# 1984–85 Alliance Premier League

The Alliance Premier League season of 1984–85 (known as the Gola League 1984–85 for sponsorship reasons) was the sixth season of the Alliance Premier League. This was the first year where the Isthmian League acted as an APL feeder league.

## New teams in the league this season

* Barrow (promoted 1983–84)
* Dartford (promoted 1983–84)

## Final table

| Pos | Team | Pld | HW | HD | HL | HGF | HGA | AW | AD | AL | AGF | AGA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Wealdstone | 42 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 31 | 26 | 12 | 2 | 7 | 33 | 28 | +10 | 62 | Football Conference Champions, no promotion |
| 2 | Nuneaton Borough | 42 | 13 | 8 | 0 | 55 | 23 | 6 | 6 | 9 | 30 | 30 | +32 | 58 | |
| 3 | Dartford | 42 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 28 | 25 | 10 | 6 | 5 | 29 | 23 | +9 | 57 | |
| 4 | Bath City | 42 | 15 | 1 | 5 | 30 | 22 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 22 | 27 | +3 | 57 | |
| 5 | Altrincham | 42 | 13 | 2 | 6 | 39 | 21 | 8 | 4 | 9 | 24 | 26 | +16 | 56 | |
| 6 | Scarborough | 42 | 10 | 7 | 4 | 35 | 20 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 34 | 42 | +7 | 54 | |
| 7 | Enfield | 42 | 11 | 7 | 3 | 48 | 27 | 6 | 6 | 9 | 36 | 34 | +23 | 53 | |
| 8 | Kidderminster Harriers | 42 | 8 | 4 | 9 | 40 | 38 | 9 | 4 | 8 | 39 | 39 | +2 | 51 | |
| 9 | Northwich Victoria | 42 | 9 | 4 | 8 | 22 | 19 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 28 | 27 | +4 | 50 | |
| 10 | Telford United | 42 | 10 | 7 | 4 | 36 | 24 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 23 | 30 | +5 | 49 | |
| 11 | Frickley Athletic | 42 | 12 | 3 | 6 | 38 | 25 | 6 | 4 | 11 | 27 | 46 | −6 | 49 | |
| 12 | Kettering Town | 42 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 37 | 22 | 6 | 6 | 9 | 31 | 37 | +9 | 48 | |
| 13 | Maidstone United | 42 | 10 | 7 | 4 | 38 | 24 | 5 | 6 | 10 | 20 | 27 | +7 | 48 | |
| 14 | Runcorn | 42 | 6 | 9 | 6 | 27 | 21 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 21 | 26 | +1 | 48 | Conference League Cup winners |
| 15 | Barnet | 42 | 9 | 7 | 5 | 36 | 20 | 6 | 4 | 11 | 23 | 32 | +7 | 47 | |
| 16 | Weymouth | 42 | 13 | 1 | 7 | 41 | 32 | 2 | 12 | 7 | 29 | 34 | +4 | 45 | |
| 17 | Boston United | 42 | 10 | 5 | 6 | 43 | 32 | 5 | 5 | 11 | 26 | 37 | 0 | 45 | |
| 18 | Barrow | 42 | 6 | 9 | 6 | 25 | 22 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 22 | 35 | −10 | 43 | |
| 19 | Dagenham | 42 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 28 | 27 | 5 | 4 | 12 | 19 | 40 | −20 | 41 | |
| 20 | Worcester City | 42 | 7 | 4 | 10 | 29 | 36 | 5 | 5 | 11 | 26 | 48 | −29 | 38 | Relegated to the Southern League |
| 21 | Gateshead | 42 | 5 | 6 | 10 | 27 | 42 | 4 | 6 | 11 | 24 | 40 | −31 | 33 | Relegated to the Northern Premier League |
| 22 | Yeovil Town | 42 | 4 | 7 | 10 | 26 | 36 | 2 | 4 | 15 | 18 | 51 | −43 | 25 | Relegated to the Isthmian League |
* ↑ FA Trophy winners
* 1 2 New club in the Conference
* ↑ Gateshead had 1 point deducted.

## Results

| Home \ Away | ALT | BAR | BRW | BAT | BOS | DAG | DAR | ENF | FRK | GAT | KET | KID | MDS | NOR | NUN | RUN | SCA | TEL | WEA | WEY | WRC | YEO |
| Altrincham | | 0–2 | 2–0 | 0–0 | 7–2 | 3–1 | 2–1 | 3–2 | 3–4 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 1–2 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 3–0 | 0–1 | 1–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 |
| Barnet | 1–0 | | 4–0 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 0–1 | 3–2 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 4–2 | 2–4 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 0–1 | 7–0 | 0–0 | 2–0 | 4–1 |
| Barrow | 0–2 | 1–0 | | 0–1 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 6–0 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 3–1 | 0–2 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 3–3 | 1–0 | 2–2 |
| Bath City | 1–0 | 2–1 | 1–2 | | 2–1 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 3–0 | 1–1 | 1–6 | 0–2 | 1–0 | 0–3 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 3–1 | 2–1 | 3–1 | 1–0 |
| Boston United | 0–0 | 2–1 | 1–3 | 1–2 | | 4–1 | 2–0 | 3–2 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 2–3 | 1–0 | 3–4 | 2–3 | 2–0 | 3–3 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 4–1 | 3–0 |
| Dagenham | 1–1 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 1–2 | | 0–1 | 0–3 | 4–1 | 0–2 | 2–1 | 2–2 | 4–1 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 0–2 | 1–0 | 1–2 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 2–0 |
| Dartford | 1–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 3–0 | | 1–2 | 0–2 | 1–2 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 0–0 | 2–3 | 1–1 | 2–3 | 1–1 |
| Enfield | 3–3 | 3–3 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 0–1 | | 1–0 | 3–1 | 5–3 | 5–2 | 1–2 | 3–2 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 3–4 | 0–0 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 6–0 | 4–0 |
| Frickley Athletic | 2–1 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 0–2 | 2–4 | 1–0 | | 1–0 | 3–0 | 3–0 | 1–3 | 4–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–3 | 1–2 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 3–1 |
| Gateshead | 0–1 | 0–2 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 0–5 | 3–2 | | 1–4 | 4–1 | 2–1 | 2–6 | 0–2 | 0–3 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 1–1 |
| Kettering Town | 1–2 | 4–0 | 0–0 | 1–2 | 2–1 | 0–1 | 0–2 | 4–3 | 5–0 | 1–1 | | 2–2 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 3–0 | 0–1 | 4–2 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 3–0 |
| Kidderminster Harriers | 0–2 | 1–4 | 0–1 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 5–1 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 2–4 | 3–0 | 2–2 | | 2–1 | 3–1 | 3–4 | 0–1 | 3–2 | 0–2 | 0–3 | 3–3 | 4–1 | 3–0 |
| Maidstone United | 3–0 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 3–0 | 1–4 | | 1–0 | 2–2 | 5–1 | 2–2 | 0–0 | 0–1 | 1–4 | 4–0 | 3–3 |
| Northwich Victoria | 1–2 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 3–1 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 3–0 | 2–0 | 1–2 | 0–2 | 0–0 | | 1–0 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 0–2 | 0–3 | 2–2 | 2–0 |
| Nuneaton Borough | 4–1 | 1–1 | 5–2 | 0–0 | 4–2 | 2–2 | 5–1 | 2–2 | 0–0 | 3–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 2–2 | | 2–1 | 5–2 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 4–2 | 3–0 | 5–0 |
| Runcorn | 1–2 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 1–2 | 3–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 1–2 | 1–4 | 0–0 | 1–0 | | 1–1 | 3–0 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 1–2 | 3–0 |
| Scarborough | 2–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 5–0 | 1–3 | 2–3 | 1–2 | 5–1 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 3–2 | 0–0 | | 4–1 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 1–2 | 2–1 |
| Telford United | 0–2 | 1–0 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 2–0 | 5–3 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 0–0 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 3–1 | 1–2 | | 4–2 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 3–1 |
| Wealdstone | 1–0 | 1–2 | 2–2 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 4–2 | 1–0 | 5–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2–2 | | 3–2 | 3–3 | 0–3 |
| Weymouth | 2–1 | 3–0 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 1–2 | 4–2 | 2–1 | 5–4 | 3–0 | 0–2 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 1–3 | 0–2 | 1–2 | 3–2 | 0–3 | | 3–1 | 4–2 |
| Worcester City | 1–1 | 1–2 | 3–2 | 1–2 | 2–1 | 1–3 | 2–5 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 4–1 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 1–4 | 2–0 | 4–1 | 0–0 | 0–4 | 1–1 | | 0–2 |
| Yeovil Town | 1–2 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 3–2 | 2–4 | 2–1 | 2–2 | 0–0 | 1–2 | 0–4 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 3–0 | 0–1 | 1–2 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 3–3 | 0–2 | 0–0 | 1–2 | |

## Top scorers

| Rank | Player | Club | League |
| 1 | Paul Culpin | Nuneaton Borough | 36 |
| 2 | Gary Hooley | Frickley Athletic | 29 |
| 3 | Frank Murphy | Nuneaton | 21 |
| = | John Powell | Kidderminster Harriers | 21 |
| 5 | Paul Bennett | Altrincham | 20 |
| 6 | Paul Davies | Kidderminster Harriers | 19 |
| = | Dave Flint | Enfield | 19 |
| = | Bob Lee | Boston United | 19 |
| = | Steve Mahoney | Kidderminster Harriers | 19 |
| 10 | Ian Donaldson | Gateshead | 17 |
| = | Paul Moss | Worcester City | 17 |
| 12 | Mike Doherty | Weymouth | 16 |
| = | Bill Jeffery | Kettering Town | 16 |
| = | Gerry Pearson | Kidderminster Harriers | 16 |
| 15 | Mark Graves | Wealdstone | 15 |
| 16 | Marshall Burke | Scarborough | 13 |
| = | Colin Cowperthwaite | Barrow | 13 |
| = | Nicky Evans | Barnet | 13 |
| = | Paul Reid | Northwich Victoria | 13 |
| = | Mark Smith | Kettering Town | 13 |
| = | Les Whitton | Dagenham | 13 |
| 22 | Carl Richards | Enfield | 12 |
| 23 | Mark Carter | Runcorn | 11 |

## Promotion and relegation
### Promoted

* Cheltenham Town (from the Southern Premier League)
* Stafford Rangers (from the Northern Premier League)
* Wycombe Wanderers (from the Isthmian League)

### Relegated

* Gateshead (to the Northern Premier League)
* Worcester City (to the Southern Premier League)
* Yeovil Town (to the Isthmian League)

## Election to the Football League

This year Wealdstone, the champions of the Alliance Premier League, could not apply for election because their stadium did not meet Football League requirements. 2nd placed Nuneaton could not apply either for the same reason, and nor could 3rd placed Dartford, so 4th placed Bath City won by default the right to apply for election to the Football League to replace one of the four bottom sides in the 1984–85 Football League Fourth Division. The voting went as follows:
| Club | Final Position | Votes |
| Northampton Town | 23rd (Fourth Division) | 52 |
| Stockport County | 22nd (Fourth Division) | 50 |
| Torquay United | 24th (Fourth Division) | 50 |
| Halifax Town | 21st (Fourth Division) | 48 |
| Bath City | 4th (Alliance Premier League) | 8 |
As a result of this, Bath City failed to gain membership of the Football League.