# 1973–74 Northern Premier League

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

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GR | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Boston United (C) | 46 | 27 | 11 | 8 | 69 | 32 | 2.156 | 65 | |
| 2 | Wigan Athletic | 46 | 28 | 8 | 10 | 96 | 39 | 2.462 | 64 | |
| 3 | Altrincham | 46 | 26 | 11 | 9 | 77 | 34 | 2.265 | 63 | |
| 4 | Stafford Rangers | 46 | 27 | 9 | 10 | 101 | 45 | 2.244 | 63 | |
| 5 | Scarborough | 46 | 22 | 14 | 10 | 62 | 43 | 1.442 | 58 | |
| 6 | South Shields | 46 | 25 | 6 | 15 | 87 | 48 | 1.813 | 56 | |
| 7 | Runcorn | 46 | 21 | 14 | 11 | 72 | 47 | 1.532 | 56 | |
| 8 | Macclesfield Town | 46 | 18 | 15 | 13 | 48 | 47 | 1.021 | 51 | |
| 9 | Bangor City | 46 | 19 | 11 | 16 | 65 | 56 | 1.161 | 49 | |
| 10 | Gainsborough Trinity | 46 | 18 | 11 | 17 | 77 | 64 | 1.203 | 47 | |
| 11 | South Liverpool | 46 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 55 | 47 | 1.170 | 47 | |
| 12 | Skelmersdale United | 46 | 16 | 13 | 17 | 50 | 59 | 0.847 | 45 | |
| 13 | Goole Town | 46 | 14 | 15 | 17 | 60 | 69 | 0.870 | 43 | |
| 14 | Fleetwood | 46 | 14 | 15 | 17 | 48 | 68 | 0.706 | 43 | |
| 15 | Northwich Victoria | 46 | 14 | 13 | 19 | 68 | 75 | 0.907 | 41 | |
| 16 | Mossley | 46 | 15 | 11 | 20 | 53 | 65 | 0.815 | 41 | |
| 17 | Morecambe | 46 | 13 | 13 | 20 | 62 | 84 | 0.738 | 39 | |
| 18 | Buxton | 46 | 14 | 10 | 22 | 45 | 71 | 0.634 | 38 | |
| 19 | Matlock Town | 46 | 11 | 14 | 21 | 50 | 79 | 0.633 | 36 | |
| 20 | Great Harwood | 46 | 10 | 14 | 22 | 52 | 74 | 0.703 | 34 | |
| 21 | Bradford Park Avenue | 46 | 9 | 15 | 22 | 42 | 84 | 0.500 | 33 | Club Folded |
| 22 | Barrow | 46 | 13 | 7 | 26 | 46 | 94 | 0.489 | 33 | |
| 23 | Lancaster City | 46 | 10 | 12 | 24 | 52 | 67 | 0.776 | 32 | |
| 24 | Netherfield | 46 | 11 | 5 | 30 | 42 | 88 | 0.477 | 27 | |
The system of using goal average to separate two teams tied on points was used up until the 1976–77 season.

### Results

| Home \ Away | ALT | BAN | BRW | BOS | BPA | BUX | FLE | GAI | GOO | GHA | LNC | MAC | MAT | MOR | MOS | NET | NOR | RUN | SCA | SKU | SLI | SSH | STA | WIG |
| Altrincham | | 4–0 | 3–0 | 2–0 | 4–1 | 6–0 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 4–2 | 3–1 | 0–0 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 4–0 | 1–1 | 3–0 | 1–1 | 3–0 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 3–0 |
| Bangor City | 1–0 | | 2–0 | 4–0 | 0–2 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 3–0 | 1–0 | 3–2 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 2–4 | 0–0 | 1–2 | 5–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 4–0 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 0–2 | 1–2 |
| Barrow | 0–3 | 1–3 | | 0–0 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1–2 | 0–2 | 0–1 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 0–3 | 3–1 | 1–4 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 2–5 | 2–2 | 1–2 | 1–0 | 0–3 |
| Boston United | 1–1 | 2–1 | 4–1 | | 1–1 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–0 | 4–1 | 2–0 | 4–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 3–0 | 4–2 | 4–1 | 1–0 | 2–2 |
| Bradford Park Avenue | 0–0 | 0–3 | 3–1 | 0–1 | | 2–1 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 0–3 | 1–4 | 0–2 | 0–6 | 1–7 | 0–0 |
| Buxton | 0–3 | 0–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 3–1 | | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 2–2 | 1–4 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 2–0 | 0–4 |
| Fleetwood Town | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 0–0 | 3–1 | 2–0 | | 1–1 | 2–3 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 3–0 | 3–0 | 2–2 | 0–3 | 0–3 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 2–1 |
| Gainsborough Trinity | 0–1 | 2–2 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 4–0 | 3–2 | 7–0 | | 4–3 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 4–1 | 1–4 | 4–0 | 5–0 | 0–3 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 4–0 | 3–1 | 3–2 | 2–1 |
| Goole Town | 0–2 | 0–1 | 4–1 | 0–1 | 2–2 | 1–4 | 1–1 | 1–0 | | 0–0 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 2–2 | 7–1 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 1–2 | 0–2 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 3–2 | 2–3 | 2–1 |
| Great Harwood | 1–2 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 4–2 | 4–2 | 1–2 | 2–1 | | 2–1 | 1–1 | 4–0 | 0–1 | 1–4 | 2–4 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 2–2 | 0–1 | 1–1 |
| Lancaster City | 1–2 | 1–1 | 4–2 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 3–0 | 1–2 | 2–2 | 7–1 | 3–1 | | 1–1 | 2–1 | 3–1 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 4–2 | 0–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 0–0 | 0–1 | 1–3 | 1–4 |
| Macclesfield Town | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 0–2 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2–2 | 0–1 | 0–0 | | 1–1 | 3–0 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 2–2 | 1–2 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 3–0 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 0–0 |
| Matlock Town | 1–2 | 2–2 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 0–3 | 4–3 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 3–0 | 2–1 | | 2–0 | 0–1 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 1–2 | 0–0 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 2–3 |
| Morecambe | 2–2 | 3–0 | 3–0 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 0–2 | 3–2 | 4–1 | 3–3 | 2–0 | 3–0 | 2–2 | | 2–2 | 5–0 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 0–0 | 1–2 | 2–2 | 0–6 | 1–3 | 0–2 |
| Mossley | 2–1 | 0–1 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 2–2 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 3–0 | 3–1 | 2–1 | 0–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | | 2–0 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 2–4 | 0–3 | 0–3 |
| Netherfield | 4–1 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 0–3 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 6–1 | 0–2 | 0–0 | 1–3 | 1–0 | 1–2 | 2–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | | 1–2 | 2–1 | 0–1 | 1–2 | 0–0 | 1–2 | 1–5 | 1–0 |
| Northwich Victoria | 1–2 | 1–1 | 5–0 | 0–1 | 2–2 | 1–2 | 1–3 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 4–2 | 1–0 | 4–2 | 0–0 | 0–1 | 5–1 | | 0–2 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 1–2 |
| Runcorn | 2–1 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 0–0 | 2–0 | 1–2 | 1–0 | 1–2 | 2–2 | 0–1 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 0–0 | 4–0 | 6–2 | 3–0 | 1–1 | | 1–1 | 1–2 | 2–1 | 3–1 | 1–2 | 0–1 |
| Scarborough | 2–0 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 5–0 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 3–2 | 4–0 | 1–0 | 2–2 | 4–1 | 2–1 | 1–3 | | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 0–1 | 1–0 |
| Skelmersdale United | 1–0 | 3–1 | 3–0 | 0–1 | 2–2 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 2–2 | 0–0 | 4–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–3 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–2 | | 1–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–1 |
| South Liverpool | 2–0 | 1–0 | 4–0 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 4–1 | 0–1 | 4–0 | 1–2 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 0–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 5–3 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 3–1 | | 1–0 | 2–2 | 0–0 |
| South Shields | 0–0 | 2–0 | 6–1 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 3–0 | 3–1 | 1–0 | 7–1 | 4–0 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 3–1 | 6–0 | 0–0 | 2–0 | | 1–3 | 0–2 |
| Stafford Rangers | 1–1 | 4–3 | 1–3 | 3–2 | 6–0 | 2–0 | 5–0 | 3–1 | 0–1 | 5–1 | 2–0 | 4–1 | 5–0 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 2–0 | 3–0 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 4–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | | 3–0 |
| Wigan Athletic | 1–0 | 2–1 | 4–1 | 1–0 | 4–1 | 5–0 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 7–0 | 2–0 | 2–4 | 7–0 | 3–0 | 4–0 | 3–0 | 5–3 | 2–0 | 0–0 | 2–0 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 1–2 | |

### 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.
| Club | League | Votes |
| Doncaster Rovers | Football League | 46 |
| Stockport County | Football League | 38 |
| Crewe Alexandra | Football League | 37 |
| Workington | Football League | 21 |
| Kettering Town | Southern League | 16 |
| Yeovil Town | Southern League | 14 |
| Wigan Athletic | Northern Premier League | 10 |
| Chelmsford City | Southern League | 8 |
| Nuneaton Borough | Southern League | 1 |
| Telford United | Southern League | 1 |
| Cambridge City | Southern League | 0 |

### 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)