aldershot Town 1-1 Shrewsbury Town Shrewsbury won 3-0 on penalties (Match Report) |
| 2004-05 | Aldershot Town 1-0 Carlisle United Carlisle United 2-1 Aldershot Town |
Stevenage Borough 1-1 Hereford United
Hereford United 0-1 Stevenage Borough |
Carlisle United 1-0 Stevenage Borough (Match Report) |
| 2005-06 | Halifax Town 3-2 Grays Athletic Grays Athletic 2-2 Halifax Town |
Morecambe 1-1 Hereford United Hereford United 3-2 Morecambe |
Hereford United 3-2 Halifax Town after extra time (Match Report) |
| 2006-07 | Exeter City 0-1 Oxford United Oxford United 1-2 Exeter City |
York City 0-0 Morecambe
Morecambe 2-1 York City |
Morecambe 2-1 Exeter City (Match Report) |
| 2007-08 | Burton Albion 2-2 Cambridge United Cambridge United 2-1 Burton Albion |
Exeter City 1-2 Torquay United |
Cambridge United 0-1 Exeter City (Match Report) |
Conference National stadia 2008-09
| Home Club | Stadium Name | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Wrexham | Racecourse Ground | 15,500 |
| Oxford United | Kassam Stadium | 12,500 |
| Mansfield Town | Field Mill | 9,990 |
| Cambridge United | Abbey Stadium | 9,617 |
| York City | KitKat Crescent | 9,034 |
| Stevenage Borough | Broadhall Way | 7,100 |
| Weymouth | The Wessex Stadium | 6,600 |
| Burton Albion | Pirelli Stadium | 6,500 |
| Rushden & Diamonds | Nene Park | 6,441 |
| Kettering Town | Rockingham Road | 6,264 |
| Kidderminster Harriers | Aggborough | 6,238 |
| Altrincham | Moss Lane | 6,150 |
| Woking | Kingfield | 6,036 |
| Torquay United | Plainmoor | 6,000 |
| Eastbourne Borough | Priory Lane Stadium | 5,664 |
| Forest Green Rovers | The New Lawn | 5,147 |
| Ebbsfleet United | Stonebridge Road | 5,011 |
| Salisbury City | The Raymond McEnhill Stadium | 5,000 |
| Crawley Town | Broadfield Stadium | 4,996 |
| Northwich Victoria | Victoria Stadium | 4,500 |
| Grays Athletic | New Recreation Ground | 4,500 |
| Barrow | Holker Street | 4,256 |
| Histon | Bridge Road | 3,250 |
| Lewes | The Dripping Pan | 3,000 |
Records
- Most wins in a season: 31 - Aldershot Town (2007-08)
- Fewest defeats in a season: 3 - Yeovil Town (2002-03)
- Most goals scored in a season: 103 - Barnet (1990-91), Hereford United (2003-04)
- Fewest goals conceded in a season: 24 - Kettering Town (1993-94)
- Most points in a season: 101 - Aldershot Town (2007-08)
- Highest goal difference: 63 - Yeovil Town (2002-03)
- Biggest win: 9-0 - Runcorn beat Enfield (3 March 1990), Sutton United beat Gateshead (22 September 1990), Hereford United beat Dagenham & Redbridge (27 February 2004)
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Conference announces new sponsors", BBC News (2007-04-11). Retrieved on 2007-10-05.
- ↑ Banham, Mark (2006-08-29). "Setanta signs five-year deal for Conference games", Benchmark Capital. Retrieved on 2007-10-05.
- ↑ "Conference Signs TV Deal", Benchmark Capital (2006-08-29). Retrieved on 2007-10-05.
External links
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Conference National 2008–09
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Football Conference seasons
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