# 1970–71 Northern Premier League

The 1970–71 Northern Premier League was the third 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 15 August 1970 and concluded on 8 May 1971.

## Overview

The League was expanded this season, for the first time, from twenty teams to twenty-two teams.

### Team changes

The following two clubs left the League at the end of the previous season:
* Hyde United resigned, demoted to Cheshire County League
* Gateshead relegated to Wearside Football League
The following four clubs joined the League at the start of the season:
* Bradford Park Avenue relegated from Football League Fourth Division.
* Chorley promoted from Lancashire Combination (returning after a year's absence)
* Kirkby Town promoted from Lancashire Combination
* Lancaster City promoted from Lancashire Combination

### League table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GR | Pts |
| 1 | Wigan Athletic (C) | 42 | 27 | 13 | 2 | 91 | 32 | 2.844 | 67 |
| 2 | Stafford Rangers | 42 | 27 | 7 | 8 | 87 | 51 | 1.706 | 61 |
| 3 | Scarborough | 42 | 23 | 12 | 7 | 83 | 40 | 2.075 | 58 |
| 4 | Boston United | 42 | 22 | 12 | 8 | 69 | 31 | 2.226 | 56 |
| 5 | Macclesfield Town | 42 | 23 | 10 | 9 | 84 | 45 | 1.867 | 56 |
| 6 | Northwich Victoria | 42 | 22 | 5 | 15 | 71 | 55 | 1.291 | 49 |
| 7 | Bangor City | 42 | 19 | 10 | 13 | 72 | 61 | 1.180 | 48 |
| 8 | Altrincham | 42 | 19 | 10 | 13 | 80 | 76 | 1.053 | 48 |
| 9 | South Liverpool | 42 | 15 | 15 | 12 | 67 | 57 | 1.175 | 45 |
| 10 | Chorley | 42 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 58 | 61 | 0.951 | 42 |
| 11 | Gainsborough Trinity | 42 | 15 | 11 | 16 | 65 | 63 | 1.032 | 41 |
| 12 | Morecambe | 42 | 14 | 11 | 17 | 67 | 79 | 0.848 | 39 |
| 13 | South Shields | 42 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 67 | 66 | 1.015 | 38 |
| 14 | Bradford Park Avenue | 42 | 15 | 8 | 19 | 54 | 73 | 0.740 | 38 |
| 15 | Lancaster City | 42 | 12 | 12 | 18 | 53 | 76 | 0.697 | 36 |
| 16 | Netherfield | 42 | 13 | 9 | 20 | 59 | 57 | 1.035 | 35 |
| 17 | Matlock Town | 42 | 10 | 13 | 19 | 58 | 80 | 0.725 | 33 |
| 18 | Fleetwood | 42 | 10 | 11 | 21 | 56 | 90 | 0.622 | 31 |
| 19 | Great Harwood | 42 | 8 | 13 | 21 | 66 | 98 | 0.673 | 29 |
| 20 | Runcorn | 42 | 10 | 5 | 27 | 58 | 84 | 0.690 | 25 |
| 21 | Kirkby Town | 42 | 6 | 13 | 23 | 57 | 93 | 0.613 | 25 |
| 22 | Goole Town | 42 | 10 | 4 | 28 | 44 | 98 | 0.449 | 24 |
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 | BOS | BPA | CHO | FLE | GAI | GOO | GHA | KIR | LNC | MAC | MAT | MOR | NET | NOR | RUN | SCA | SLI | SSH | STA | WIG |
| Altrincham | | 3–1 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 4–4 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 3–0 | 4–2 | 5–0 | 2–2 | 0–3 | 2–0 | 3–2 | 5–0 | 0–3 | 3–1 | 0–1 | 3–2 | 2–3 | 3–2 | 1–1 |
| Bangor City | 2–0 | | 1–0 | 2–1 | 4–2 | 4–0 | 2–1 | 3–0 | 0–0 | 4–1 | 1–3 | 0–1 | 2–2 | 6–0 | 1–0 | 3–1 | 3–2 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 1–3 | 0–1 | 2–5 |
| Boston United | 1–1 | 2–2 | | 0–0 | 0–1 | 4–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 0–0 | 5–2 | 5–1 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 1–0 | 4–0 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 2–1 |
| Bradford Park Avenue | 4–1 | 2–2 | 1–2 | | 0–1 | 2–2 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 1–4 | 0–1 | 4–1 | 4–0 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 3–1 | 0–1 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 1–1 |
| Chorley | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 3–0 | | 2–3 | 3–1 | 4–1 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 3–2 | 1–1 | 2–3 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 2–2 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 |
| Fleetwood | 2–3 | 0–1 | 0–3 | 5–0 | 2–0 | | 0–1 | 1–3 | 1–6 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 3–1 | 4–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 2–3 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 2–3 | 1–1 |
| Gainsborough Trinity | 4–1 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 5–1 | | 2–2 | 5–0 | 2–3 | 1–2 | 1–4 | 2–0 | 2–3 | 0–0 | 1–2 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 0–3 | 2–2 |
| Goole Town | 1–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 4–1 | 1–2 | | 3–1 | 0–1 | 1–2 | 0–2 | 1–2 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 0–4 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 1–5 | 0–1 |
| Great Harwood | 1–1 | 3–4 | 0–4 | 2–3 | 2–3 | 0–5 | 2–1 | 6–2 | | 2–2 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 0–4 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 5–7 | 2–2 |
| Kirkby Town | 4–5 | 0–1 | 0–3 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 5–2 | 1–1 | | 1–2 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 0–3 | 1–3 |
| Lancaster City | 1–3 | 1–1 | 0–3 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 2–2 | | 0–0 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 2–6 | 1–0 | 1–2 | 1–3 | 4–1 | 1–0 | 0–0 |
| Macclesfield Town | 2–3 | 3–0 | 1–1 | 4–0 | 2–0 | 6–0 | 2–2 | 4–1 | 2–3 | 0–1 | 2–2 | | 1–0 | 1–0 | 3–1 | 4–4 | 3–1 | 4–0 | 1–2 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 1–3 |
| Matlock Town | 1–1 | 2–2 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 3–2 | 4–1 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 5–1 | 0–2 | | 2–2 | 0–0 | 1–2 | 3–2 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 3–2 | 1–2 | 0–4 |
| Morecambe | 2–1 | 4–1 | 1–0 | 0–2 | 0–3 | 6–2 | 1–2 | 4–3 | 2–0 | 5–0 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 3–2 | | 3–3 | 0–2 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 0–0 |
| Netherfield | 4–2 | 2–3 | 0–0 | 1–3 | 0–0 | 1–3 | 0–2 | 4–0 | 4–1 | 2–1 | 5–2 | 0–2 | 6–0 | 2–0 | | 0–1 | 3–1 | 1–2 | 0–2 | 2–1 | 0–1 | 1–2 |
| Northwich Victoria | 3–0 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 3–0 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 3–1 | 3–0 | 1–2 | 2–1 | 3–2 | 1–4 | 4–0 | 0–0 | 3–2 | | 1–0 | 0–2 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 0–1 | 1–2 |
| Runcorn | 1–3 | 3–4 | 2–3 | 2–1 | 5–0 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 5–1 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 0–1 | 2–5 | 0–3 | 1–0 | 0–1 | | 3–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 1–4 |
| Scarborough | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 4–0 | 2–0 | 6–0 | 1–2 | 3–1 | 4–0 | 3–1 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 4–0 | 5–0 | 0–0 | 2–0 | 3–2 | | 6–0 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 0–2 |
| South Liverpool | 6–0 | 1–0 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 4–1 | 0–1 | 2–0 | 4–4 | 2–1 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 4–2 | 1–1 | | 3–0 | 1–1 | 0–1 |
| South Shields | 5–2 | 1–2 | 3–1 | 5–1 | 4–0 | 0–0 | 3–2 | 1–2 | 2–1 | 3–4 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 2–3 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 5–2 | 0–0 | 1–1 | | 3–0 | 1–2 |
| Stafford Rangers | 2–1 | 3–2 | 1–1 | 4–0 | 3–1 | 2–1 | 0–3 | 4–1 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 4–1 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 4–1 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 3–2 | 5–0 | | 0–1 |
| Wigan Athletic | 1–1 | 0–0 | 2–0 | 3–0 | 1–0 | 4–1 | 5–0 | 7–0 | 3–1 | 3–3 | 4–0 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 4–1 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 4–1 | |

### Stadia and locations

| Team | Stadium |
| Altrincham | Moss Lane |
| Bangor City | Farrar Road |
| Boston United | York Street |
| Bradford Park Avenue | Park Avenue |
| Chorley | Victory Park |
| Fleetwood | Highbury |
| Gainsborough Trinity | The Northolme |
| Goole Town | Victoria Pleasure Ground |
| Great Harwood | The Showground |
| Kirkby Town | Simonswood Lane |
| Lancaster City | Great Axe |
| Macclesfield Town | Moss Rose |
| Matlock Town | Causeway Lane |
| Morecambe | Christie Park |
| Netherfield | Parkside |
| Northwich Victoria | Drill Field |
| Runcorn | Canal Street |
| Scarborough | Athletic Ground |
| 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 | Venue | Notes |
| 1st Leg | Fleetwood Town | 2-2 | Macclesfield Town | Highbury | scorers for Fleetwood Armstrong and Morley |
| 2nd Leg | Macclesfield Town | 0-0 | Fleetwood Town | Moss Rose | |
| Replay | Fleetwood Town | 1–0 | Macclesfield Town | Springfield Park (Wigan Athletic) | scorer Tony Hallam assist Derek Armstrong |

### FA Cup

Out of the twenty-two clubs from the Northern Premier League, only Wigan Athletic reached for the second round:
Second Round
| Home Team | Score | Away Team |
| Wigan Athletic | 2–1 | Peterborough United |
Third Round
| Home Team | Score | Away Team |
| Manchester City | 1–0 | Wigan Athletic |

### FA Trophy

Out of the twenty-two clubs from the Northern Premier League, only Macclesfield Town reached for the fourth round:
Fourth Round
| Home Team | Score | Away Team |
| Hereford United | 2–0 | Macclesfield Town |

## End of the season

At the end of the third season of the Northern Premier League none of the teams put forward, for election, received enough votes to be promoted to the Football League. Conversely, none of the sides were relegated.

### Football League elections

Alongside the four Football League clubs facing re-election, a total of twelve non-League clubs applied for election, three of which were from the Northern Premier League. All four Football League teams were re-elected.
| Club | League | Votes |
| Lincoln City | Football League | 47 |
| Barrow | Football League | 38 |
| Hartlepool | Football League | 33 |
| Newport County | Football League | 33 |
| Wigan Athletic | Northern Premier League | 14 |
| Cambridge City | Southern League | 2 |
| Telford United | Southern League | 2 |
| Yeovil Town | Southern League | 2 |
| Boston United | Northern Premier League | 1 |
| Romford | Southern League | 1 |
| Bradford Park Avenue | Northern Premier League | 1 |
| Gateshead | Wearside League | 1 |
| Bedford Town | Southern League | 0 |
| Chelmsford City | Southern League | 0 |
| Hillingdon Borough | Southern League | 0 |
| Kettering Town | Southern League | 0 |

### Promotion and relegation

The League expanding from twenty-two clubs to twenty-four clubs for the following season.
The following two clubs joined the League the following season:
* Skelmersdale United promoted from Cheshire County League
* Ellesmere Port Town promoted from Cheshire County League.