# 1977–78 Northern Premier League

The 1977–78 Northern Premier League was the tenth 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 21 August 1976 and concluded on 7 May 1978.

## Overview

The League featured twenty-four teams.

### Team changes

The following club left the League at the end of the previous season:
* Gateshead United was Folded. A new club formed Gateshead replaced.
The following club joined the League at the start of the season:
* Workington relegated from Football League Fourth Division
* Gateshead (new club formed) replaced to the Gateshead United (club folded).

### League table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Boston United (C) | 46 | 31 | 9 | 6 | 85 | 35 | +50 | 71 | |
| 2 | Wigan Athletic (P) | 46 | 25 | 15 | 6 | 83 | 45 | +38 | 65 | Promoted to Football League Fourth Division |
| 3 | Bangor City | 46 | 26 | 10 | 10 | 92 | 50 | +42 | 62 | |
| 4 | Scarborough | 46 | 26 | 10 | 10 | 80 | 39 | +41 | 62 | |
| 5 | Altrincham | 46 | 22 | 15 | 9 | 84 | 49 | +35 | 59 | |
| 6 | Northwich Victoria | 46 | 22 | 14 | 10 | 83 | 55 | +28 | 58 | |
| 7 | Stafford Rangers | 46 | 22 | 13 | 11 | 71 | 41 | +30 | 57 | |
| 8 | Runcorn | 46 | 19 | 18 | 9 | 70 | 44 | +26 | 56 | |
| 9 | Mossley | 46 | 22 | 11 | 13 | 85 | 73 | +12 | 55 | |
| 10 | Matlock Town | 46 | 21 | 12 | 13 | 79 | 60 | +19 | 54 | |
| 11 | Lancaster City | 46 | 15 | 14 | 17 | 66 | 82 | −16 | 44 | |
| 12 | Frickley Athletic | 46 | 15 | 12 | 19 | 77 | 81 | −4 | 42 | |
| 13 | Barrow | 46 | 14 | 12 | 20 | 58 | 61 | −3 | 40 | |
| 14 | Goole Town | 46 | 15 | 9 | 22 | 60 | 68 | −8 | 39 | |
| 15 | Great Harwood | 46 | 13 | 13 | 20 | 66 | 83 | −17 | 39 | Club Folded. |
| 16 | Gainsborough Trinity | 46 | 14 | 10 | 22 | 61 | 74 | −13 | 38 | |
| 17 | Gateshead | 46 | 16 | 5 | 25 | 65 | 74 | −9 | 37 | |
| 18 | Netherfield | 46 | 11 | 13 | 22 | 50 | 80 | −30 | 35 | |
| 19 | Workington | 46 | 13 | 8 | 25 | 48 | 80 | −32 | 34 | |
| 20 | Worksop Town | 46 | 12 | 10 | 24 | 45 | 84 | −39 | 34 | |
| 21 | Morecambe | 46 | 11 | 11 | 24 | 67 | 92 | −25 | 33 | |
| 22 | Macclesfield Town | 46 | 12 | 9 | 25 | 60 | 92 | −32 | 33 | |
| 23 | Buxton | 46 | 13 | 6 | 27 | 60 | 95 | −35 | 32 | |
| 24 | South Liverpool | 46 | 9 | 7 | 30 | 53 | 111 | −58 | 25 | |

### Results

| Home \ Away | ALT | BAN | BRW | BOS | BUX | FRK | GAI | GAT | GOO | GHA | LNC | MAC | MAT | MOR | MOS | NET | NOR | RUN | SCA | SLI | STA | WIG | WRK | WOK |
| Altrincham | | 3–3 | 2–0 | 3–0 | 4–0 | 3–1 | 0–0 | 2–2 | 4–0 | 5–0 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 3–2 | 1–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 0–0 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 5–1 | 4–0 |
| Bangor City | 2–2 | | 1–0 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 5–2 | 4–1 | 4–2 | 2–1 | 5–1 | 1–0 | 6–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–3 | 4–0 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 6–0 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 3–1 | 3–0 |
| Barrow | 1–2 | 0–2 | | 0–1 | 1–1 | 4–1 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 7–0 | 1–0 | 3–0 | 0–1 | 3–0 | 2–2 | 0–0 | 4–2 | 0–0 | 0–2 | 3–1 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 0–0 |
| Boston United | 1–0 | 3–0 | 2–0 | | 2–1 | 7–3 | 1–0 | 3–1 | 2–1 | 4–2 | 1–3 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 5–2 | 0–1 | 2–0 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 4–2 | 6–0 | 4–0 |
| Buxton | 0–2 | 0–4 | 0–2 | 0–2 | | 0–1 | 0–3 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 5–1 | 4–3 | 1–1 | 2–3 | 1–0 | 3–3 | 3–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–3 | 3–1 | 0–3 | 2–2 | 0–1 | 7–0 |
| Frickley Athletic | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 0–3 | 4–3 | | 2–0 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 7–1 | 3–2 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 1–2 | 0–3 | 0–0 | 0–1 | 4–2 | 0–2 | 4–0 | 1–2 | 0–0 |
| Gainsborough Trinity | 0–2 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 0–1 | 2–2 | | 3–2 | 1–2 | 3–1 | 1–0 | 1–2 | 0–0 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 2–1 | 0–1 | 4–2 | 2–2 | 1–2 | 2–0 | 3–2 |
| Gateshead United | 5–1 | 1–2 | 3–0 | 0–1 | 3–1 | 0–2 | 0–1 | | 2–4 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 2–1 | 3–2 | 1–3 | 1–0 | 1–2 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 8–0 | 0–3 | 0–3 | 2–3 | 1–1 |
| Goole Town | 0–1 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 6–0 | 3–4 | 0–1 | 2–0 | | 2–1 | 0–2 | 3–2 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 3–0 | 0–2 |
| Great Harwood | 0–2 | 7–2 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 4–0 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 2–2 | | 0–0 | 1–3 | 5–2 | 1–2 | 4–3 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 2–3 | 3–1 | 3–0 |
| Lancaster City | 2–1 | 1–1 | 4–3 | 2–2 | 0–1 | 1–4 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 1–1 | | 3–1 | 1–0 | 1–3 | 3–3 | 1–0 | 3–2 | 1–2 | 0–0 | 2–0 | 0–0 | 1–6 | 1–0 | 2–0 |
| Macclesfield Town | 3–3 | 0–2 | 5–0 | 0–1 | 3–0 | 0–3 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 0–1 | 4–0 | | 2–2 | 1–2 | 1–3 | 0–1 | 0–4 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 1–0 | 0–4 | 1–1 | 2–1 |
| Matlock Town | 3–4 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 4–1 | 1–0 | 3–0 | 3–0 | 2–0 | | 0–0 | 5–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 0–2 | 0–0 | 4–0 | 2–1 | 0–1 | 3–1 | 2–1 |
| Morecambe | 0–1 | 0–1 | 3–1 | 0–4 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 5–1 | 2–1 | 4–2 | 2–2 | 0–1 | | 1–5 | 4–1 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 3–5 | 0–3 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 3–3 | 2–2 |
| Mossley | 1–1 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 3–2 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 0–1 | 3–2 | 1–1 | 4–1 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 5–4 | | 3–0 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 0–1 | 1–3 | 5–0 | 2–1 |
| Netherfield | 2–1 | 3–2 | 1–2 | 0–1 | 1–2 | 2–4 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 2–5 | 4–1 | 0–1 | 1–2 | 3–2 | | 0–0 | 0–3 | 0–3 | 2–2 | 0–0 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 1–0 |
| Northwich Victoria | 1–0 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 0–2 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 5–4 | 4–0 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 5–2 | 3–0 | 2–5 | 3–0 | 1–0 | 1–1 | | 0–0 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 4–2 | 5–2 |
| Runcorn | 1–1 | 2–2 | 1–0 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 0–3 | 4–0 | 0–2 | 0–0 | 6–0 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 2–0 | 3–0 | | 1–0 | 4–0 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 1–0 | 2–0 |
| Scarborough | 0–1 | 0–2 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 3–0 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 6–0 | 5–3 | 1–0 | 2–1 | | 6–2 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 1–2 | 4–0 |
| South Liverpool | 0–1 | 0–4 | 2–4 | 1–2 | 4–3 | 3–2 | 2–3 | 0–1 | 0–2 | 3–0 | 2–2 | 3–2 | 3–3 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 0–1 | 0–5 | 2–2 | 0–4 | | 1–2 | 0–2 | 0–1 | 1–0 |
| Stafford Rangers | 0–1 | 4–1 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 4–1 | 3–1 | 5–0 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 3–2 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 3–0 | 0–0 | 2–0 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 2–3 | | 2–2 | 1–0 | 3–0 |
| Wigan Athletic | 1–0 | 2–1 | 4–1 | 0–2 | 4–0 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 0–0 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 2–4 | 2–0 | 1–0 | | 4–1 | 3–0 |
| Workington | 2–1 | 0–1 | 2–0 | 0–1 | 0–2 | 0–1 | 4–1 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 0–3 | 4–1 | 1–2 | 4–0 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–3 | 1–4 | | 0–0 |
| Worksop Town | 1–0 | 0–2 | 2–2 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 1–3 | 2–1 | 0–1 | 3–5 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 3–2 | 4–2 | 1–1 | 0–0 | |

### Stadia and locations

| Team | Stadium |
| Altrincham | Moss Lane |
| Bangor City | Farrar Road |
| Barrow | Holker Street |
| Boston United | York Street |
| Buxton | The Silverlands |
| Frickley Athletic | Westfield Lane |
| Gainsborough Trinity | The Northolme |
| Gateshead United | Gateshead Youth Stadium |
| Goole Town | Victoria Pleasure Ground |
| Great Harwood | The Showground |
| Lancaster City | Giant 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 |
| South Liverpool | Holly Park |
| Stafford Rangers | Marston Road |
| Wigan Athletic | Springfield Park |
| Workington | Borough Park |
| Worksop Town | Central Avenue |

## Cup results
### Challenge Cup

| Home Team | Score | Away Team |
| Matlock Town | 3–0 | Boston United |

### Northern Premier League Shield

Between Champions of NPL Premier Division and Winners of the NPL Cup.
| Home Team | Score | Away Team |
| Matlock Town | beat | Boston United |

### FA Cup

Out of the twenty-four clubs from the Northern Premier League, only two teams reached the second round:
Second Round
| Home Team | Score | Away Team | |
| Crewe Alexandra | 0–0 | Scarborough | |
| Scarborough | 2–0 | Crewe Alexandra | Replay |
| Hartlepool United | 4–2 | Runcorn | |
Third Round
| Home Team | Score | Away Team |
| Brighton & Hove Albion | 3–0 | Scarborough |

### FA Trophy

Out of the twenty-four clubs from the Northern Premier League, two teams reached the fourth round:
Fourth Round
| Home Team | Score | Away Team |
| Altrincham | 4–2 | Winsford United |
| Merthyr Tydfil | 0–0 | Runcorn |
| Runcorn | 3–2 | Merthyr Tydfil |
Semi-finals
| Stage | Home Team | Score | Away Team |
| 1st Leg | Altrincham | 0–0 | Runcorn |
| 2nd Leg | Runcorn | 0–1 | Altrincham |
| Aggregate | Altrincham | 1–0 | Runcorn |
Final
| Home Team | Score | Away Team |
| Altrincham | 3–1 | Leatherhead |

## End of the season

At the end of the tenth season of the Northern Premier League, Wigan Athletic who was put forward for election, received enough votes, on the second round of voting, to be promoted to the Football League. Great Harwood folded Great Harwood Town replaced in Lancashire Combination

### Football League elections

Alongside the four Football League teams facing re-election, two non-League teams, one from the Northern Premier League and the other from the Southern League, applied to be elected. Three out of the four Football League teams were re-elected. Wigan Athletic from the Northern Premier League tied with Southport from the Football League on the first round of voting. A second round was then implemented with Wigan Athletic gaining promotion, replacing Southport from the Football League as they did not receive enough votes. Southport was subsequently relegated to the Northern Premier League.
| Club | League | First round votes | Second round votes |
| York City | Football League Division Four | 49 | |
| Rochdale | Football League Division Four | 39 | |
| Hartlepool United | Football League Division Four | 37 | |
| Wigan Athletic | Northern Premier League | 26 | 29 |
| Southport | Football League Division Four | 26 | 20 |
| Bath City | Southern League | 23 | |

### Promotion and relegation

The number of clubs reduced from twenty-four clubs to twenty-three clubs for the following season.
The following two clubs left the League at the end of the season:
* Wigan Athletic promoted to Football League Fourth Division
* Great Harwood folded
The following club joined the League the following season:
* Southport demoted from Football League Fourth Division