# 1990–91 Northern Premier League

The 1990–91 Northern Premier League season was the 23rd in the history of the Northern Premier League, a football competition in England. Teams were divided into two divisions; the Premier Division, won by Witton Albion, and the First Division, won by Whitley Bay. It was known as the HFS Loans League for sponsorship reasons.

## Premier Division

The Premier Division featured three new teams:
* Chorley relegated from the Football Conference
* Droylsden promoted as runners-up from Division One
* Leek Town promoted as champions from Division One

### League table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion |
| 1 | Witton Albion (C, P) | 40 | 28 | 9 | 3 | 81 | 31 | +50 | 93 | Promotion to Football Conference |
| 2 | Stalybridge Celtic | 40 | 22 | 11 | 7 | 44 | 26 | +18 | 77 | |
| 3 | Morecambe | 40 | 19 | 16 | 5 | 72 | 44 | +28 | 73 | |
| 4 | Fleetwood Town | 40 | 20 | 9 | 11 | 69 | 44 | +25 | 69 | |
| 5 | Southport | 40 | 18 | 14 | 8 | 66 | 48 | +18 | 68 | |
| 6 | Marine | 40 | 18 | 11 | 11 | 56 | 39 | +17 | 65 | |
| 7 | Bishop Auckland | 40 | 17 | 10 | 13 | 62 | 56 | +6 | 61 | |
| 8 | Buxton | 40 | 17 | 11 | 12 | 66 | 61 | +5 | 59 | |
| 9 | Leek Town | 40 | 15 | 11 | 14 | 48 | 44 | +4 | 56 | |
| 10 | Frickley Athletic | 40 | 16 | 6 | 18 | 64 | 62 | +2 | 54 | |
| 11 | Hyde United | 40 | 14 | 11 | 15 | 73 | 63 | +10 | 53 | |
| 12 | Goole Town | 40 | 14 | 10 | 16 | 68 | 74 | −6 | 52 | |
| 13 | Droylsden | 40 | 12 | 11 | 17 | 67 | 70 | −3 | 47 | |
| 14 | Chorley | 40 | 12 | 10 | 18 | 55 | 55 | 0 | 46 | |
| 15 | Mossley | 40 | 13 | 10 | 17 | 55 | 68 | −13 | 45 | |
| 16 | Horwich RMI | 40 | 13 | 6 | 21 | 62 | 81 | −19 | 45 | |
| 17 | Matlock Town | 40 | 12 | 7 | 21 | 52 | 70 | −18 | 43 | |
| 18 | Bangor City | 40 | 9 | 12 | 19 | 52 | 70 | −18 | 39 | |
| 19 | South Liverpool | 40 | 10 | 9 | 21 | 58 | 92 | −34 | 39 | Club resigned from the league and Folded. Reform in 1992 and merged 1992-1994, and demerged in 1994 until present |
| 20 | Gainsborough Trinity | 40 | 9 | 11 | 20 | 57 | 84 | −27 | 38 | |
| 21 | Shepshed Charterhouse | 40 | 6 | 7 | 27 | 38 | 83 | −45 | 25 | |
| 22 | Colne Dynamoes | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Club folded |
* ↑ Buxton were docked 3 points.
* ↑ Mossley were docked 4 points.
* ↑ Colne Dynamoes folded prior to the season's start.

### Results

| Home \ Away | BAN | BIS | BUX | CHO | DRO | FLE | FRK | GAI | GOO | HOR | HYD | LEE | MAR | MAT | MOR | MOS | CHR | SLI | SOU | STL | WTN |
| Bangor City | — | 0–1 | 0–2 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 2–4 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 2–3 | 3–1 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 1–2 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 0–1 | 0–1 |
| Bishop Auckland | 3–0 | — | 1–2 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 3–1 | 3–0 | 1–2 | 2–0 | 0–3 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 3–4 | 0–1 | 0–4 |
| Buxton | 1–1 | 2–2 | — | 4–3 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 2–1 | 4–3 | 3–1 | 5–1 | 0–0 | 0–2 | 0–3 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 4–0 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 4–0 |
| Chorley | 1–3 | 1–1 | 0–1 | — | 3–0 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 5–3 | 2–2 | 1–2 | 4–0 | 0–2 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1–2 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 1–2 | 2–0 | 0–1 |
| Droylsden | 2–2 | 3–4 | 1–1 | 0–0 | — | 1–3 | 2–2 | 3–0 | 4–2 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 4–0 | 1–2 | 0–1 | 1–2 | 4–2 | 3–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 1–4 |
| Fleetwood Town | 3–1 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 3–2 | — | 5–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 4–1 | 0–0 | 4–1 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 0–0 | 3–1 | 0–2 |
| Frickley Athletic | 2–2 | 0–1 | 1–2 | 1–4 | 5–4 | 2–0 | — | 3–1 | 3–2 | 0–1 | 3–1 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 1–2 | 1–0 | 2–3 | 2–3 | 5–1 | 1–4 | 3–1 | 0–1 |
| Gainsborough Trinity | 1–1 | 2–1 | 4–4 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 0–4 | 1–3 | — | 4–2 | 4–1 | 2–3 | 2–1 | 2–3 | 2–4 | 2–2 | 4–2 | 3–2 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 0–0 | 0–0 |
| Goole Town | 4–3 | 0–3 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 0–1 | 4–3 | 2–2 | — | 4–1 | 0–0 | 4–1 | 0–1 | 1–2 | 0–0 | 3–1 | 2–1 | 3–1 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 1–2 |
| Horwich RMI | 4–1 | 2–2 | 4–0 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 1–3 | — | 2–0 | 0–3 | 0–0 | 5–0 | 1–1 | 2–4 | 3–0 | 2–4 | 2–2 | 0–1 | 1–2 |
| Hyde United | 4–5 | 3–2 | 5–0 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 0–3 | — | 0–2 | 0–0 | 5–3 | 3–1 | 6–2 | 7–0 | 9–1 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 1–1 |
| Leek Town | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 2–1 | 4–0 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 1–1 | — | 2–3 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 3–3 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 0–0 |
| Marine | 1–1 | 1–2 | 0–2 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 1–3 | 3–0 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 3–0 | 4–1 | — | 2–0 | 0–1 | 3–1 | 3–0 | 3–1 | 2–3 | 0–1 | 1–1 |
| Matlock Town | 2–2 | 3–1 | 3–3 | 3–1 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 2–3 | 1–2 | 2–1 | 1–3 | 1–0 | 1–3 | — | 1–2 | 4–0 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 0–1 | 1–3 |
| Morecambe | 1–1 | 3–3 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 6–1 | 3–2 | 2–1 | 4–4 | 5–3 | 5–2 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 0–0 | 4–1 | — | 0–2 | 3–0 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 2–0 |
| Mossley | 2–0 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 1–1 | 3–3 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 0–1 | 2–0 | 5–3 | 2–2 | 1–0 | 3–2 | 0–0 | 1–0 | — | 1–0 | 0–2 | 2–2 | 0–1 | 2–4 |
| Shepshed Charterhouse | 1–1 | 4–1 | 1–0 | 1–2 | 0–2 | 1–4 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 2–2 | 1–2 | 1–4 | 0–1 | 0–2 | 0–1 | 2–3 | 0–0 | — | 1–2 | 2–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 |
| South Liverpool | 2–1 | 2–2 | 1–4 | 2–2 | 3–4 | 2–4 | 1–4 | 1–1 | 2–4 | 3–0 | 2–3 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 3–2 | 0–4 | 1–0 | 0–3 | — | 2–2 | 2–0 | 0–2 |
| Southport | 3–2 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 2–1 | 0–2 | 2–1 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 3–3 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 4–0 | 3–1 | 3–4 | — | 0–0 | 0–2 |
| Stalybridge Celtic | 3–1 | 1–0 | 3–1 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 3–0 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | — | 1–1 |
| Witton Albion | 2–1 | 3–3 | 4–1 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 4–0 | 4–0 | 4–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 0–0 | 5–1 | 2–1 | 3–2 | 1–1 | 4–1 | 2–1 | 3–0 | — |

## Division One

Division One featured four new teams:
* Bridlington Town, promoted as champions of the NCEFL Premier Division
* Caernarfon Town and Rhyl, relegated from the NPL Premier Division
* Warrington Town, promoted as champions of the NWCFL Division One
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion |
| 1 | Whitley Bay (C, P) | 42 | 25 | 10 | 7 | 95 | 38 | +57 | 85 | Promotion to NPL Premier Division |
| 2 | Emley (P) | 42 | 24 | 12 | 6 | 78 | 37 | +41 | 84 | Promotion to NPL Premier Division |
| 3 | Worksop Town | 42 | 25 | 7 | 10 | 85 | 56 | +29 | 82 | |
| 4 | Accrington Stanley (P) | 42 | 21 | 13 | 8 | 83 | 57 | +26 | 76 | Promotion to NPL Premier Division |
| 5 | Rhyl | 42 | 21 | 7 | 14 | 62 | 63 | −1 | 70 | |
| 6 | Lancaster City | 42 | 19 | 8 | 15 | 58 | 56 | +2 | 65 | |
| 7 | Eastwood Town | 42 | 17 | 11 | 14 | 70 | 60 | +10 | 62 | |
| 8 | Warrington Town | 42 | 17 | 10 | 15 | 68 | 52 | +16 | 61 | |
| 9 | Bridlington Town | 42 | 15 | 15 | 12 | 72 | 52 | +20 | 60 | |
| 10 | Curzon Ashton | 42 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 49 | 57 | −8 | 56 | |
| 11 | Congleton Town | 42 | 14 | 12 | 16 | 57 | 71 | −14 | 54 | |
| 12 | Netherfield | 42 | 14 | 11 | 17 | 67 | 66 | +1 | 53 | |
| 13 | Newtown | 42 | 13 | 12 | 17 | 68 | 75 | −7 | 51 | |
| 14 | Caernarfon Town | 42 | 13 | 10 | 19 | 51 | 64 | −13 | 49 | |
| 15 | Rossendale United | 42 | 12 | 13 | 17 | 66 | 67 | −1 | 49 | |
| 16 | Radcliffe Borough | 42 | 12 | 12 | 18 | 50 | 69 | −19 | 48 | |
| 17 | Irlam Town | 42 | 12 | 11 | 19 | 55 | 76 | −21 | 47 | |
| 18 | Winsford United | 42 | 11 | 13 | 18 | 51 | 66 | −15 | 46 | |
| 19 | Harrogate Town | 42 | 11 | 13 | 18 | 55 | 73 | −18 | 46 | |
| 20 | Workington | 42 | 11 | 9 | 22 | 49 | 78 | −29 | 42 | |
| 21 | Farsley Celtic | 42 | 9 | 7 | 26 | 45 | 95 | −50 | 34 | |
| 22 | Alfreton Town | 42 | 7 | 12 | 23 | 41 | 84 | −43 | 33 | |

## Promotion and relegation

In the twenty-third season of the Northern Premier League Witton Albion (as champions) were automatically promoted to the Football Conference. None of the Premier Division sides were relegated, but South Liverpool folded at the end of the season, so three sides were promoted to the Premier Division; First Division winners Whitley Bay, second placed Emley and fourth placed Accrington Stanley. Colwyn Bay, Guiseley and Knowsley United were admitted to take these teams' places.

## Cup results

Challenge Cup:
* Southport bt. Buxton
President's Cup:
* Witton Albion bt. Fleetwood Town
Northern Premier League Shield: Between Champions of NPL Premier Division and Winners of the Presidents Cup.
* Witton Albion bt. Stalybridge Celtic $^1$
$^{1AsWittonAlbionwonboththeNorthernPremierLeagueandthePresidentscup,StalybridgeCelticqualifiedas2ndplacedteamoftheNPL.}$