2021–22 Northern Football League
Season | 2021–22 |
---|---|
← 2020–21 |
The 2021–22 Northern Football League season is the 124th in the history of the Northern Football League, a football competition in England. The league operates two divisions in the English football league system, Division One at step 5, and Division Two at step 6.
The allocations for Steps 5 and 6 this season were announced by the Football Association on 18 May 2021,[1] and were subject to appeal.
After the abandonment of the 2019–20 and 2020–21 seasons due to the COVID-19 pandemic in England, numerous promotions were decided on a points per game basis over the previous two seasons.[2][3][4]
Division One[]
At the end of the 2020–21 season, three teams left the division, all promoted to the Northern Premier League Division One East:
- Hebburn Town
- Shildon
- Stockton Town
The remaining seventeen teams, together with the following three promoted from Division Two, formed Division One for 2021–22:
- Crook Town
- Redcar Athletic
- West Allotment Celtic
Division One table[]
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Consett | 26 | 18 | 4 | 4 | 66 | 30 | +36 | 58 | Promotion to the |
2 | Thornaby | 26 | 16 | 5 | 5 | 65 | 36 | +29 | 53 | Promotion to the NPL or qualification for inter-step play-offs[a] |
3 | North Shields | 24 | 15 | 6 | 3 | 57 | 19 | +38 | 51 | |
4 | Newton Aycliffe | 28 | 16 | 1 | 11 | 55 | 39 | +16 | 49 | |
5 | Ryhope Colliery Welfare | 26 | 14 | 6 | 6 | 51 | 29 | +22 | 48 | |
6 | Ashington | 27 | 14 | 5 | 8 | 66 | 48 | +18 | 47 | |
7 | West Auckland Town | 28 | 14 | 4 | 10 | 66 | 41 | +25 | 46 | |
8 | Sunderland RCA | 29 | 13 | 5 | 11 | 46 | 40 | +6 | 44 | |
9 | Whickham | 27 | 12 | 3 | 12 | 34 | 34 | 0 | 39 | |
10 | Seaham Red Star | 28 | 11 | 5 | 12 | 41 | 45 | −4 | 38 | |
11 | Newcastle Benfield | 26 | 11 | 4 | 11 | 52 | 55 | −3 | 37 | |
12 | West Allotment Celtic | 26 | 10 | 4 | 12 | 45 | 59 | −14 | 34 | |
13 | Crook Town | 27 | 10 | 4 | 13 | 38 | 54 | −16 | 34 | |
14 | Whitley Bay | 30 | 10 | 3 | 17 | 43 | 72 | −29 | 33 | |
15 | Guisborough Town | 26 | 9 | 5 | 12 | 34 | 37 | −3 | 32 | |
16 | Redcar Athletic | 27 | 10 | 2 | 15 | 42 | 62 | −20 | 32 | |
17 | Penrith | 26 | 7 | 3 | 16 | 32 | 60 | −28 | 24 | |
18 | Bishop Auckland | 26 | 6 | 5 | 15 | 30 | 55 | −25 | 23 | |
19 | Billingham Town | 27 | 5 | 7 | 15 | 28 | 54 | −26 | 22 | Possible relegation to Step 6[b] |
20 | Northallerton Town | 28 | 4 | 7 | 17 | 33 | 55 | −22 | 19 | Relegation to Step 6 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored; 4) number of matches won; 5) head-to-head results[7]
Notes:
- ^ The 10 runners-up from Step 5 with the most points per game (PPG) will be automatically promoted at the end of the 2021–22 season. The remaining six runners-up will contest inter-step play-off matches with the six third-from-bottom clubs with the fewest PPG from the eight divisions at Step 4. The winner of each match will rise to or stay in Step 4 for the 2022–23 season, while each loser will drop to or remain Step 5.[5]
- ^ Twelve clubs with the most PPG out of 16 that are second-from-bottom in Step 5 will be reprieved.[6]
Results by matchday[]
Results table[]
Stadia and locations[]
Club | Stadium |
---|---|
Ashington | Woodhorn Lane |
Billingham Town | Bedford Terreace |
Bishop Auckland | Heritage Park |
Consett | Belle View Stadium |
Crook Town | The Sir Tom Cowie Millfield Ground |
Guisborough Town | King George V Ground |
Newcastle Benfield | Sam Smith's Park |
Newton Aycliffe | Moore Lane Park |
Nothallerton | Calvert Stadium |
North Shields | Daren Persson Stadium |
Penrith | Frenchfield Stadium |
Redcar Athletic | Green Lane |
Ryhope Colliery Welfare | Ryhope Rec Ground |
Seaham Red Star | Seaham Town Park |
Sunderland Ryhope Comm Ass | Meadow Park |
Thornaby | Teesdale Park |
West Allotment Celtic | Druid Park |
West Auckland Town | Darlington Road |
Whickham | Glebe Sports Ground |
Whitley Bay | Hillheads Park |
Division Two[]
At the end of the 2020–21 season, three teams left the division, all promoted to Division One:
- Crook Town
- Redcar Athletic
- West Allotment Celtic
The remaining seventeen teams, together with the following four, formed Division Two for the 2021–22 season:
- Boldon Community Association – promoted from the Wearside League after appeal
- Blyth Town – promoted from the Northern Football Alliance
- Horden Community Welfare – promoted from the Wearside League
- Redcar Town – promoted from the North Riding League
Division Two table[]
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Heaton Stannington | 30 | 21 | 5 | 4 | 83 | 28 | +55 | 68 | Promotion to Step 5 |
2 | Ryton & Crawcrook Albion | 29 | 18 | 2 | 9 | 66 | 38 | +28 | 56 | Qualification for the play-offs |
3 | Sunderland West End | 31 | 18 | 2 | 11 | 69 | 52 | +17 | 56 | |
4 | Easington Colliery | 27 | 16 | 5 | 6 | 60 | 34 | +26 | 53 | |
5 | Boldon Community Association | 29 | 15 | 7 | 7 | 97 | 60 | +37 | 52 | |
6 | Newcastle University | 28 | 16 | 3 | 9 | 76 | 49 | +27 | 51 | |
7 | Billingham Synthonia | 28 | 15 | 5 | 8 | 65 | 38 | +27 | 50 | |
8 | Tow Law Town | 26 | 14 | 6 | 6 | 46 | 28 | +18 | 48 | |
9 | Horden Community Welfare | 30 | 14 | 6 | 10 | 66 | 52 | +14 | 48 | |
10 | Carlisle City | 25 | 14 | 3 | 8 | 72 | 36 | +36 | 45 | |
11 | Redcar Town | 29 | 13 | 6 | 10 | 56 | 45 | +11 | 45 | |
12 | Jarrow | 30 | 11 | 7 | 12 | 64 | 60 | +4 | 40 | |
13 | Birtley Town | 28 | 11 | 3 | 14 | 59 | 63 | −4 | 36 | |
14 | Chester-le-Street Town | 27 | 10 | 4 | 13 | 41 | 51 | −10 | 34 | |
15 | Willington | 25 | 9 | 3 | 13 | 53 | 45 | +8 | 30 | |
16 | Brandon United | 26 | 9 | 2 | 15 | 43 | 60 | −17 | 29 | |
17 | Bedlington Terriers | 30 | 7 | 6 | 17 | 45 | 73 | −28 | 27 | |
18 | Blyth Town | 26 | 8 | 1 | 17 | 34 | 58 | −24 | 25 | |
19 | Esh Winning | 28 | 7 | 1 | 20 | 36 | 85 | −49 | 22 | Possible relegation to level 11 |
20 | Washington | 28 | 7 | 1 | 20 | 41 | 94 | −53 | 22 | |
21 | Durham City | 26 | 0 | 2 | 24 | 15 | 138 | −123 | 2 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored; 4) number of matches won; 5) head-to-head results[7]
Stadia and locations[]
Club | Stadium |
---|---|
Bedlington Terriers | Welfare Park |
Billingham Synthonia | Norton Sports Complex |
Birtley Town | Birtley Sports Complex |
Blyth Town | South Newsham Playing Fields |
Boldon Comm Assn | Boldon Colliery Welfare |
Brandon United | Welfare Ground |
Carlisle City | Gillford Park |
Chester-le-Street Town | Moor Park |
Durham City | Hall Lane (Willington) |
Easington Colliery | Welfare Park |
Esh Winning | West Terrace |
Heaton Stannington | Grounsell Park |
Horden Comm Welfare | Welfare Park |
Jarrow | Perth Green |
Newcastle University | Kimberley Park |
Redcar Town | Mo Mowlam Memorial Park |
Ryton & Crawcrook Albion | Kingsley Park |
Sunderland West End | Nissan Sports Complex |
Tow Law Town | Ironworks Road |
Washington | New Ferens Park |
Willington | Hall Lane |
References[]
- ^ "FA ANNOUNCES PROMOTION FOR 2021/22 SEASON". Northern Football League. 18 May 2021.
- ^ "Coronavirus: All football below National League to end". BBC Sport. 26 March 2020. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
- ^ "FA provides update on NLS Steps 3-6". The Football Association. 24 February 2021. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
- ^ "EXPLAINED: The 2021-22 Non-League restructure". The Non-League Paper. 12 April 2021. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
- ^ Bayliss, Ollie [@Ollie_Bayliss] (2 November 2021). "One of the other significant changes is promotion from Step 5 to Step 4. At Step 5, the best 10 second-placed teams now go up automatically. The other second-placed teams at Step 5 will play a play-off against a club third-bottom in Step 4" (Tweet). Retrieved 4 December 2021 – via Twitter.
- ^ Bayliss, Ollie [@Ollie_Bayliss] (2 November 2021). "As a result of gaps in the non-league pyramid, the FA has clarified its position on promotions & relegations this season: ♦ Just 1 club per division will be relegated from the National League North & South ♦ Just 9 [recte 8] Step 3 clubs will be relegated (rather than 16 [recte 15])" (Tweet). Retrieved 4 December 2021 – via Twitter.
- ^ a b "The FA Handbook 2020/2021 Part 29 Standardised Rules Section 12.2". The FA. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
External links[]
- Northern Football League seasons
- 2021–22 in English football leagues