2001–02 Northern Premier League

The 2001–02 Northern Premier League season was the 34th in the history of the Northern Premier League, a football competition in England. Teams were divided into two divisions; the Premier and the First.

Premier Division

Northern Premier League Premier Division

Season	2001–02
Champions	Burton Albion
Promoted	Burton Albion
Relegated	Bamber Bridge Bishop Auckland
Matches played	506
Goals scored	1540 (3.04 per match)
← 2000–01 2002–03 →

The Premier Division featured three new teams:

• Bradford Park Avenue promoted as champions of Division One
• Vauxhall Motors promoted as runners-up of Division One
• Burton Albion transferred from the Southern League Premier Division

League Table

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification or relegation
1	Burton Albion (C) (P)	44	31	11	2	106	30	+76	104	Promotion to the Conference
2	Vauxhall Motors	44	27	8	9	86	55	+31	89
3	Lancaster City	44	23	9	12	80	57	+23	78
4	Worksop Town	44	23	9	12	74	51	+23	78
5	Emley	44	22	9	13	69	55	+14	75
6	Accrington Stanley	44	21	9	14	89	64	+25	72
7	Runcorn F.C. Halton	44	21	8	15	76	53	+23	071#
8	Barrow	44	19	10	15	75	59	+16	67
9	Altrincham	44	19	9	16	66	58	+8	66
10	Bradford Park Avenue	44	18	5	21	77	76	+1	59
11	Droylsden	44	17	8	19	65	78	−13	59
12	Blyth Spartans	44	14	16	14	58	71	−13	58
13	Frickley Athletic	44	16	11	17	63	69	−6	058*
14	Gateshead	44	14	14	16	58	71	−13	56
15	Whitby Town	44	15	8	21	61	76	−15	53
16	Hucknall Town	44	14	9	21	50	68	−18	51
17	Marine	44	11	17	16	62	71	−9	50
18	Burscough	44	15	5	24	69	86	−17	50
19	Gainsborough Trinity	44	13	10	21	61	76	−15	49
20	Colwyn Bay	44	12	11	21	49	82	−33	47
21	Bishop Auckland (R)	44	12	8	24	46	68	−22	044†	Relegation to the NPL Division One
22	Hyde United	44	10	10	24	61	87	−26	40
23	Bamber Bridge (R)	44	7	10	27	38	88	−50	030‡	Qualification to the Playoffs

Updated to games played on 8 February 2011
Source: [1].
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
^#From this season onwards, Runcorn were known as Runcorn F.C. Halton.
^* Frickley Athletic were deducted 1 point.
^†Bishop Auckland relegated due to ground concerns.
^‡Due to Bishop Auckland's dismissal, Bamber Bridge were placed into a playoff to decide if they were to stay up. They were also deducted 1 point.
(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	2001–02
Champions	Harrogate Town
Promoted	Ashton United Harrogate Town
Relegated	Ossett Albion
Matches played	465
Goals scored	1405 (3.02 per match)
← 2000–01 2002–03 →

Division One featured 4 new teams:

• Leek Town relegated from Premier Division
• Spennymoor United relegated from Premier Division
• Ossett Town promoted from the Northern Counties East League Premier Division
• Rossendale United promoted as champions of the North West Counties League Division One

League Table

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification or relegation
1	Harrogate Town (C) (P)	42	25	11	6	80	35	+45	86	Promotion to the Premier Division
2	Ossett Town	42	21	13	8	73	44	+29	76	Qualification to the Playoffs
3	Ashton United (P)	42	21	12	9	90	63	+27	75
4	Spennymoor United	42	22	6	14	75	73	+2	72
5	Radcliffe Borough	42	20	8	14	73	51	+22	68
6	Leek Town	42	20	8	14	67	51	+16	68
7	Gretna	42	19	7	16	66	66	0	063*	Transferred to the Scottish Football League
8	Eastwood Town	42	17	11	14	66	58	+8	62
9	Rossendale United	42	17	10	15	69	58	+11	61
10	Witton Albion	42	17	10	15	72	68	+4	61
11	Guiseley	42	18	7	17	60	67	−7	61
12	North Ferriby United	42	14	16	12	71	60	+11	58
13	Chorley	42	16	9	17	59	57	+2	57
14	Matlock Town	42	15	9	18	49	48	+1	54
15	Trafford	42	14	9	19	64	80	−16	51
16	Workington	42	12	12	18	51	57	−6	48
17	Farsley Celtic	42	12	11	19	54	81	−27	47
18	Belper Town	42	12	11	19	49	66	−17	47
19	Lincoln United	42	11	14	17	62	80	−18	47
20	Stocksbridge Park Steels	42	12	9	21	55	76	−21	45
21	Kendal Town	42	9	9	24	52	76	−24	36
22	Ossett Albion (R)	42	8	8	26	34	99	−65	32	Relegation to the NCEFL Premier Division

Updated to games played on 8 February 2011
Source: [2].
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
^*Gretna were deducted 1 point
(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.

Playoffs

	Semifinals					Final
	1	Bamber Bridge
	2	Ossett Town
						1	Bamber Bridge
						3	Ashton United
	3	Ashton United
	4	Spennymoor United

Promotion and relegation

In the thirty-fourth season of the Northern Premier League Burton Albion (as champions) were automatically promoted to the Football Conference. Bishop Auckland and Bamber Bridge were relegated to the First Division; these two clubs were replaced by relegated Conference side Stalybridge Celtic, First Division winners Harrogate Town and play-off winners Ashton United. In the First Division Gretna left the League to join the Scottish Football League Third Division, while Ossett Albion left the League altogether; these teams were replaced by newly-admitted Alfreton Town and Kidsgrove Athletic.

Cup Results

Challenge Cup: Teams from both leagues.

• Accrington Stanley bt. Bradford Park Avenue

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

• Barrow bt. Gainsborough Trinity

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

• Worksop Town bt. Droylsden

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

• Accrington Stanley bt. Burton Albion

External links

• Northern Premier League Tables at RSSSF