The 1971–72 Northern Premier League was the fourth season of the Northern Premier League, a regional football league in Northern England, the northern areas of the Midlands and North Wales. The season began on 14 August 1971 and concluded on 5 May 1972.
Overview The League was expanded, for the second consecutive season, from twenty-two teams to twenty-four teams.
Team changes The following two clubs joined the League at the start of the season: Skelmersdale United promoted from Cheshire County League Ellesmere Port Town promoted from Cheshire County League.
League table
Results
Stadia and locations
Team Stadium Altrincham Moss Lane Bangor City Farrar Road Boston United York Street Bradford Park Avenue Park Avenue Chorley Victory Park Ellesmere Port Town Ellesmere Port Fleetwood Highbury Gainsborough Trinity The Northolme Goole Town Victoria Pleasure Ground Great Harwood The Showground Kirkby Town Simonswood Lane Lancaster City Great Axe Macclesfield Town Moss Rose Matlock Town Causeway Lane Morecambe Christie Park Netherfield Parkside Northwich Victoria Drill Field Runcorn Canal Street Scarborough Athletic Ground Skelmersdale United White Moss Park South Liverpool Holly Park South Shields Simonside Hall Stafford Rangers Marston Road Wigan Athletic Springfield Park
Cup results Challenge Cup
Stage Home team Score Away team 1st Leg Wigan Athletic ?–? Gainsborough Trinity 2nd Leg Gainsborough Trinity ?–? Wigan Athletic Aggregate Wigan Athletic 4–2 Gainsborough Trinity
Northern Premier League Shield
Between Champions of NPL Premier Division and Winners of the NPL Cup. Home team Score Away team Wigan Athletic beat Stafford Rangers
FA Cup
Out of the twenty-two clubs from the Northern Premier League, only three teams reached for the second round:
Second Round Home team Score Away team Boston United 2–1 Hartlepool South Shields 1–3 Notts County Wrexham 4–0 Wigan Athletic Third Round Home team Score Away team Boston United 0–1 Portsmouth
FA Trophy
Out of the twenty-two clubs from the Northern Premier League, only Stafford Rangers and Macclesfield Town reached for the fourth round:
Fourth Round Home team Score Away team Stafford Rangers 1–1 Macclesfield Town Macclesfield Town 0–3 Stafford Rangers replay
Semi-finals Home team Score Away team Stafford Rangers 4–0 Yeovil Town
Final Home team Score Away team Stafford Rangers 3–0 Barnet
End of the season At the end of the fourth season of the Northern Premier League none of the teams put forward for election received enough votes to be promoted to the Football League. Chorley resigned the league and Kirkby Town was relegated.
Football League elections Alongside the four Football League teams facing re-election, a total of twelve non-League teams applied for election, four of which were from the Northern Premier League. Three out of the four Football League teams were re-elected. Hereford United from the Southern League replaced Barrow from the Football League as they didn't receive enough votes. Barrow was subsequently relegated to the Northern Premier League.
ClubLeagueVotesNorthampton TownFootball League49Crewe AlexandraFootball League46Stockport CountyFootball League46Hereford UnitedSouthern League26 (29)BarrowFootball League26 (20)Bradford Park AvenueNorthern Premier League1Cambridge CitySouthern League1WimbledonSouthern League1Bangor CityNorthern Premier League0Bedford TownSouthern League0Boston UnitedNorthern Premier League0Hillingdon BoroughSouthern League0RomfordSouthern League0Telford UnitedSouthern League0Wigan AthleticNorthern Premier League0Yeovil TownSouthern League0
Promotion and relegation The following two clubs left the League at the end of the season: Chorley resigned, demoted to Cheshire County League Kirkby Town relegated to Lancashire Combination
The following two clubs joined the League the following season: Mossley promoted from Cheshire County League Barrow relegated from Football League Fourth Division.
References
External links Northern Premier League official website Northern Premier League tables at RSSSF Football Club History Database