1971–72 Northern Premier League
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The 1971–72 Northern Premier League season was the fourth in the history of the Northern Premier League, a football competition in England.
Final table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GAv 1 | Pts 2 | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stafford Rangers | 46 | 30 | 11 | 5 | 91 | 32 | 2.84 | 71 | |
| 2 | Boston United | 46 | 28 | 13 | 5 | 87 | 37 | 2.35 | 69 | |
| 3 | Wigan Athletic | 46 | 27 | 10 | 9 | 70 | 43 | 1.63 | 64 | |
| 4 | Scarborough | 46 | 21 | 15 | 10 | 75 | 46 | 1.63 | 57 | |
| 5 | Northwich Victoria | 46 | 20 | 14 | 12 | 65 | 59 | 1.10 | 54 | |
| 6 | Macclesfield Town | 46 | 18 | 15 | 13 | 61 | 50 | 1.22 | 51 | |
| 7 | Gainsborough Trinity | 46 | 21 | 9 | 16 | 93 | 79 | 1.18 | 51 | |
| 8 | South Shields | 46 | 18 | 14 | 14 | 75 | 57 | 1.32 | 50 | |
| 9 | Bangor City | 46 | 20 | 8 | 18 | 93 | 74 | 1.26 | 48 | |
| 10 | Altrincham | 46 | 18 | 11 | 17 | 72 | 58 | 1.24 | 47 | |
| 11 | Skelmersdale United | 46 | 19 | 9 | 18 | 61 | 58 | 1.05 | 47 | |
| 12 | Matlock Town | 46 | 20 | 7 | 19 | 67 | 75 | 0.89 | 47 | |
| 13 | Chorley | 46 | 17 | 12 | 17 | 66 | 59 | 1.12 | 46 | Relegated to the Cheshire County League |
| 14 | Lancaster City | 46 | 15 | 14 | 17 | 85 | 84 | 1.01 | 44 | |
| 15 | Great Harwood | 46 | 15 | 14 | 17 | 60 | 74 | 0.81 | 44 | |
| 16 | Ellesmere Port Town | 46 | 17 | 9 | 20 | 67 | 71 | 0.94 | 43 | |
| 17 | Morecambe | 46 | 15 | 10 | 21 | 51 | 64 | 0.80 | 40 | |
| 18 | Bradford Park Avenue | 46 | 13 | 13 | 20 | 54 | 71 | 0.76 | 39 | |
| 19 | Netherfield | 46 | 16 | 5 | 25 | 51 | 73 | 0.70 | 37 | |
| 20 | Fleetwood | 46 | 11 | 15 | 20 | 43 | 67 | 0.64 | 37 | |
| 21 | South Liverpool | 46 | 12 | 12 | 22 | 61 | 73 | 0.84 | 36 | |
| 22 | Runcorn | 46 | 8 | 14 | 24 | 48 | 80 | 0.60 | 30 | |
| 23 | Goole Town | 46 | 9 | 10 | 27 | 51 | 97 | 0.53 | 28 | |
| 24 | Kirkby Town | 46 | 6 | 12 | 28 | 38 | 104 | 0.37 | 24 | Relegated to the Lancashire Combination |
1 The system of using goal average to separate two teams tied on points was used up until the 1976–77 season. 2 The points system up until the 1982–83 season: 2 points for a win, 1 point for a draw and 0 points for losing.
Results
| Home ╲ Away | ALT | BAN | BOS | BPA | CHO | EPT | FLE | GAI | GOO | GHT | KEN | Knowsley United | LNC | MAC | MAT | MOR | NOR | RUN | SCA | SKU | CHO | SSH | STA | WIG |
| Altrincham | 2–0 | 1–3 | 2–1 | 4–1 | 4–2 | 2–0 | 0–1 | 1–3 | 4–5 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 5–2 | 1–1 | 3–0 | 3–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 4–0 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 4–1 | 0–0 | 1–3 | |
| Bangor City | 1–0 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 0–1 | 5–0 | 5–1 | 0–2 | 4–1 | 1–1 | 4–1 | 4–0 | 3–3 | 6–2 | 2–0 | 3–2 | 0–0 | 4–2 | 2–3 | 2–2 | 3–2 | 2–3 | 1–5 | 1–0 | |
| Boston United | 2–1 | 4–3 | 5–1 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 3–0 | 3–0 | 1–0 | 4–0 | 4–1 | 1–1 | 5–3 | 0–0 | 5–0 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 4–0 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 1–0 | |
| Bradford Park Avenue | 2–1 | 0–2 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 4–2 | 5–2 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 3–3 | 1–0 | 2–4 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 0–1 | 1–2 | 0–0 | |
| Chorley | 1–1 | 3–1 | 0–1 | 4–1 | 2–3 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 1–2 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 3–2 | 2–2 | 8–0 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 3–1 | 0–1 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 2–0 | |
| Ellesmere Port Town | 1–0 | 2–1 | 0–1 | 3–3 | 1–2 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 5–2 | 1–1 | 3–0 | 4–1 | 3–2 | 2–2 | 5–1 | 2–1 | 0–2 | 4–1 | 1–8 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 3–1 | 0–2 | 0–1 | |
| Fleetwood Town | 1–0 | 0–0 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 0–4 | 2–0 | 0–3 | 2–0 | 1–3 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 1–3 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | |
| Gainsborough Trinity | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 1–2 | 4–1 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 2–2 | 3–2 | 2–0 | 6–0 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 3–1 | 2–1 | 4–2 | 3–2 | 4–2 | 3–0 | 2–3 | 0–3 | 0–1 | |
| Goole Town | 2–1 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 2–4 | 2–0 | 3–0 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 0–3 | 0–1 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 0–4 | 0–2 | 3–4 | 0–3 | |
| Great Harwood Town | 2–1 | 4–2 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2–4 | 2–0 | 3–2 | 1–5 | 3–3 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 0–1 | 1–3 | |
| Kendal Town | 2–0 | 1–3 | 0–6 | 1–0 | 3–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 4–2 | 3–1 | 3–0 | 5–1 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 4–3 | 1–0 | 3–0 | 1–2 | 0–1 | 0–3 | |
| Knowsley United | 2–3 | 1–3 | 1–5 | 2–1 | 1–3 | 1–0 | 1–2 | 3–2 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 0–5 | 1–2 | 0–1 | 2–3 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–0 | 0–3 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 1–3 | |
| Lancaster City | 2–0 | 3–0 | 1–3 | 3–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 4–1 | 5–5 | 4–0 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 5–0 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 3–2 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 2–2 | 2–5 | |
| Macclesfield Town | 0–3 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 3–1 | 4–0 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 3–1 | 3–0 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 3–2 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 3–1 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 1–0 | |
| Matlock Town | 2–3 | 3–2 | 1–2 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 3–1 | 1–0 | 4–2 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 5–1 | 1–0 | 3–1 | 0–1 | 2–2 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 3–0 | 1–2 | 2–0 | 0–3 | 1–3 | |
| Morecambe | 2–3 | 1–0 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 3–0 | 2–0 | 1–4 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 1–0 | 3–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 1–2 | 0–2 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 0–3 | 4–2 | 0–2 | 1–0 | 2–3 | |
| Northwich Victoria | 3–2 | 0–5 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 4–0 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 3–2 | 2–3 | 3–1 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 2–2 | |
| Runcorn | 4–4 | 0–2 | 0–1 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 1–2 | 1–0 | 3–0 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 0–1 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 2–0 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 3–3 | 1–2 | |
| Scarborough | 1–1 | 3–2 | 2–0 | 4–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 3–0 | 1–1 | 3–0 | 3–0 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 1–3 | 0–1 | 3–1 | 5–0 | 1–1 | 4–2 | 1–0 | 1–2 | 2–2 | |
| Skelmersdale United | 1–0 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 0–2 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–3 | 3–0 | 2–4 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 4–0 | 0–1 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 0–1 | 4–1 | |
| South Liverpool | 1–0 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 3–1 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 4–1 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 3–0 | 0–1 | 2–3 | 1–4 | 2–0 | 1–3 | |
| South Shields | 0–1 | 4–2 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 4–2 | 0–3 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 4–0 | 7–1 | 3–1 | 0–1 | 4–0 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 5–0 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 0–1 | |
| Stafford Rangers | 1–1 | 3–1 | 4–0 | 3–2 | 4–1 | 1–0 | 5–0 | 3–0 | 2–0 | 3–0 | 0–1 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 3–0 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 3–0 | 4–2 | 3–0 | |
| Wigan Athletic | 0–0 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 4–3 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 4–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2–3 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 0–1 | 2–2 | 1–0 |
Updated to games played on 5 May 1972.
Source: Northern Premier Division results grid
1 ^ The home team is listed in the left-hand column.
Colours: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
Promotion and relegation
In the fourth season of the Northern Premier League none of the teams were put forward for election to the Football League nor automatically promoted. Conversely, none of the sides were relegated, but Chorley and Kirkby Town left the League at the end of the season. They were replaced by newly admitted Mossley and Barrow, who had just left Football League Division Four.
Cup Results
- Wigan Athletic 4–2 agg. Gainsborough Trinity
Northern Premier League Shield: Between Champions of NPL Premier Division and Winners of the NPL Cup.
- Wigan Athletic bt. Stafford Rangers
