2001–02 Northern Premier League

The 2001–02 Northern Premier League season was the 34th in the history of the Northern Premier League, a football competition in England. Teams were divided into two divisions; the Premier and the First.

Premier Division

Northern Premier League
Season 2001–02
Promoted Burton Albion
Relegated Bamber Bridge
Bishop Auckland
Matches played 506
Goals scored 1540 (3.04 per match)
Biggest home win Worksop Town 5–0 Accrington Stanley
Emley 5–0 Bamber Bridge
Bradford Park Avenue 5–0 Colwyn Bay
Biggest away win Gateshead 0–7 Bradford Park Avenue
Droylsden 0–7 Burton Albion
Highest scoring Bradford Park Avenue 3–5 Gateshead
Burscough 6–2 Droylsden
Colwyn Bay 4–4 Hyde United
Marine 4–4 Lancaster City (8 goals)
Longest winning run 12 games
Burton Albion
Longest unbeaten run 30 games
Burton Albion
Longest winless run 11 games
Bamber Bridge
Longest losing run 9 games
Bamber Bridge
Highest attendance 4,478
Burton Albion 3–0 Bishop Auckland
Lowest attendance 362
Altrincham 0–1 Vauxhall Motors
Average attendance 2,047
← 2000–01
2002–03 →

The Premier Division featured three new teams:

League Table

Pos
 Team
 Pld
 W
 D
 L
 GF
 GA
 GD
 Pts
Qualification or relegation
1 Burton Albion (C) (P) 44 31 11 2 106 30+76 104 Promotion to Conference
2 Vauxhall Motors 44 27 8 9 86 55+31 89
3 Lancaster City 44 23 9 12 80 57+23 78
4 Worksop Town 44 23 9 12 74 51+23 78
5 Emley 44 22 9 13 69 55+14 75
6 Accrington Stanley 44 21 9 14 89 64+25 72
7 Runcorn F.C. Halton 44 21 8 15 76 53+23 71#
8 Barrow 44 19 10 15 75 59+16 67
9 Altrincham 44 19 9 16 66 58+8 66
10 Bradford Park Avenue 44 18 5 21 77 76+1 59
11 Droylsden 44 17 8 19 65 78−13 59
12 Blyth Spartans 44 14 16 14 58 71−13 58
13 Frickley Athletic 44 16 11 17 63 69−6 58*
14 Gateshead 44 14 14 16 58 71−13 56
15 Whitby Town 44 15 8 21 61 76−15 53
16 Hucknall Town 44 14 9 21 50 68−18 51
17 Marine 44 11 17 16 62 71−9 50
18 Burscough 44 15 5 24 69 86−17 50
19 Gainsborough Trinity 44 13 10 21 61 76−15 49
20 Colwyn Bay 44 12 11 21 49 82−33 47
21 Bishop Auckland (R) 44 12 8 24 46 68−22 44† Relegation to NPL Division One
22 Hyde United 44 10 10 24 61 87−26 40
23 Bamber Bridge (R) 44 7 10 27 38 88−50 30‡ Qualification to Division One Playoffs

Updated to games played on 8 February 2011.
Source: .
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored
#From this season onwards, Runcorn were known as Runcorn F.C. Halton.
* Frickley Athletic were deducted 1 point.
†Bishop Auckland relegated due to ground concerns.
‡Due to Bishop Auckland's dismissal, Bamber Bridge were placed into a playoff to decide if they were to stay up. They were also deducted 1 point.
(C) = Champion; (R) = Relegated; (P) = Promoted; (E) = Eliminated; (O) = Play-off winner; (A) = Advances to a further round.
Only applicable when the season is not finished:
(Q) = Qualified to the phase of tournament indicated; (TQ) = Qualified to tournament, but not yet to the particular phase indicated; (RQ) = Qualified to the relegation tournament indicated; (DQ) = Disqualified from tournament.

Division One

Northern Premier League Division One
Season 2001–02
Champions Harrogate Town
Promoted Ashton United
Harrogate Town
Relegated Ossett Albion
Matches played 465
Goals scored 1405 (3.02 per match)

Division One featured 4 new teams:

League Table

Pos
 Team
 Pld
 W
 D
 L
 GF
 GA
 GD
 Pts
Qualification or relegation
1 Harrogate Town (C) (P) 42 25 11 6 80 35+45 86 Promotion to Premier Division
2 Ossett Town 42 21 13 8 73 44+29 76 Qualification to Playoffs
3 Ashton United (P) 42 21 12 9 90 63+27 75
4 Spennymoor United 42 22 6 14 75 73+2 72
5 Radcliffe Borough 42 20 8 14 73 51+22 68
6 Leek Town 42 20 8 14 67 51+16 68
7 Gretna 42 19 7 16 66 660 63* Transferred to the Scottish Football League
8 Eastwood Town 42 17 11 14 66 58+8 62
9 Rossendale United 42 17 10 15 69 58+11 61
10 Witton Albion 42 17 10 15 72 68+4 61
11 Guiseley 42 18 7 17 60 67−7 61
12 North Ferriby United 42 14 16 12 71 60+11 58
13 Chorley 42 16 9 17 59 57+2 57
14 Matlock Town 42 15 9 18 49 48+1 54
15 Trafford 42 14 9 19 64 80−16 51
16 Workington 42 12 12 18 51 57−6 48
17 Farsley Celtic 42 12 11 19 54 81−27 47
18 Belper Town 42 12 11 19 49 66−17 47
19 Lincoln United 42 11 14 17 62 80−18 47
20 Stocksbridge Park Steels 42 12 9 21 55 76−21 45
21 Kendal Town 42 9 9 24 52 76−24 36
22 Ossett Albion (R) 42 8 8 26 34 99−65 32 Relegation to NCEFL Premier Division

Updated to games played on 8 February 2011.
Source: .
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored
*Gretna were deducted 1 point
(C) = Champion; (R) = Relegated; (P) = Promoted; (E) = Eliminated; (O) = Play-off winner; (A) = Advances to a further round.
Only applicable when the season is not finished:
(Q) = Qualified to the phase of tournament indicated; (TQ) = Qualified to tournament, but not yet to the particular phase indicated; (RQ) = Qualified to the relegation tournament indicated; (DQ) = Disqualified from tournament.

Division One Playoffs

Semifinals Final
      
1 Bamber Bridge
2 Ossett Town
1 Bamber Bridge
3 Ashton United
3 Ashton United
4 Spennymoor United

Promotion and relegation

In the thirty-fourth season of the Northern Premier League Burton Albion (as champions) were automatically promoted to the Football Conference. Bishop Auckland and Bamber Bridge were relegated to the First Division; these two clubs were replaced by relegated Conference side Stalybridge Celtic, First Division winners Harrogate Town and play-off winners Ashton United. In the First Division Gretna left the League to join the Scottish Football League Third Division, while Ossett Albion left the League altogether; these teams were replaced by newly admitted Alfreton Town and Kidsgrove Athletic.

Cup Results

Challenge Cup: Teams from both leagues.

President's Cup: 'Plate' competition for losing teams in the NPL Cup.

Chairman's Cup: 'Plate' competition for losing teams in the NPL Cup.

Peter Swales Shield: Between Champions of NPL Premier Division and Winners of the NPL Cup.

External links