The 1973–74 Northern Premier League was the sixth 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 11 August 1973 and concluded on 9 May 1974.
Overview Team changes The following club left the League at the end of the previous season: Ellesmere Port Town resigned, demoted to Lancashire Combination
The following club joined the League at the start of the season: Buxton promoted from Cheshire County League
League table
Results
Stadia and locations
Team Stadium Altrincham Moss Lane Bangor City Farrar Road Barrow Holker Street Boston United York Street Bradford Park Avenue Park Avenue Buxton The Silverlands Fleetwood Highbury Gainsborough Trinity The Northolme Goole Town Victoria Pleasure Ground Great Harwood The Showground Lancaster City Great Axe Macclesfield Town Moss Rose Matlock Town Causeway Lane Morecambe Christie Park Mossley Seel 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 Boston United ?–? Altrincham 2nd Leg Altrincham ?–? Boston United Aggregate Boston United 4–3 Altrincham
Northern Premier League Shield
Between Champions of NPL Premier Division and Winners of the NPL Cup. Home team Score Away team Wigan Athletic beat Boston United
FA Cup
Out of the twenty-four clubs from the Northern Premier League, only three teams reached for the second round:
Second Round Home team Score Away team Blackburn Rovers 0–0 Altrincham Altrincham 0–2 Blackburn Rovers Replay Boston United 1–0 Hitchin Town Port Vale 2–1 Scarborough
Third Round Home team Score Away team Derby County 0–0 Boston United Boston United 1–6 Derby County Replay
FA Trophy
Out of the twenty-four clubs from the Northern Premier League, four teams reached for the fourth round:
Fourth Round Home team Score Away team Bedford Town 0–1 Morecambe Stafford Rangers 0–0 Macclesfield Town Macclesfield Town 2–0 Stafford Rangers Replay South Shields 0–0 Worcester City Worcester City 0–2 South Shields Replay
Semi-finals Stage Home team Score Away team 1st Leg Macclesfield Town 0–0 Dartford 2nd Leg Dartford 2–1 Macclesfield Town Aggregate Dartford 2–1 Macclesfield Town 1st Leg South Shields 0–1 Morecambe 2nd Leg Morecambe 2–0 South Shields Aggregate Morecambe 3–0 South Shields
Final Home team Score Away team Morecambe 2–1 Dartford
End of the season At the end of the sixth season of the Northern Premier League none of the teams put forward for election received enough votes to be promoted to the Football League. Bradford Park Avenue folded.
Football League elections Alongside the four Football League teams facing re-election, a total of seven non-League teams applied for election, one of which were from the Northern Premier League. All four Football League teams were re-elected.
ClubLeagueVotesDoncaster RoversFootball League46Stockport CountyFootball League38Crewe AlexandraFootball League37WorkingtonFootball League21Kettering TownSouthern League16Yeovil TownSouthern League14Wigan AthleticNorthern Premier League10Chelmsford CitySouthern League8Nuneaton BoroughSouthern League1Telford UnitedSouthern League1Cambridge CitySouthern League0
Promotion and relegation The following club left the League at the end of the season: Bradford Park Avenue folded
The following club joined the League the following season: Worksop Town promoted from Midland League (1889) (returning after a five year's absence)
References
External links Northern Premier League official website Northern Premier League tables at RSSSF Football Club History Database