# 2023–24 Northern Counties East Football League

The 2023–24 season was the 42nd in the history of the Northern Counties East Football League, a football competition in England.
The allocations for Steps 5 and 6 this season were announced by The Football Association on 15 May 2023. Starting this season, the Premier Division (Step 5) in the league promotes two clubs; one as champions and one via a four-team play-off. This replaced the previous inter-step play-off system. For this season only, there was only one club relegated from the division.
Emley were confirmed as Premier Division champions following a 5-0 away win at Goole on 30 March 2024 and were presented with the league trophy a week later in their final home game against Golcar United. Parkgate were confirmed as Division One winners on 25 April. Both divisional champions contested the League Cup final with Parkgate coming out as winners and therefore league and cup double winners.

## Premier Division

The Premier Division featured 16 clubs which competed in the previous season, along with four new clubs:
* Campion, promoted from Division One
* Pickering Town, transferred from the Northern League
* Rossington Main, promoted from Division One
* Tadcaster Albion, relegated from the Northern Premier League

### League table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Emley (C, P) | 38 | 26 | 7 | 5 | 99 | 29 | +70 | 85 | Promotion to the Northern Premier League |
| 2 | Campion | 38 | 23 | 7 | 8 | 106 | 68 | +38 | 76 | Qualification for the play-offs |
| 3 | Garforth Town (O, P) | 38 | 24 | 3 | 11 | 102 | 47 | +55 | 75 | Qualification for the play-offs |
| 4 | Rossington Main | 38 | 22 | 6 | 10 | 72 | 49 | +23 | 72 | Qualification for the play-offs |
| 5 | Albion Sports | 38 | 21 | 7 | 10 | 68 | 50 | +18 | 67 | Qualification for the play-offs |
| 6 | Penistone Church | 38 | 19 | 5 | 14 | 79 | 64 | +15 | 62 | |
| 7 | Thackley | 38 | 18 | 7 | 13 | 61 | 57 | +4 | 61 | |
| 8 | Knaresborough Town | 38 | 17 | 9 | 12 | 74 | 58 | +16 | 60 | |
| 9 | Hallam | 38 | 17 | 8 | 13 | 71 | 59 | +12 | 59 | |
| 10 | Silsden | 38 | 19 | 1 | 18 | 76 | 66 | +10 | 58 | |
| 11 | Tadcaster Albion | 38 | 15 | 8 | 15 | 62 | 65 | −3 | 53 | |
| 12 | Golcar United | 38 | 15 | 7 | 16 | 76 | 66 | +10 | 52 | |
| 13 | Handsworth | 38 | 12 | 8 | 18 | 59 | 77 | −18 | 44 | |
| 14 | Barton Town | 38 | 12 | 7 | 19 | 64 | 80 | −16 | 43 | |
| 15 | Frickley Athletic | 38 | 12 | 6 | 20 | 62 | 79 | −17 | 42 | |
| 16 | Eccleshill United | 38 | 12 | 5 | 21 | 51 | 75 | −24 | 41 | |
| 17 | Bottesford Town | 38 | 9 | 8 | 21 | 51 | 89 | −38 | 35 | |
| 18 | Goole | 38 | 10 | 4 | 24 | 56 | 112 | −56 | 34 | |
| 19 | Pickering Town | 38 | 8 | 6 | 24 | 52 | 98 | −46 | 30 | |
| 20 | Maltby Main (R) | 38 | 7 | 5 | 26 | 46 | 99 | −53 | 26 | Relegation to Division One |
* ↑ Albion Sports were deducted three points for fielding an ineligible player.

### Play-offs

| Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Final | Final | Final |
| 2 | Campion | 0 | | | |
| 5 | Albion Sports | 2 | | | |
| 5 | Albion Sports | 2 | 3 | Garforth Town | 0 (5) |
| | | | 5 | Albion Sports | 0 (3) |
| 3 | Garforth Town | 0 (4) | 5 | Albion Sports | 0 (3) |
| 4 | Rossington Main | 0 (2) | | | |

#### Final
### Stadia and locations

| Club | Stadium | Capacity |
| Albion Sports | Horsfall Stadium | 3,500 |
| Barton Town | Euronics Ground | 3,000 |
| Bottesford Town | Birch Park | 1,000 |
| Campion | Scotchman Road | 1,000 |
| Eccleshill United | Kings Way | 2,225 |
| Emley | Fantastic Media Welfare Ground | 2,000 |
| Frickley Athletic | Westfield Lane | 2,087 |
| Garforth Town | Wheatley Park | 3,000 |
| Golcar United | Skye Direct Stadium | 1,200 |
| Goole | Victoria Pleasure Grounds | 3,000 |
| Hallam | Sandygate | 1,300 |
| Handsworth | Oliver's Mount | 2,500 |
| Knaresborough Town | Manse Lane | 1,000 |
| Maltby Main | Muglet Lane | 2,000 |
| Penistone Church | Church View Road | 1,000 |
| Pickering Town | Mill Lane | 2,000 |
| Rossington Main | Welfare Ground | 2,000 |
| Silsden | Keighley Road Stadium | 1,500 |
| Tadcaster Albion | Ings Lane | 2,000 |
| Thackley | Dennyfield | 3,000 |
| ↑ home of Bradford (Park Avenue) (groundshare) |||

### Top goalscorers

(all competitions)
| Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
| 1 | Ruben Jerome | Emley | 39 |
| 2 | Robbie Fox | Albion Sports | 33 |
| 3 | James Walshaw | Emley | 31 |
| 4 | Nathan Keightley | Penistone Church | 29 |
| 5 | Thomas Waudby | Barton Town | 27 |
| 5 | Patrick Sykes | Campion | 27 |
| 7 | Antony Brown | Penistone Church | 26 |
| 7 | Kayle Price | Silsden | 26 |
| 9 | Oliver Norman | Tadcaster Albion | 25 |

## Division One

Division One featured 18 clubs which competed in the previous season, along with five new clubs:
* Clay Cross Town, promoted from Central Midlands League Premier Division South
* Louth Town, promoted from the Lincolnshire League
* Retford United, promoted from the Central Midlands League Premier Division North
* Wombwell Town, promoted from the Sheffield & Hallamshire County Senior League
* Yorkshire Amateur, relegated from the Premier Division

### League table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Parkgate (C, P) | 44 | 34 | 5 | 5 | 125 | 41 | +84 | 107 | Promotion to the Premier Division |
| 2 | Beverley Town (O, P) | 44 | 32 | 7 | 5 | 132 | 49 | +83 | 103 | Qualification for the play-offs |
| 3 | Shirebrook Town (P) | 44 | 31 | 7 | 6 | 114 | 45 | +69 | 100 | Qualification for the play-offs, then promotion to the United Counties League |
| 4 | Wakefield | 44 | 30 | 7 | 7 | 134 | 45 | +89 | 97 | Qualification for the play-offs |
| 5 | Retford United | 44 | 28 | 9 | 7 | 121 | 47 | +74 | 93 | Qualification for the play-offs, then transfer to the United Counties League |
| 6 | Wombwell Town | 44 | 28 | 5 | 11 | 108 | 49 | +59 | 89 | |
| 7 | Horbury Town | 44 | 25 | 8 | 11 | 119 | 66 | +53 | 83 | |
| 8 | Brigg Town | 44 | 22 | 6 | 16 | 89 | 84 | +5 | 72 | |
| 9 | Staveley Miners Welfare | 44 | 19 | 9 | 16 | 84 | 62 | +22 | 66 | Transfer to the United Counties League |
| 10 | Dronfield Town | 44 | 19 | 7 | 18 | 90 | 78 | +12 | 64 | |
| 11 | Harrogate Railway Athletic | 44 | 18 | 10 | 16 | 83 | 76 | +7 | 64 | |
| 12 | Retford | 44 | 18 | 8 | 18 | 85 | 87 | −2 | 62 | Transfer to the United Counties League |
| 13 | Louth Town | 44 | 18 | 7 | 19 | 76 | 72 | +4 | 61 | |
| 14 | Selby Town | 44 | 18 | 5 | 21 | 96 | 89 | +7 | 59 | |
| 15 | Worsbrough Bridge Athletic | 44 | 16 | 5 | 23 | 67 | 77 | −10 | 53 | |
| 16 | Clay Cross Town | 44 | 14 | 6 | 24 | 61 | 89 | −28 | 48 | Transfer to the United Counties League |
| 17 | Nostell Miners Welfare | 44 | 14 | 5 | 25 | 79 | 92 | −13 | 47 | |
| 18 | Athersley Recreation | 44 | 13 | 5 | 26 | 61 | 109 | −48 | 44 | |
| 19 | Armthorpe Welfare | 44 | 12 | 5 | 27 | 68 | 120 | −52 | 41 | |
| 20 | Glasshoughton Welfare | 44 | 10 | 5 | 29 | 61 | 108 | −47 | 35 | |
| 21 | Yorkshire Amateur | 44 | 10 | 8 | 26 | 49 | 121 | −72 | 35 | |
| 22 | Swallownest | 44 | 4 | 4 | 36 | 39 | 157 | −118 | 16 | |
| 23 | Ollerton Town (R) | 44 | 1 | 1 | 42 | 28 | 206 | −178 | 4 | Relegation to the Central Midlands Alliance League |
* ↑ Yorkshire Amateur were deducted three points for fielding an ineligible player.

### Play-offs

| Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Final | Final | Final |
| 2 | Beverley Town | 2 | | | |
| 5 | Retford United | 1 | | | |
| 5 | Retford United | 1 | 2 | Beverley Town | 1 (4) |
| | | | 3 | Shirebrook Town | 1 (2) |
| 3 | Shirebrook Town | 4 | 3 | Shirebrook Town | 1 (2) |
| 4 | Wakefield | 0 | | | |

#### Final

| Club | Stadium | Capacity |
| Armthorpe Welfare | Welfare Ground | 2,500 |
| Athersley Recreation | Sheerien Park | 2,000 |
| Beverley Town | Norwood Recreation Ground | |
| Brigg Town | The Hawthorns | 2,500 |
| Clay Cross Town | Mill Lane | |
| Dronfield Town | Stonelow Ground | 500 |
| Glasshoughton Welfare | Glasshoughton Centre | 2,000 |
| Harrogate Railway Athletic | Station View | 3,500 |
| Horbury Town | Slazengers Sports Complex | 300 |
| Louth Town | Marshlands | |
| Nostell Miners Welfare | The Welfare Ground | 1,500 |
| Ollerton Town | Walesby Lane Sports Ground | |
| Parkgate | Roundwood Sports Complex | 1,000 |
| Retford | The Rail | 1,000 |
| Retford United | Cannon Park | 2,000 |
| Selby Town | Richard Street | 5,000 |
| Shirebrook Town | Langwith Road | 2,000 |
| Staveley Miners Welfare | Inkersall Road | 5,000 |
| Swallownest | Miners Welfare Ground | 500 |
| Wakefield | Belle Vue | 9,333 |
| Wombwell Town | Recreation Ground | 2,000 |
| Worsbrough Bridge Athletic | Park Road | 2,000 |
| Yorkshire Amateur | Bracken Edge | 1,550 |

### Top goalscorers

(all competitions)
| Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
| 1 | James Cusworth | Horbury Town | 49 |
| 2 | Kieren Watson | Shirebrook Town | 40 |
| 3 | Ross Duggan | Parkgate | 39 |
| 4 | Joe McFadyen | Beverley Town | 33 |
| 5 | Marcus Day | Shirebrook Town | 31 |
| 6 | Max Rhodes | Dronfield Town | 30 |
| 7 | Liam Owen | Retford United | 29 |

## League Cup

The 2023–24 Northern Counties East Football League League Cup was the 42nd season of the league cup competition of the Northern Counties East Football League. The final was between the 2 divisional winners on Wednesday 8 May 2024, 7:45pm at Glanford Park, Scunthorpe.
Quarter-finals
| Tie | Home team | Score | Away team | Att. |
| Tuesday 26 March 2024 |||||
| 1 | Frickley Athletic | 2-2 (2-4 p) | Campion | 168 |
| Wednesday 27 March 2024 |||||
| 2 | Handsworth | 1-1 (3-5 p) | Rossington Main | 143 |
| Saturday 13 April 2024 |||||
| 3 | Emley | 3-0 | Bottesford Town | 412 |
| Saturday 27 April 2024 |||||
| 4 | Parkgate | 2-1 | Silsden | 176 |
Semi-finals
| Tie | Home team | Score | Away team | Att. |
| Tuesday 23 April 2024 |||||
| 1 | Rossington Main | 1-2 | Emley | 283 |
| Wednesday 1 May 2024 |||||
| 2 | Parkgate | 2-0 | Campion | 215 |
Final
| Tie | Home team | Score | Away team | Att. | Venue |
| Wednesday 8 May 2024 |||||
| 1 | Emley | 0-3 | Parkgate | 667 | Glanford Park, Scunthorpe |