1998–99 Northern Premier League

The 1998–99 Northern Premier League season was the 31st in the history of the Northern Premier League, a football competition in England. Teams were divided into two divisions; the Premier and the First. It was known as the Unibond League for sponsorship reasons.^[1]

Premier Division

Northern Premier League Premier Division

Season	1998–99
Champions	Altrincham
Promoted	Altrincham
Relegated	Accrington Stanley Chorley
Matches played	462
Goals scored	1290 (2.79 per match)
← 1997–98 1999–2000 →

The Premier Division featured four new teams:

• Gateshead relegated from the Conference
• Stalybridge Celtic relegated from the Conference
• Whitby Town promoted as champions of Division One
• Worksop Town promoted as runners-up of Division One

League Table

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification or relegation
1	Altrincham (C) (P)	42	23	11	8	67	33	+34	80	Promotion to the Conference
2	Worksop Town	42	22	10	10	66	48	+18	76
3	Guiseley	42	21	9	12	64	47	+17	72
4	Bamber Bridge	42	18	15	9	63	48	+15	69
5	Gateshead	42	18	11	13	69	58	+11	65
6	Gainsborough Trinity	42	19	8	15	65	59	+6	65
7	Whitby Town	42	17	13	12	77	62	+15	64
8	Leigh RMI	42	16	15	11	63	54	+9	63
9	Hyde United	42	16	11	15	61	48	+13	59
10	Stalybridge Celtic	42	16	11	15	71	63	+8	59
11	Winsford United	42	14	15	13	56	52	+4	57
12	Runcorn	42	12	19	11	46	49	−3	55
13	Emley	42	12	17	13	47	49	−2	53
14	Blyth Spartans	42	14	9	19	56	64	−8	51
15	Colwyn Bay	42	12	13	17	60	71	−11	49
16	Frickley Athletic	42	11	15	16	55	71	−16	48
17	Marine	42	10	17	15	61	69	−8	47
18	Spennymoor United	42	12	11	19	52	71	−19	47
19	Lancaster City	42	11	13	18	50	62	−12	46
20	Bishop Auckland	42	10	15	17	49	67	−18	45
21	Chorley (R)	42	8	15	19	45	68	−23	39	Relegation to the NPL Division One
22	Accrington Stanley (R)	42	9	9	24	47	77	−30	36

Updated to games played on 22 February 2011
Source: [1].
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) = Champion; (R) = Relegated; (P) = Promoted; (O) = Play-off winner; (A) = Advances to a further round.
Only applicable when the season is not finished:
(Q) = Qualified to the phase of tournament indicated; (TQ) = Qualified to tournament, but not yet to the particular phase indicated; (DQ) = Disqualified from tournament.

Division One

Northern Premier League Division One

Season	1998–99
Champions	Droylsden
Promoted	Droylsden Hucknall Town
Relegated	Alfreton Town Great Harwood Town
Matches played	462
Goals scored	1446 (3.13 per match)
← 1997–98 1999–2000 →

Division One featured four new teams:

• Alfreton Town relegated from the Conference
• Burscough promoted as runners-up from the NWCFL Division One
• Hucknall Town promoted as champions from the NCEFL Premier Division
• Radcliffe Borough relegated from the Conference

League Table

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification or relegation
1	Droylsden (C) (P)	42	26	8	8	97	55	+42	86	Promotion to the Premier Division
2	Hucknall Town (P)	42	26	11	5	80	38	+42	086*
3	Ashton United	42	22	12	8	79	46	+33	78
4	Lincoln United	42	20	12	10	94	65	+29	72
5	Eastwood Town	42	20	8	14	65	69	−4	68
6	Radcliffe Borough	42	19	8	15	78	62	+16	65
7	Burscough	42	19	8	15	67	61	+6	65
8	Witton Albion	42	18	9	15	70	63	+7	63
9	Bradford Park Avenue	42	17	11	14	64	55	+9	62
10	Stocksbridge Park Steels	42	16	13	13	64	60	+4	61
11	Harrogate Town	42	17	7	18	75	77	−2	58
12	Gretna	42	16	10	16	73	80	−7	58
13	Belper Town	42	15	11	16	58	57	+1	56
14	Trafford	42	14	11	17	50	58	−8	53
15	Netherfield Kendal	42	13	10	19	51	64	−13	049#
16	Flixton	42	12	12	18	50	64	−14	48
17	Matlock Town	42	14	6	22	53	72	−19	48
18	Farsley Celtic	42	11	13	18	56	73	−17	46
19	Whitley Bay	42	10	9	23	53	77	−24	39
20	Congleton Town	42	8	15	19	65	91	−26	39
21	Great Harwood Town (R)	42	10	8	24	51	73	−22	38	Relegation to the NWCFL Division One
22	Alfreton Town (R)	42	9	8	25	53	86	−33	35	Relegation to the NCEFL Premier Division

Updated to games played on 22 February 2011
Source: [2].
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
^*Hucknall Town were deducted 3 points.
^#From this season onwards Netherfield were known as Netherfield Kendal.
(C) = Champion; (R) = Relegated; (P) = Promoted; (O) = Play-off winner; (A) = Advances to a further round.
Only applicable when the season is not finished:
(Q) = Qualified to the phase of tournament indicated; (TQ) = Qualified to tournament, but not yet to the particular phase indicated; (DQ) = Disqualified from tournament.

Promotion and relegation

In the thirty-first season of the Northern Premier League Altrincham (as champions) were automatically promoted to the Football Conference. Chorley and Accrington Stanley were relegated to the First Division; these two clubs were replaced by relegated Conference sides Barrow and Leek Town, First Division winners Droylsden and second placed Hucknall Town. In the First Division Great Harwood Town and Alfreton Town left the League at the end of the season and were replaced by newly-admitted Ossett Town and Workington.

Cup Results

Challenge Cup: Teams from both leagues.

• Stalybridge Celtic bt. Guiseley

President's Cup: 'Plate' competition for losing teams in the NPL Cup.

• Droylsden bt. Leigh Railway Mechinics Institute

Peter Swales Shield: Between Champions of NPL Premier Division and Winners of the NPL Cup.

• Altrincham bt. Stalybridge Celtic

References

1. ^ Unibond League

External links

• Northern Premier League Tables at RSSSF