# 1969–70 Northern Premier League

The 1969–70 Northern Premier League was the second 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 9 August 1969 and concluded on 9 May 1970.

## Overview

The League featured twenty teams for the second consecutive season.

### Team changes

The following three clubs left the League at the end of the previous season:
* Ashington resigned, demoted to Northern Alliance
* Chorley relegated to Lancashire Combination
* Worksop Town relegated to Midland League (1889)
The following three clubs joined the League at the start of the season:
* Stafford Rangers promoted from Cheshire County League
* Great Harwood promoted from Lancashire Combination
* Matlock Town promoted from Midland League (1889)

### League table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GR | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Macclesfield Town (C) | 38 | 22 | 8 | 8 | 72 | 41 | 1.756 | 52 | |
| 2 | Wigan Athletic | 38 | 20 | 12 | 6 | 56 | 32 | 1.750 | 52 | |
| 3 | Boston United | 38 | 21 | 8 | 9 | 65 | 33 | 1.970 | 50 | |
| 4 | Scarborough | 38 | 20 | 10 | 8 | 74 | 39 | 1.897 | 50 | |
| 5 | South Shields | 38 | 19 | 7 | 12 | 66 | 43 | 1.535 | 45 | |
| 6 | Gainsborough Trinity | 38 | 16 | 11 | 11 | 64 | 49 | 1.306 | 43 | |
| 7 | Stafford Rangers | 38 | 16 | 7 | 15 | 59 | 52 | 1.135 | 39 | |
| 8 | Bangor City | 38 | 15 | 9 | 14 | 68 | 63 | 1.079 | 39 | |
| 9 | Northwich Victoria | 38 | 15 | 8 | 15 | 60 | 66 | 0.909 | 38 | |
| 10 | Netherfield | 38 | 14 | 9 | 15 | 56 | 54 | 1.037 | 37 | |
| 11 | Hyde United (R) | 38 | 15 | 7 | 16 | 59 | 59 | 1.000 | 37 | Relegated to Cheshire County League |
| 12 | Altrincham | 38 | 14 | 8 | 16 | 62 | 65 | 0.954 | 36 | |
| 13 | Fleetwood | 38 | 13 | 10 | 15 | 53 | 60 | 0.883 | 36 | |
| 14 | Runcorn | 38 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 57 | 72 | 0.792 | 35 | |
| 15 | Morecambe | 38 | 10 | 13 | 15 | 41 | 51 | 0.804 | 33 | |
| 16 | South Liverpool | 38 | 11 | 11 | 16 | 44 | 55 | 0.800 | 33 | |
| 17 | Great Harwood | 38 | 10 | 9 | 19 | 63 | 92 | 0.685 | 29 | |
| 18 | Matlock Town | 38 | 8 | 12 | 18 | 52 | 67 | 0.776 | 28 | |
| 19 | Goole Town | 38 | 10 | 6 | 22 | 50 | 71 | 0.704 | 26 | |
| 20 | Gateshead (R) | 38 | 5 | 12 | 21 | 37 | 94 | 0.394 | 22 | Relegated to Wearside League |
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 | FLE | GAI | GAT | GOO | GHA | HYD | MAC | MAT | MOR | NET | NOR | RUN | SCA | SLI | SSH | STA | WIG |
| Altrincham | | 1–1 | 1–0 | 3–2 | 1–2 | 3–1 | 4–2 | 2–1 | 4–1 | 2–4 | 3–3 | 0–3 | 4–1 | 1–2 | 2–1 | 0–2 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 1–2 | 1–3 |
| Bangor City | 3–4 | | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 5–2 | 3–0 | 5–0 | 2–0 | 4–0 | 2–0 | 1–2 | 3–2 | 4–1 | 0–2 | 1–0 | 3–0 | 1–0 | 2–1 |
| Boston United | 1–0 | 0–0 | | 3–0 | 1–2 | 7–0 | 1–0 | 3–0 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 4–0 | 5–0 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 0–0 |
| Fleetwood | 1–1 | 4–2 | 3–1 | | 1–3 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 2–2 | 1–0 | 3–2 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 2–0 | 3–0 | 5–0 | 0–0 | 0–6 | 3–0 | 2–1 | 1–0 |
| Gainsborough Trinity | 3–0 | 2–1 | 1–3 | 1–1 | | 2–1 | 5–0 | 6–1 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 3–2 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 4–2 | 1–3 | 2–3 | 1–1 |
| Gateshead | 1–2 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 3–2 | 2–2 | | 2–2 | 2–1 | 3–1 | 1–0 | 3–3 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 1–3 | 0–4 | 1–1 | 0–7 | 0–1 | 0–0 |
| Goole Town | 3–3 | 2–3 | 0–0 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 6–1 | | 1–2 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 0–3 | 0–0 | 0–3 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 0–2 | 0–1 |
| Great Harwood | 1–2 | 4–1 | 5–1 | 2–0 | 3–5 | 1–1 | 2–4 | | 1–7 | 2–3 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 1–5 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 4–1 | 2–1 |
| Hyde United | 2–1 | 3–1 | 2–1 | 5–2 | 1–2 | 3–0 | 1–0 | 1–1 | | 4–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 3–3 | 0–0 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 2–3 |
| Macclesfield Town | 1–1 | 4–0 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 4–0 | 2–0 | 5–2 | 2–1 | | 3–1 | 5–0 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2–2 | 2–3 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 4–1 | 0–0 |
| Matlock Town | 2–1 | 0–0 | 1–4 | 1–1 | 2–4 | 4–1 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 0–2 | | 3–0 | 0–3 | 4–0 | 1–0 | 0–3 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 4–1 | 5–0 |
| Morecambe | 1–4 | 5–1 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 1–3 | 3–0 | | 0–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 2–1 |
| Netherfield | 2–0 | 2–3 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 3–3 | 3–0 | 2–3 | 2–1 | 2–0 | | 2–1 | 4–0 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 0–0 | 3–2 | 1–0 |
| Northwich Victoria | 2–0 | 2–0 | 3–2 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 5–1 | 4–2 | 1–0 | 3–0 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 2–1 | | 3–4 | 1–2 | 1–0 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–2 |
| Runcorn | 2–0 | 3–3 | 2–4 | 4–1 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 4–4 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 2–6 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 2–2 | | 1–1 | 1–0 | 1–2 | 2–1 | 0–4 |
| Scarborough | 2–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 8–0 | 3–1 | 0–1 | 5–0 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 2–0 | | 0–0 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 |
| South Liverpool | 0–0 | 1–0 | 0–2 | 1–2 | 0–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 1–5 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 3–0 | 0–3 | 3–4 | 2–0 | 3–2 | | 3–1 | 2–1 | 0–2 |
| South Shields | 2–1 | 4–1 | 0–1 | 3–0 | 0–1 | 5–1 | 2–0 | 4–1 | 4–1 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 5–1 | 1–4 | 3–2 | 0–1 | | 0–0 | 1–1 |
| Stafford Rangers | 0–1 | 3–2 | 3–2 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 5–0 | 3–1 | 1–0 | 2–2 | 0–2 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 4–1 | 1–2 | 4–1 | 4–0 | 1–0 | | 1–2 |
| Wigan Athletic | 2–2 | 2–2 | 4–0 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 3–1 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 3–2 | 2–0 | 5–1 | 2–0 | 1–0 | |

### Stadia and locations

| Team | Stadium |
| Altrincham | Moss Lane |
| Bangor City | Farrar Road |
| Boston United | York Street |
| Fleetwood | Highbury |
| Gainsborough Trinity | The Northolme |
| Gateshead | Redheugh Park |
| Goole Town | Victoria Pleasure Ground |
| Great Harwood | The Showground |
| Hyde United | Ewen Fields |
| 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 |
| 1st Leg | Altrincham | ?–? | Macclesfield Town |
| 2nd Leg | Macclesfield Town | ?–? | Altrincham |
| Aggregate | Altrincham | 4–3 | Macclesfield Town |

### FA Cup

Out of the twenty clubs from the Northern Premier League only South Shields reached for the second round:
Second Round
| Home Team | Score | Away Team | |
| South Shields | 0–0 | Oldham Athletic |
| Oldham Athletic | 1–2 | South Shields | Replay |
Third Round
| Home Team | Score | Away Team |
| Queens Park Rangers | 4–1 | South Shields |

### FA Trophy

Out of the twenty clubs from the Northern Premier League only Macclesfield Town reached for the fourth round:
Fourth Round
| Home Team | Score | Away Team | |
| Burton Albion | 1–1 | Macclesfield Town | |
| Macclesfield Town | 4–2 | Burton Albion | Replay |
Semi-finals
| Home Team | Score | Away Team |
| Macclesfield Town | 1–0 | Barnet |
Final
| Home Team | Score | Away Team |
| Macclesfield Town | 2–0 | Telford United |

## End of the season

At the end of the second season of the Northern Premier League none of the teams put forward, for election, received enough votes to be promoted to the Football League. Hyde United resigned the league, due to financial difficulties and Gateshead was relegated.

### Football League elections

Alongside the four Football League teams facing re-election, a total of thirteen non-League teams applied for election, three of which were from the Northern Premier League. Three out of the four Football League teams were re-elected. Cambridge United from the Southern League replaced Bradford Park Avenue from the Football League as they didn't receive enough votes. Bradford Park Avenue was subsequently relegated to the Northern Premier League.
| Team | League | Votes |
| Darlington | Football League | 47 |
| Hartlepool | Football League | 42 |
| Cambridge United | Southern League | 31 |
| Newport County | Football League | 31 |
| Bradford Park Avenue | Football League | 17 |
| Wigan Athletic | Northern Premier League | 3 |
| Cambridge City | Southern League | 2 |
| Yeovil Town | Southern League | 1 |
| Bedford Town | Southern League | 1 |
| Hereford United | Southern League | 1 |
| Morecambe | Northern Premier League | 1 |
| Romford | Southern League | 1 |
| Boston United | Northern Premier League | 0 |
| Chelmsford City | Southern League | 0 |
| Hillingdon Borough | Southern League | 0 |
| Telford United | Southern League | 0 |
| Wimbledon | Southern League | 0 |

### Promotion and relegation

The League expanded from twenty clubs to twenty-two clubs for the following season.
The following two clubs left the League at the end of the season:
* Hyde United resigned, demoted to Cheshire County League
* Gateshead relegated to Wearside Football League
The following four clubs joined the League the following 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