# 1976–77 Northern Premier League

The 1976–77 Northern Premier League was the ninth 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 20 May 1977.

## Overview

The League featured twenty-three teams for the first time. The systems of goal average was replaced by goal difference.

### Team changes

The following club left the League at the end of the previous season:
* Skelmersdale United resigned, demoted to Lancashire Combination
* Fleetwood folded
The following club joined the League at the start of the season:
* Frickley Athletic promoted from Midland League (1889)

### League table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Relegation |
| 1 | Boston United (C) | 44 | 27 | 11 | 6 | 82 | 35 | +47 | 65 | |
| 2 | Northwich Victoria | 44 | 27 | 11 | 6 | 85 | 43 | +42 | 65 | |
| 3 | Matlock Town | 44 | 26 | 11 | 7 | 108 | 57 | +51 | 63 | |
| 4 | Bangor City | 44 | 22 | 11 | 11 | 87 | 52 | +35 | 55 | |
| 5 | Scarborough | 44 | 21 | 12 | 11 | 77 | 66 | +11 | 54 | |
| 6 | Goole Town | 44 | 23 | 6 | 15 | 64 | 50 | +14 | 52 | |
| 7 | Lancaster City | 44 | 21 | 9 | 14 | 71 | 58 | +13 | 51 | |
| 8 | Gateshead United | 44 | 18 | 12 | 14 | 80 | 64 | +16 | 48 | Club folded. A new club formed Gateshead replaced |
| 9 | Mossley | 44 | 17 | 14 | 13 | 74 | 59 | +15 | 48 | |
| 10 | Altrincham | 44 | 19 | 9 | 16 | 60 | 53 | +7 | 47 | |
| 11 | Stafford Rangers | 44 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 60 | 55 | +5 | 46 | |
| 12 | Runcorn | 44 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 58 | 50 | +8 | 44 | |
| 13 | Worksop Town | 44 | 16 | 12 | 16 | 50 | 58 | −8 | 44 | |
| 14 | Wigan Athletic | 44 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 62 | 54 | +8 | 43 | |
| 15 | Morecambe | 44 | 13 | 11 | 20 | 59 | 75 | −16 | 37 | |
| 16 | Gainsborough Trinity | 44 | 13 | 10 | 21 | 58 | 74 | −16 | 36 | |
| 17 | Great Harwood | 44 | 11 | 14 | 19 | 63 | 84 | −21 | 36 | |
| 18 | Buxton | 44 | 11 | 13 | 20 | 48 | 63 | −15 | 35 | |
| 19 | Macclesfield Town | 44 | 8 | 15 | 21 | 41 | 68 | −27 | 31 | |
| 20 | Frickley Athletic | 44 | 11 | 8 | 25 | 53 | 93 | −40 | 30 | |
| 21 | Barrow | 44 | 11 | 6 | 27 | 56 | 87 | −31 | 28 | |
| 22 | South Liverpool | 44 | 10 | 8 | 26 | 51 | 104 | −53 | 28 | |
| 23 | Netherfield | 44 | 9 | 8 | 27 | 47 | 92 | −45 | 26 | |

### 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 | WOK |
| Altrincham | | 1–0 | 3–2 | 0–0 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 4–1 | 1–0 | 4–1 | 4–1 | 1–0 | 1–2 | 1–0 | 3–1 | 1–0 | 4–1 | 0–3 | 0–2 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 0–3 | 1–3 | 0–0 |
| Bangor City | 1–1 | | 6–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 1–2 | 0–2 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 4–4 | 1–0 | 3–0 | 3–1 | 1–2 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 4–1 | 2–0 | 0–0 | 2–0 |
| Barrow | 0–1 | 0–3 | | 0–1 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 1–0 | 0–2 | 4–3 | 0–3 | 3–1 | 2–3 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 0–1 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 4–1 | 0–1 |
| Boston United | 4–0 | 1–3 | 2–0 | | 2–0 | 3–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 3–0 | 3–2 | 1–0 | 1–5 | 6–0 | 2–1 | 4–0 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 4–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 4–2 |
| Buxton | 0–0 | 4–2 | 0–1 | 1–5 | | 0–1 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 1–5 | 3–0 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–3 | 1–2 |
| Frickley Athletic | 1–1 | 1–2 | 4–0 | 0–3 | 1–2 | | 3–2 | 2–0 | 1–5 | 3–1 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 2–6 | 0–2 | 0–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 4–1 | 3–0 | 0–0 | 2–0 | 0–0 |
| Gainsborough Trinity | 0–1 | 2–1 | 4–0 | 0–2 | 2–1 | 3–2 | | 0–0 | 0–1 | 7–0 | 0–3 | 2–0 | 0–4 | 1–2 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 2–2 | 0–0 | 2–0 | 3–2 | 5–3 | 0–0 | 1–0 |
| Gateshead United | 1–2 | 5–1 | 3–2 | 3–1 | 0–1 | 3–2 | 4–1 | | 2–1 | 5–1 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 3–3 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 3–0 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 5–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 0–3 |
| Goole Town | 2–1 | 2–3 | 1–0 | 0–2 | 3–1 | 3–0 | 2–0 | 3–2 | | 0–1 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 3–2 | 4–2 | 0–0 | 0–1 | 1–1 |
| Great Harwood | 1–3 | 2–2 | 0–2 | 3–0 | 3–2 | 5–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 0–2 | | 1–0 | 0–1 | 2–2 | 3–2 | 0–3 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 4–4 | 4–1 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 5–0 |
| Lancaster City | 1–0 | 2–1 | 1–3 | 1–2 | 2–1 | 1–3 | 2–0 | 3–3 | 2–0 | 1–1 | | 3–1 | 4–3 | 3–2 | 2–0 | 3–0 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 1–2 | 5–2 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 |
| Macclesfield Town | 0–2 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 0–0 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 1–2 | 1–3 | 0–0 | | 0–3 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 0–3 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–0 |
| Matlock Town | 5–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 4–2 | 2–2 | 5–1 | 1–1 | 4–2 | 2–0 | 3–0 | | 2–1 | 2–2 | 3–2 | 1–4 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 4–0 | 4–0 | 2–1 | 4–3 |
| Morecambe | 3–0 | 1–3 | 0–5 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 5–0 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 4–1 | 0–0 | 0–1 | | 3–2 | 2–0 | 0–3 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 3–2 | 1–2 | 1–0 | 5–1 |
| Mossley | 2–1 | 3–2 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 4–0 | 5–0 | 2–2 | 2–5 | 2–1 | 3–0 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 1–1 | | 4–1 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 0–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 1–1 |
| Netherfield | 1–0 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 0–3 | 3–2 | 1–3 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 1–2 | 1–1 | | 1–3 | 2–2 | 0–3 | 2–3 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 0–1 |
| Northwich Victoria | 1–1 | 2–0 | 5–1 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 5–0 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 3–0 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 3–2 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 4–1 | | 1–3 | 4–0 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 1–0 |
| Runcorn | 2–1 | 0–0 | 1–2 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 4–0 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 1–3 | 4–0 | 0–2 | 4–1 | 0–4 | 2–2 | 1–2 | | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 0–1 |
| Scarborough | 1–0 | 2–3 | 3–3 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 4–2 | 3–2 | 3–3 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 1–2 | 3–1 | 4–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | | 0–1 | 1–0 | 5–3 | 3–1 |
| South Liverpool | 1–0 | 0–8 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 0–3 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 2–3 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 3–0 | 2–5 | 2–2 | 1–2 | 0–4 | 5–1 | | 2–1 | 0–3 | 0–2 |
| Stafford Rangers | 1–1 | 0–5 | 2–1 | 0–1 | 2–0 | 3–0 | 1–0 | 2–2 | 1–0 | 3–0 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 0–0 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 6–1 | 1–1 | 3–0 | 3–1 | 3–2 | | 3–1 | 1–1 |
| Wigan Athletic | 1–2 | 2–1 | 5–2 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 4–1 | 3–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 0–0 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 1–3 | 3–0 | 1–2 | | 2–0 |
| Worksop Town | 1–7 | 2–3 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 4–1 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 3–2 | 1–1 | |

### 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 | 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 |
| South Liverpool | Holly Park |
| Stafford Rangers | Marston Road |
| Wigan Athletic | Springfield Park |
| Worksop Town | Central Avenue |

## Cup results
### Challenge Cup

| Home Team | Score | Away Team |
| Scarborough | 1–0 | Runcorn |

### Northern Premier League Shield

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

### FA Cup

Out of the twenty-four clubs from the Northern Premier League, only three teams reached the second round:
Second Round
| Home Team | Score | Away Team | |
| Mansfield Town | 2–5 | Matlock Town | |
| Northwich Victoria | 4–0 | Peterborough United | |
| Wrexham | 1–1 | Goole Town | |
| Goole Town | 0–1 | Wrexham | Replay |
Third Round
| Home Team | Score | Away Team |
| Carlisle United | 5–1 | Matlock Town |
| Northwich Victoria | 3–2 | Watford |
Fourth Round
| Home Team | Score | Away Team |
| Carlisle United | 5–1 | Matlock Town |
| Northwich Victoria | 1–3 | Oldham Athletic |

### FA Trophy

Out of the twenty-four clubs from the Northern Premier League, three teams reached the fourth round:
Fourth Round
| Home Team | Score | Away Team | |
| Scarborough | 1-1 | Nuneaton Borough | |
| Nuneaton Borough | 0-1 | Scarborough | Replay |
| Slough Town | 2-0 | Morecambe | |
| Weymouth | 0-0 | Altrincham | |
| Altrincham | 2-1 | Weymouth | Replay |
Semi-finals
| Stage | Home Team | Score | Away Team |
| 1st Leg | Scarborough | 2-0 | Altrincham |
| 2nd Leg | Altrincham | 2-0 | Scarborough |
| Aggregate | Scarborough | 2-2 | Altrincham |
| Replay | Scarborough | 0-0 | Altrincham |
| 2nd Replay | Scarborough | 2-1 | Altrincham |
Final
| Home Team | Score | Away Team |
| Scarborough | 3-2 | Dagenham |

## End of the season

At the end of the ninth season of the Northern Premier League, Altrincham who put forward for election did not receive enough votes to be promoted to the Football League.

### 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. Wimbledon from the Southern League replaced Workington from the Football League as they didn't receive enough votes. Workington was subsequently relegated to the Northern Premier League.
| Club | League | Votes |
| Halifax Town | Football League Division Four | 44 |
| Hartlepool | Football League Division Four | 42 |
| Southport | Football League Division Four | 37 |
| Wimbledon | Southern League Premier Division | 27 |
| Workington | Football League Division Four | 21 |
| Altrincham | Northern Premier League | 12 |

### Promotion and relegation

The following club left the League at the end of the season:
* Gateshead United folded. A new club formed Gateshead replaced.
The following club joined the League the following season:
* Workington relegated from Football League Fourth Division