EVO-STIK – the NORTHERN PREMIER LEAGUE
Brief accounts of aspects of the history
of a number of the clubs from the NPL’s
3 sections appear below. Those clubs included appear in alphabetical
order. If anyone can help extend coverage
by supplying short pieces of information
on clubs not currently included, please contact
the site. Also, if you think a longer
piece on YOUR club is needed, you can help
that happen by getting in touch. Thanks
to Stocksbridge Park Steels for being the first to supply a longer piece.
ASHTON UNITED
Under the name ‘Hurst’, the club played in the Lancashire Combination 1912-1915. After a bit of a gap, they joined
the Cheshire County League in 1923 and continued through to the Second World
War. In 1946 the present name was adopted
and United joined the Lancashire Combination in 1948. The next move was an odd one with
Ashton United, complete with centre half
Dave Ewing, joining the Midland League in 1964. This did not last long, however, and
a return to the more familiar surroundings
of the Lancashire Combination followed in 1966, after which the club transferred to the
Cheshire County League in 1968. The next change came when the Cheshire
and Lancashire sections joined together as
the North West Counties League in 1982. Success in this compettion saw United
promoted to the Northern Premier League in 1992 and , apart from a brief period in Conference North 2004-2005, this is where the club are now.
BRADFORD PARK AVENUE
Avenue joined the Southern League in 1907
and were elected to the Football League Division
2 in 1908, moving up to Division 1 in 1914. After many years of reasonable success,
the club experience a sad decline which culminated
in their losing Football League status.
In 1970 Bradford joined the Northern Premier League, but folded in 1974.
Prior to 1970, Avenue’s reserve side had featured prominently at times in non-league
football, being members of the North Eastern League 1907-1909; the Midland League 1909-1910, 1914-1915, 1929-1939
and 1945-1958; the Yorkshire Combination 1910-1914; and
the Yorkshire League 1920-1924, 1928-1929 and
1970-1973.
A new Bradford Park Avenue was founded in
1977 and this club joined the North West Counties League in 1990, winning the Division title 5 years later. Avenue moved to the Northern Premier League in 1995, moved up to Conference North in 2004, then rejoined the NPL in 2005, missing out on a return to Conference North
by losing the 2010 play-off final.
BURSCOUGH
The club joined the Lancashire Combination in 1953, going on to become champions twice before
moving to the Cheshire County League in 1970. Burscough were founder members of
the North West Counties League in 1982, moving on to join the Northern Premier League in 1998. Success in the F.A. Trophy in 2003
was followed by elevation to Conference North in 2007, but the club returned to the Northern Premier League in 2009.
BURSCOUGH RANGERS
Another Burscough side, ‘Rangers’,
were members of the Lancashire Combination 1927-1933.
BUXTON
Buxton’s league experience began in
the relatively short-lived Combination 1n
1891. The club joined the Cheshire County League in 1932 and, apart from the War years, played in
that competition until 1973 emerging that year as champions. In
1973 they moved to the Northern Premier League. In 1998 Buxton joined the Northern Counties
(East) League, but returned to the Northern Premier League in 2006.
CHESTER
Chester’s first few years in league
competition (1890-1899, 1901-1910) were spent
in The Combination. In 1910 the club entered the Lancashire Combination, remaining there until March 1915.
Founder members of the Cheshire County League in 1919, Chester were twice champions of this league
prior to being elected to the Football League
in 1931. The club became Chester City
in 1983 and re-joined non-league football
when relegated to the Conference in 2000. Promoted back to the Football League
in 2004, Chester City returned to the Conference in 2009.
Last season the club folded and another team,
using the name ‘Chester’ was
created. After initially being placed in the
North West Counties, the new club won an
appeal and was placed in the Northern Premier
league 1st Division.
CHORLEY
Chorley played in the Lancashire League from
1894, moving to the Lancashire Combination in 1903. Champions of this league 10 times,
the club became founder members of the Northern Premier League in 1968 for one
season, rejoining in 1970 and 1982, with the period 1972-82 spent in the Cheshire County League. Chorley were in the Conference 1988-1990, returning to the NPL in 1990. The club’s reserve side were successful in the Lancashire Combination Division 2, which they joined in 1949, left in1968 and rejoined 1978 before
again departing in 1981.
DURHAM CITY
City joined the North Eastern League in 1919 and were elected to the Football League
in 1921. After losing their place in Division
3 (North), the club returned to the North Eastern League in 1928. A change of name to ‘City of Durham’ in 1933 opened a period of amazing records of conceding
goals. the club folded in 1938.
A new Durham City emerged and joined the Northern League in 1952, eventually taking the title in 1994. A further championship success in
2008 and an excellent sponsorship agreement
with the company which had provided the club
with an artificial pitch persuaded the club
to try its luck elsewhere. City joined
the Northern Premier League in 2008, winning the 1st Division North at the first attempt and
being promoted to the Premier Division.
The Conference announced at the start of
the 2009-2010 campaign that Durham City’s
artificial pitch was not acceptable at ‘that
level’. The sponsors pulled out, the players
left and City remained rooted to the foot
of the table, bravely seeking to fulfil their
fixtures after suffering the sort of body
blow all clubs dread happening to them one
day. Relegated to Division 1 of the
NPL, City can make a new start.
FRICKLEY ATHLETIC
Frickley joined the Yorkshire League in 1922, then moved to the Midland League in 1924. The club were members of this competition,
apart from the 1933-1934 season, until 1960 when the league disbanded. Frickley
moved to the Cheshire County League at this point, returning to the new version
of the Midland League in 1970.
The club changed its name to Frickley Athletic
when joining the Northern Premier League in 1976. Success continued and a step up to
the Alliance Premier League (Conference) was made in 1980. In 1987, however, Frickley returned to the Northern Premier League.
GOOLE AFC
After the collapse of Goole Town, AFC was
set up and joined the Central Midlands League
in 1997. The Northern Counties (East) League was joined
in 1999, with a further step up, to the Northern Premier League in 2005.
GRANTHAM
The first major Grantham club appears to
have been Grantham Rovers, who played in the Midland League 1891-1897. Next up were Grantham Avenue, another Midland League member 1905-1908. After this there was Grantham FC, who joined the Midland League in 1925, missed the 1933-1934 season, then re-joined
in 1934. The club then remained in the competition until 1959, joining the new version of the Midland League in 1961 and winning the title three times by 1972, when a switch was made to the Southern
League. In 1979, with the setting up of the Alliance Premier
League, Grantham were one of a number of
Southern League sides which switched to the
Northern Premier League. The club returned to the Southern
League in 1985, changed its name to Grantham Town in 1987
and eventually found itself back in the Northern Premier League in 2006.
HALIFAX TOWN
Halifax Town joined the Midland League in 1912, but were on their way to the Football League
in 1921 in the new 3rd Division (North). Junior sides at the club made various
appearances in the Yorkshire and Midland
Leagues after this. It was not until
many years later that first-team non-league
action returned to The Shay, with relegation
to the Conference in 1993. Back in the Football League five
years later Town were relegated again to
the Conference in 2002. Financial problems mounted up after
this, which lead to the creation of FC Halifax Town in 2008 and a place in the
Northern Premier League.
HARROGATE RAILWAY ATHLETIC
RA joined the Yorkshire League in 1955. The club pulled out in 1973 but was re-admitted in 1980 and became a founder member of the Northern Counties (East) League in 1982. Mixed fortunes followed but the club
moved up to the Northern Premier League in 2006.
KENDAL TOWN
Under the name ‘Netherfield’ the club joined the Lancashire Combination in 1945, winning the title in 1949 and 1965. Netherfield were founder members of
the Northern Premier League in 1968, but times were hard in the next few years
and they joined the North West Counties League in 1983. The NPL was re-joined in 1987 and the next change was one of name, to
‘Netherfield Kendal’ in 1998.
Two years later, the name was changed again
and the club became ‘Kendal Town’. Things have improved since then and
the club is one of the front-runners in the
Premier Division.
LANCASTER CITY
Lancaster were early members of the Lancashire Combination and were members of this competition under
the name Lancaster Town 1911-1937, during which time the title was
won 4 times. In 1937 the club became Lancaster City and it was as this that they joined the
Northern Premier League in 1971. City were founder members of the
North West Counties League in 1982 before re-joining the NPL in 1987. The Conference North was joined in 2004, but financial problems forced a return
to the NPL in 2007.
LEEK TOWN
Leek FC were early members of the Midland League 1889-1890, but disappeared from view after that. The modern senior club in the Staffordshire
town, Leek Town played in the Mid-Cheshire and Birmingham
& District Leagues in the early 1950s
before joining the Cheshire County League in 1973 and becoming founder members of the
North West Counties League in 1982. The club was an upwardly mobile one
in these years and joined the Northern Premier League in 1987. Returning to the NPL after spending the 1994-1995 campaign in the Southern League, Leek won
promotion to the Conference in 1998. It was a case of back to the NPL in 2000, however, and the club is currently in Division
1 South.
LEIGH GENESIS
Under the name Horwich RMI the club joined
the wartime Lancashire Combination in 1917, re-joining the competition in 1946 having opted out of the first post-war season. Horwich won the title in 1958 and
were runners-up in both 1956 and 1967.
The decision was taken to switch to the Cheshire County League in 1968 when the setting up of the Northern Premier
League created vacancies. RMI were
founder members of the North West Counties League in 1982, but joined the Northern Premier League in 1983, changing their name to Leigh RMI 12 years
later. As champions of the NPL, RMI
moved up to the Conference in 2000, punching above their weight initially before
slipping down to Conference North in 2005. Another name change has been the club
become Leigh Genesis, who are now playing in the NPL Division 1 North. The club’s
reserve side played in the Lancashire Combination Division 2 1957-1968.
MARINE
Marine joined the Lancashire Combination in 1935, re-joining in 1946 after World War Two. The club switched to the Cheshire County League in 1969 and won the title 3 times in the 1970s.
Marine moved to the Northern Premier League in 1979 and, despite coming close to further promotion
twice in recent years, have remained there
since.
MATLOCK TOWN
Matlock FC played two seasons in the Midland League 1894-1896, leaving after a remarkably bad campaign
in 1896. Re-formed as Matlock Town in 1946,
the club became members of the new Midland League in 1961, winning the title at the first attempt.
After a second title seven years later, Town
joined the Northern Premier League in 1969 and won the F.A. Trophy, despite being outplayed
for three-quarters of the game, in 1975.
The Derbyshire club still play in the NPL.
MOSSLEY
Founder members of the Cheshire County League in 1919, Mossley joined the Northern Premier League in 1972 before embarking on the best spell in the
club’s history. Champions of the NPL in 1979 and 1980,
Mossley were runners-up in each of the next
3 seasons. A Wembley appearance in
the F.A. Trophy in 1980 added to the club’s
excellent reputation at this time.
Those days seemed a long way off by 1995 when Mossley joined the North West Counties
League. The club returned to the NPL in 2004 and had a season in the Premier Division
2006-2007.
NORTHWICH VICTORIA
Founder members of The Combination in 1890
and Football League Division 2 in 1892, Northwich
Victoria had a high-class start to league
competition. Back in non-league circles and The
Combination in 1894, the Vics joined the
Lancashire Combination in 1912 and became founder members of the Cheshire County League in 1919, winning the title in 1957. As one
of the North’s better non-league clubs,
Northwich were founder members of the Northern Premier League in 1968 and the Alliance Premier League (Conference) in 1979. The club won the F.A. Trophy in 1984
and were finalists for a third time in 1996,
by which time things were starting to decline
a little, mainly due to high costs involved
in staying at the forefront of the non-league
game. Vics went down to Conference North in 2005, bounced straight back to the National division in 2006, but were relegated to Conference North in 2009.
OSSETT ALBION
Albion joined the Yorkshire League in 1957 and remained members until 1982 when the competition closed with the foundation
of the Northern Counties (East) League. The club joined the Northern Premier League in 2001, returned to the NCEL in 2002 and have since moved back to the NPL in 2004.
OSSETT TOWN
Albion joined the Yorkshire League in 1945 and remained members until 1982 when the competition closed with the foundation
of the Northern Counties (East) League. The club joined the Northern Premier League in 1999.
PRESCOT CABLES
The club had one season in the Lancashire Combination 1897-1898, returning for a longer spell in 1927 when taking over the fixtures of Fleetwood. Cables moved to the Cheshire County League in 1933, but re-joined the Lancashire Combination in 1938. A change of name to ‘Prescot
Town’ was made c.1960 and the club
dropped out of the mainstream in 1975 to join the Mid-Cheshire League. Prescot
reappeared in the Cheshire League in 1978 and moved into the new North West Counties League in 1982, having become Prescot Cables again a couple
of years earlier. The club changed
its name again in 1990, before deciding to
revert to being ‘cables’ once
again in 1995. Prescot Cables joined
the Northern Premier League in 2003.
RADCLIFFE BOROUGH
Radcliffe Borough joined the Lancashire Combination in 1963, switched to the Cheshire County League in 1971, were founder members of the North West Counties League in 1982 and stepped up to the Northern Premier League in 1987.
RETFORD UNITED
Retford United were champions of the Notts
Alliance Division 1 in 2001 and moved to
the Central Midlands League, which was won
in 2004. United’s next move was to the
Northern Counties (East) League in 2004, with a further step up the non-league ladder
following when the club joined the Northern Premier League in 2007.
Followers of non-league football had been
familiar with the name ‘Retford’
for many years because of Retford Town, who had been members of the Yorkshire League from 1949 and of the Midland League 1961-1980. After some years in the non-league
wilderness, Town reappeared as members of
the Northern Counties (East) League 1983-1985, only to disappear once again, possibly
folding and re-forming. Town’s reserve side played in the Yorkshire League 1964-1969 and had a season in the Midland League 1975-1976.
SHEFFIELD
If you discount the counter-claims from other
parts of the city, Sheffield FC are the oldest
football club in the world – though
who they had to play against remains a mystery. In 1889 the club joined the Midland League, but left after one season to join the Midland Alliance, before entering
the Sheffield League in 1893 and a competition
called the ‘Yorkshire League’,
which had no connection with the one covered
on this website, in 1898. Sheffield
joined the (real) Yorkshire League in 1949 and continued there until joining the Northern Counties (East) League in 1982. In 2007 the club moved on to the Northern Premier League.
SKELMERSDALE UNITED
United were founder members of the Lancashire
Combination in 1891, but left in 1893. Skelmersdale were also members of
the Lancashire Combination 1903-1907, 1921-1924
and 1955-1968. In 1968 the club switched
to the Cheshire County League, winning this
twice in succession, before lifting the F.A.
Amateur Cup in 1971 when the Northern Premier
League was joined. In 1976, Skem left
the NPL and moved back to the Lancashire
Combination before switching again to the
Cheshire League in 1978. When the North
West Counties League was founded in 1982,
Skelmersdale became founder members and were
in that competition until they rejoined the
Northern Premier League in 2006.
For more about Skem check out www.kevpanther.350.com/Home.htm where Skelmersdale United supporter Kev
Panther is building a website about the club.
STOCKSBRIDGE PARK STEELS
Stocksbridge Works Social joined the Yorkshire League in 1949 as members of the new 2nd Division. In 1951 the 2nd Division title was won followed by the first
of 7 Yorkshire League titles a year later.
After the last of these, in 1963, the club
experienced some up-and-down years, with
an emphasis unfortunately on the down side,
so that when the Yorkshire League hooked
up with the Midland League, Stocksbridge
Works were in the old competition’s
lowest section – Division 3.
In the early years of the Northern Counties (East) League, 1982-1986, Stocky did no better and were in serious
danger of folding. Chairman Allen Bethel
and a handful of others had different ideas,
however, and a merger with Upper Don Valley
neighbours Oxley Park secured the club’s
future under the name ‘Stocksbridge
Park Steels’. With this change
and a change in the size and set-up of the
NCEL, the club’s fortunes took a massive
turn for the better. League champions
in 1994, Steels were denied entry to the
Northern Premier League because of ground
grading regulations, in spite of the fact
that their Bracken Moor home was good enough
for the World Student Games. Justice
was done when the club joined the Northern Premier League in 1997, reaching the Premier Division of that competition
in 2009.
WHITBY TOWN
The North Yorkshire resort of Whitby has
had many football teams, the first to reach
prominence being simply ‘Whitby’, which played in the Northern League 1899-1901. The next to appear was ‘Whitby United’ who replaced Scarborough in the Northern League in 1926, remaining in the competition until the
outbreak of World War 2 in 1939. United
were non-playing members of the league 1945-1946,
changing their name to ‘Whitby Town’ in October 1945 and resuming in the Northern League at the start
of the 1946-1947 season. Whitby Town won the Northern
League in 1993 and in 1997, with the F.A.
Vase also being taken. In 1997 the Northern Premier League was joined, with a place in the Premier
Division being won a year later.
WITTON ALBION
Based in Northwich, Albion started in The
Combination in 1901, joining the Lancashire Combination Division 2 in 1912 and earning promotion in 1914. After the 1st World War, Witton were founder members of
the Cheshire County League in 1920, winning the title 3 times after World War
2. In 1979 the Northern Premier League was joined. After becoming NPL champions,
Albion were promoted to the Conference in 1991, before returning to the Northern Premier League in 1994.
WORKSOP TOWN
Founder members of the Sheffield League in
1892, the Tigers joined the Midland League for the 1896-1897 season and rejoined in 1900. Apart from a season spent in the Yorkshire League 1935-1936, Town stayed in the Midland League until 1960. When the Midland League re-formed in 1961 Town signed up again, winning the title
for a second time in 1966. One season
was spent in the new Northern Premier League 1968-1969, before a swift return to the Midland League and another title won in 1973. Back
in the Northern Premier League in 1974, Worksop fared rather better than a few
years earlier and were founder members of
Conference North in 2004. In 2007 the Northern Premier League was rejoined, however.
