2007–08 Northern Premier League

The 2007–08 is the 40th season for the Northern Premier League Premier Division, and the first season for the Northern Premier League Division One North and South.

Created as part of non-league restructuring, the Division One leagues temporarily have 18 teams each, with a targeted number of 22 teams. To help increase the league to 20 teams for next season[1] there will only be one relegation this year per league. Many clubs expressed their concern that a 34 game season would be too short. To remedy this, clubs will play an extra 8 games (4 home, 4 away) against teams within geographically related groups.

Premier Division

Northern Premier League Premier Division
Season 2007–08
Champions Fleetwood Town
Promoted Fleetwood Town
Gateshead
Relegated Leek Town
Stamford
Lincoln United
Matches played 423
Goals scored 1310 (3.1 per match)

The Premier Division featured four new clubs:

League table

Pos
 Team
 Pld
 W
 D
 L
 GF
 GA
 GD
 Pts
Qualification or relegation
1 Fleetwood Town (C) (P) 40 28 7 5 81 39+42 91 Promotion to Conference North
2 Witton Albion 40 27 8 5 84 28+56 89 Qualification to Playoffs
3 Gateshead (P) 40 26 7 7 93 42+51 85
4 Eastwood Town 40 20 9 11 61 45+16 69
5 Buxton 40 20 8 12 60 50+10 68
6 Guiseley 40 19 10 11 65 43+22 67
7 Marine 40 19 4 17 70 65+5 61
8 Hednesford Town 40 15 8 17 62 65−3 53
9 Worksop Town 40 13 12 15 59 62−3 51
10 Ashton United 40 11 15 14 63 73−10 48
11 Kendal Town 40 12 11 17 61 70−9 47
12 Whitby Town 40 13 7 20 68 75−7 46
13 Prescot Cables 40 13 8 19 48 62−14 46*
14 Frickley Athletic 40 11 13 16 50 68−18 46
15 North Ferriby United 40 13 7 20 53 76−23 46
16 Matlock Town 40 12 9 19 55 68−13 45
17 Ilkeston Town 40 10 14 16 64 72−8 44
18 Ossett Town 40 12 8 20 48 60−12 44
19 Leek Town (R) 40 11 11 18 54 68−14 44 Relegation to NPL Division One South
20 Stamford (R) 40 11 10 19 59 86−27 43
21 Lincoln United (R) 40 7 8 25 44 85−41 29

Updated to games played on 30 Apr 2008.
Source: Unibond League
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored
* Deducted 1 points for fielding an ineligible player.
(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.

Premier Division Playoffs

Semifinals Final
      
3 Gateshead 4
4 Eastwood Town 0
3 Gateshead 2
5 Buxton 0
2 Witton Albion 1(5)
5 Buxton 1(6)

Stadia and Locations

Team Stadium Capacity
Gateshead Gateshead International Stadium 11,800
Hednesford Town Keys Park 6,500
Buxton The Silverlands 5,200
Ashton United Hurst Cross 4,500
Fleetwood Town Highbury Stadium 3,663
Leek Town Harrison Park 3,600
Ilkeston Town New Manor Ground 3,500
Whitby Town Turnbull Ground 3,500
Prescot Cables Valerie Park 3,200
Worksop Town Sandy Lane 3,200
Burscough Victoria Park 3,054
Guiseley Nethermoor Park 3,000
Marine The Arriva Stadium 2,800
North Ferriby United Grange Lane 2,700
Eastwood Town Coronation Park 2,500
Kendal Town Lakeland Radio Stadium 2,400
Matlock Town Causeway Lane 2,214
Lincoln United Ashby Avenue 2,200
Frickley Athletic Westfield Lane 2,087
Ossett Town Ingfield 2,000
Stamford Vic Couzens Stadium 2,000

Division One North

Northern Premier League Division One North
Season 2007–08
Champions Bradford Park Avenue
Promoted Bradford Park Avenue
F.C. United of Manchester
Relegated Bridlington Town
Matches played 381
Goals scored 1187 (3.12 per match)

This was the first season of the Northern Premier League Division One North. It Featured six new teams:

Fixture increase

The following are the groups which decided the extra 8 games for all teams:

Group A Group B
Bamber BridgeBradford Park Avenue
ChorleyBridlington Town
ClitheroeCurzon Ashton
F.C. United of ManchesterGarforth Town
Lancaster CityHarrogate Railway Athletic
Radcliffe BoroughMossley
Rossendale UnitedNewcastle Blue Star
Skelmersdale UnitedOssett Albion
Woodley SportsWakefield

League table

Pos
 Team
 Pld
 W
 D
 L
 GF
 GA
 GD
 Pts
Qualification or relegation
1 Bradford Park Avenue (C) (P) 42 25 7 10 91 43+48 82 Promotion to Premier Division
2 F.C. United of Manchester (P) 42 24 9 9 91 49+42 81 Qualification to Playoffs
3 Skelmersdale United 42 23 9 10 94 46+48 78
4 Curzon Ashton 42 23 9 10 78 48+30 78
5 Bamber Bridge 42 22 8 12 70 54+16 74
6 Ossett Albion 42 20 10 12 77 65+12 70
7 Wakefield 42 19 7 16 58 49+9 64
8 Newcastle Blue Star 42 17 12 13 71 58+13 63
9 Rossendale United 42 16 11 15 66 74−8 59
10 Garforth Town 42 16 8 18 61 62−1 56
11 Lancaster City 42 15 9 18 54 70−16 54
12 Harrogate Railway Athletic 42 13 12 17 51 58−7 51
13 Clitheroe 42 13 11 18 63 77−14 50
14 Chorley 42 10 12 20 56 80−24 42
15 Mossley 42 12 6 24 60 100−40 42
16 Radcliffe Borough 42 9 11 22 53 75−22 38
17 Woodley Sports 42 7 13 22 38 65−27 34
18 Bridlington Town (R) 42 8 8 26 42 99−57 32 Relegation to NCEFL Premier Division

Updated to games played on 26 Apr 2008.
Source: Unibond League
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored
(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 North Playoffs

Semifinals Final
      
2 F.C. United of Manchester 3
5 Bamber Bridge 2
2 F.C. United of Manchester 4
3 Skelmersdale United 1
3 Skelmersdale United 3
4 Curzon Ashton 0

Division One South

Northern Premier League Division One South
Season 2007–08
Champions Retford United
Promoted Cammell Laird
Nantwich Town
Relegated Alsager Town
Matches played 381
Goals scored 1265 (3.32 per match)

This was the first season of the Northern Premier League Division One South. It featured seven new teams:

Fixture increase

The following are the groups which decided the extra 8 games for all teams:

Group C Group D
Alsager TownBrigg Town
Belper TownCarlton Town
Cammell LairdGoole A.F.C.
Colwyn BayGrantham Town
Kidsgrove AthleticGresley Rovers
Nantwich TownQuorn
SheffieldRetford United
Stocksbridge Park SteelsShepshed Dynamo
Warrington TownSpalding United

League table

Pos
 Team
 Pld
 W
 D
 L
 GF
 GA
 GD
 Pts
Qualification or relegation
1 Retford United (C) 42 31 6 5 93 35+58 991
2 Cammell Laird (P) 42 27 5 10 82 54+28 86 Promotion to NPL Premier Division
3 Nantwich Town (P) 42 25 4 13 90 45+45 79 Qualification to Playoffs
4 Sheffield 42 22 10 10 82 53+29 76
5 Stocksbridge Park Steels 42 21 9 12 72 61+11 72
6 Grantham Town 42 22 4 16 74 58+16 70
7 Colwyn Bay 42 19 8 15 86 65+21 65
8 Belper Town 42 17 13 12 73 64+9 64
9 Goole 42 18 10 14 77 69+8 64
10 Carlton Town 42 16 11 15 86 82+4 59
11 Gresley Rovers 42 18 5 19 53 69−16 59
12 Quorn 42 15 8 19 69 76−7 53
13 Warrington Town 42 13 8 21 51 78−27 47
14 Alsager Town (R) 42 12 7 23 58 88−30 431 Relegation to NWCFL Premier Division
15 Shepshed Dynamo 42 10 8 24 44 75−31 38
16 Brigg Town 42 8 12 22 56 86−30 36
17 Kidsgrove Athletic 42 7 10 25 61 90−29 31
18 Spalding United 42 3 10 29 46 105−59 19

Updated to games played on 26 Apr 2008.
Source: Unibond League
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored
1Failed to meet ground grading requirements
(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 South Playoffs

Semifinals Final
      
2 Nantwich Town 2
5 Grantham Town 1
2 Nantwich Town 2(4)
3 Sheffield 2(1)
3 Sheffield 4
4 Stocksbridge Park Steels 1

Cup Results

Challenge Cup: Teams from all 3 divisions.

President's Cup: Teams from lower 2 divisions.

Chairman's Cup: Between Champions of NPL Division One North and NPL Division One South.

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

1 Retford United qualified but its ground standards were not high enough for it to play in the shield.

References

  1. ↑ Unibond Football League Official Site