# 2001–02 Football Conference

The 2001–02 Football Conference season was the twenty-third season of the Football Conference, also known as the Nationwide Conference for sponsorship reasons.

## Changes since the previous season

* Barnet (relegated from the Football League 2000–01)
* Farnborough Town (promoted 2000–01)
* Margate (promoted 2000–01)
* Stalybridge Celtic (promoted 2000–01)

## Overview

The manager of Boston United, Steve Evans, and former chairman, Pat Malkinson, were charged with breaking the Football Association's rules over the registration of players. Both men received bans from the FA, and the club were fined and docked four points from their first season in the League. This angered some, especially the Conference runners up Dagenham & Redbridge, who believed that any points deduction should have applied to the previous season, which would have meant Dagenham being promoted instead.

## Final league table

| Pos | Team | Pld | HW | HD | HL | HGF | HGA | AW | AD | AL | AGF | AGA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
| 1 | Boston United | 42 | 12 | 5 | 4 | 53 | 24 | 13 | 4 | 4 | 31 | 18 | +42 | 84 | Football Conference Champions, promoted to Football League Division Three |
| 2 | Dagenham & Redbridge | 42 | 13 | 6 | 2 | 35 | 20 | 11 | 6 | 4 | 35 | 27 | +23 | 84 | |
| 3 | Yeovil Town | 42 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 27 | 30 | 13 | 6 | 2 | 39 | 23 | +13 | 70 | FA Trophy winners |
| 4 | Doncaster Rovers | 42 | 11 | 6 | 4 | 41 | 23 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 27 | 23 | +22 | 67 | |
| 5 | Barnet | 42 | 10 | 4 | 7 | 30 | 19 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 34 | 29 | +16 | 67 | Relegated from The Football League |
| 6 | Morecambe | 42 | 12 | 5 | 4 | 30 | 27 | 5 | 6 | 10 | 33 | 40 | −4 | 62 | |
| 7 | Farnborough Town | 42 | 11 | 3 | 7 | 38 | 23 | 7 | 4 | 10 | 28 | 31 | +12 | 61 | |
| 8 | Margate | 42 | 7 | 9 | 5 | 33 | 22 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 26 | 31 | +6 | 58 | |
| 9 | Telford United | 42 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 34 | 31 | 6 | 9 | 6 | 29 | 27 | +5 | 57 | |
| 10 | Nuneaton Borough | 42 | 9 | 3 | 9 | 33 | 27 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 24 | 30 | 0 | 57 | |
| 11 | Stevenage Borough | 42 | 10 | 4 | 7 | 36 | 30 | 5 | 6 | 10 | 21 | 30 | −3 | 55 | |
| 12 | Scarborough | 42 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 27 | 22 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 28 | 41 | −8 | 55 | |
| 13 | Northwich Victoria | 42 | 9 | 4 | 8 | 32 | 34 | 7 | 3 | 11 | 25 | 36 | −13 | 55 | |
| 14 | Chester City | 42 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 26 | 23 | 8 | 2 | 11 | 28 | 28 | +3 | 54 | |
| 15 | Southport | 42 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 40 | 26 | 4 | 8 | 9 | 13 | 23 | +4 | 53 | |
| 16 | Leigh RMI | 42 | 6 | 4 | 11 | 29 | 29 | 9 | 4 | 8 | 27 | 29 | −2 | 53 | |
| 17 | Hereford United | 42 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 28 | 15 | 5 | 4 | 12 | 22 | 38 | −3 | 52 | |
| 18 | Forest Green Rovers | 42 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 28 | 32 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 26 | 44 | −22 | 51 | |
| 19 | Woking | 42 | 7 | 5 | 9 | 28 | 29 | 6 | 4 | 11 | 31 | 41 | −11 | 48 | |
| 20 | Hayes | 42 | 6 | 2 | 13 | 27 | 45 | 7 | 3 | 11 | 26 | 35 | −27 | 44 | Relegated to the Isthmian League Premier Division |
| 21 | Stalybridge Celtic | 42 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 26 | 32 | 4 | 4 | 13 | 14 | 37 | −29 | 43 | Relegated to the Northern Premier League Premier Division |
| 22 | Dover Athletic | 42 | 6 | 5 | 10 | 20 | 25 | 5 | 1 | 15 | 21 | 40 | −24 | 39 | Relegated to the Southern League Premier Division |
* ↑ Boston United were charged with breaking the Football Association's rules over the registration of players. The club was fined and docked four points from their first season in the League.
* 1 2 3 New club in the Conference
* ↑ Scarborough had 1 point deducted for breach of a rule.

## Results

| Home \ Away | BAR | BOS | CHE | D&R | DON | DOV | FAR | FGR | HAY | HER | LEI | MAR | MOR | NOR | NUN | SCA | SOU | STL | STB | TEL | WOK | YEO |
| Barnet | | 0–1 | 3–1 | 4–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 0–3 | 0–1 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 4–1 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 1–2 | 0–3 | 0–0 | 3–0 | 2–3 |
| Boston United | 1–1 | | 0–1 | 1–2 | 2–2 | 4–2 | 4–0 | 6–1 | 4–1 | 3–4 | 2–1 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 3–2 | 4–1 | 2–2 | 0–0 | 4–1 | 0–0 | 3–1 | 4–0 | 4–0 |
| Chester City | 1–0 | 1–2 | | 0–1 | 1–1 | 3–0 | 1–0 | 2–3 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 0–3 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 0–2 | 0–0 | 5–1 | 2–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 |
| Dagenham & Redbridge | 1–1 | 1–0 | 3–0 | | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 4–1 | 3–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 4–2 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 1–5 | 3–1 | 1–1 |
| Doncaster Rovers | 2–3 | 0–1 | 2–0 | 0–0 | | 2–1 | 1–1 | 5–1 | 5–2 | 4–0 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 3–3 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 4–3 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 1–2 |
| Dover Athletic | 2–2 | 3–2 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 0–1 | | 2–1 | 1–2 | 3–2 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 0–2 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 2–2 | 1–2 |
| Farnborough Town | 2–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 0–1 | 1–0 | | 3–0 | 1–2 | 4–2 | 3–0 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 4–1 | 2–1 | 4–2 | 0–1 | 2–0 | 6–1 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 1–3 |
| Forest Green Rovers | 2–2 | 0–3 | 0–2 | 2–4 | 0–2 | 2–1 | 1–0 | | 2–1 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 3–3 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 1–2 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 0–2 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 1–1 |
| Hayes | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–3 | 2–4 | 1–5 | 2–1 | 0–3 | 1–1 | | 4–1 | 2–1 | 2–4 | 3–1 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 0–2 | 1–4 | 4–1 | 0–4 |
| Hereford United | 2–1 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 3–0 | 4–2 | 0–0 | 0–1 | | 0–1 | 3–0 | 0–2 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 6–0 | 0–0 | 3–0 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 2–2 | 0–2 |
| Leigh RMI | 3–3 | 1–2 | 3–0 | 2–0 | 1–4 | 1–2 | 3–0 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 0–1 | | 2–2 | 0–1 | 1–2 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 1–0 | 1–2 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 0–1 |
| Margate | 0–1 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 2–2 | 1–2 | | 1–1 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 8–0 | 2–1 | 3–1 | 4–3 | 0–1 |
| Morecambe | 1–0 | 0–0 | 0–3 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 2–1 | | 2–1 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 1–0 | 0–3 | 2–1 | 3–1 | 1–5 |
| Northwich Victoria | 0–3 | 1–2 | 3–1 | 1–2 | 2–3 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 2–2 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 0–3 | 1–1 | 4–3 | | 3–0 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 2–2 | 0–3 | 1–3 |
| Nuneaton Borough | 2–3 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 2–0 | 2–3 | 3–0 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 2–3 | 0–1 | | 1–2 | 3–0 | 3–1 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 2–0 | 1–2 |
| Scarborough | 3–0 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 3–2 | 2–5 | 0–1 | 0–2 | 1–2 | 1–2 | | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 1–0 | 0–0 |
| Southport | 0–1 | 2–3 | 3–2 | 2–2 | 1–0 | 0–2 | 2–5 | 5–1 | 2–3 | 1–1 | 5–0 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 5–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | | 3–1 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 2–0 | 3–0 |
| Stalybridge Celtic | 1–1 | 2–1 | 0–4 | 2–3 | 1–0 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 0–2 | 0–1 | 2–2 | 4–3 | 1–1 | 4–2 | 2–3 | 0–0 | | 2–0 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 |
| Stevenage Borough | 3–2 | 1–2 | 2–1 | 1–3 | 0–0 | 1–3 | 1–2 | 4–1 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 0–1 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 1–0 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 2–0 | | 1–1 | 1–4 | 2–3 |
| Telford United | 1–2 | 2–2 | 0–3 | 1–4 | 1–1 | 4–3 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 1–2 | 0–1 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 4–1 | 1–0 | 0–2 | 3–0 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 2–1 | | 3–3 | 2–2 |
| Woking | 1–3 | 0–2 | 2–1 | 0–2 | 3–1 | 4–0 | 3–2 | 3–4 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 0–0 | 1–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | | 0–2 |
| Yeovil Town | 1–2 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 3–3 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 0–1 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 2–3 | 2–1 | 2–2 | 0–0 | 0–2 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 1–3 | |

## Top scorers in order of league goals

| Rank | Player | Club | League | LDV |
| 1 | Daryl Clare | Boston United | 24 | 0 |
| = | Mark Stein | Dagenham & Redbridge | 24 | 0 |
| 3 | Ken Charlery | Dagenham & Redbridge | 17 | 1 |
| = | Mark Cooper | Forest Green Rovers | 17 | 0 |
| 5 | Mark Beesley | Chester City | 16 | 0 |
| = | Gregg Blundell | Northwich Victoria | 16 | 0 |
| = | Leon Braithwaite | Margate | 16 | 0 |
| = | Simon Parke | Southport | 16 | 0 |
| 9 | Lenny Piper | Farnborough Town | 15 | 0 |
| = | Robbie Talbot | Morecambe | 15 | 0 |
| = | Michael Twiss | Leigh RMI | 15 | 0 |
| 12 | Jamie Paterson | Doncaster Rovers | 14 | 0 |
| 13 | Dean Clark | Hayes | 13 | 0 |
| = | Mark Quayle | Telford United | 13 | 0 |
| = | Dino Maamria | Leigh RMI | 12 | 1 |
| = | Ian Hodges | Hayes | 12 | 0 |
| = | Darren Stamp | Scarborough | 12 | 0 |
| = | Joff Vansittart | Farnborough Town | 12 | 0 |
| = | Simon Weatherstone | Boston United | 12 | 0 |
| 20 | Warren Patmore | Woking | 11 | 0 |
* Footballtransfers.co.uk, thefootballarchives.com and Soccerbase contain information on many players on whom there is not yet an article in Wikipedia.
* Source: