National League North
| Country |
 England |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2004 |
| Number of teams | 22 |
| Level on pyramid |
6 Step 2 (National League System) |
| Promotion to | National League |
| Relegation to |
Northern Premier League Premier Division Southern League Premier Division |
| Domestic cup(s) |
FA Cup FA Trophy |
| Current champions |
Solihull Moors (2015–16) |
| Website | National League |
 2016–17 season | |
The National League North, formerly Conference North, is a division of the National League in England, taking its place immediately below the top division National League. Along with the National League South, it is at Step 2 of the National League System and the sixth overall tier of the English football league system. It consists of teams located in Northern England, Norfolk, the English Midlands and North Wales. From the start of the 2015–16 season, the league has been known as the National League North.[1] As part of a sponsorship deal with Vanarama, the National League North is now known as the Vanarama National League North.[1]
History
The Conference North was introduced in 2004 as part of a major restructuring of English non-League football.[2] The champions are automatically promoted to the National League. A second promotion place goes to the winners of play-offs involving the teams finishing in second to fifth place. The three bottom clubs are relegated to Step 3 leagues. Teams from this division, as well as from the National League South, enter the FA Cup at the Second Qualifying Round.
For sponsorship reasons, the division was known as the Nationwide North from its formation in 2004 until 2007, when it was renamed the Blue Square North. In 2010 it was renamed the Blue Square Bet North. When Blue Square sponsorship ended in 2013, it was renamed the Skrill North until the 2014–15 season, when it was renamed the Vanarama North. A further name change followed in 2015, when the division was renamed the Vanarama National League North.
Current member clubs 2016–17
The current member clubs for the 2016–17 season are as follows:
| Club |
Finishing position 2015–16 |
|---|---|
| Alfreton Town | 10th |
| Altrincham | 22nd (relegated from National League) |
| Boston United | 5th |
| Brackley Town | 19th |
| Bradford Park Avenue | 14th |
| Chorley | 8th |
| Curzon Ashton | 11th |
| Darlington 1883 | 1st (via Northern Premier League as Champions) |
| Fylde | 3rd |
| Halifax Town | 21st (relegated from National League) |
| F.C. United of Manchester | 13th |
| Gainsborough Trinity | 16th |
| Gloucester City | 15th |
| Harrogate Town | 4th |
| Kidderminster Harriers | 23rd (relegated from National League) |
| Nuneaton Town | 6th |
| Salford City | 3rd (via Northern Premier League as Playoff winners) |
| Stalybridge Celtic | 12th |
| Stockport County | 9th |
| Tamworth | 7th |
| Telford United | 18th |
| Worcester City | 17th |
League champions
All the winners of the league title and winners of the play-off final since the league's formation in 2004 are as follows:
Current league stadia
The stadiums of all teams in the league for the 2016–17 season are listed below in capacity order:
| Team | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| A.F.C. Fylde | Mill Farm | 6,000 |
| Alfreton Town | North Street | 3,600 |
| A.F.C. Telford United | New Bucks Head | 6,300 |
| Altrincham | Moss Lane | 6,085 |
| Boston United | York Street | 6,643 |
| Brackley Town | St. James Park | 3,500 |
| Bradford Park Avenue | Horsfall Stadium | 3,500 |
| Chorley | Victory Park | 4,100 |
| Curzon Ashton | Tameside Stadium | 4,000 |
| Darlington 1883 | Blackwell Meadows | 3,000 |
| F.C. Halifax Town | The Shay | 14,061 |
| F.C. United of Manchester | Broadhurst Park | 4,400 |
| Gainsborough Trinity | The Northolme | 4,304 |
| Gloucester City | Whaddon Road (groundshare with Cheltenham Town) | 7,066 |
| Harrogate Town | Wetherby Road | 3,800 |
| Kidderminster Harriers | Aggborough | 6,238 |
| Nuneaton Town | Liberty Way | 4,314 |
| Salford City | Moor Lane | 1,400 |
| Stalybridge Celtic | Bower Fold | 6,500 |
| Stockport County | Edgeley Park | 10,852 |
| Tamworth | The Lamb Ground | 4,000 |
| Worcester City | Victoria Ground (groundshare with Bromsgrove Sporting) | 4,895 |
League records
| Record home win | Fleetwood Town 8–0 Redditch United, 14 November 2009,[3] and Altrincham 8–0 Hinckley United, 17 November 2012[4] |
| Record away win | Redditch United 0–9 Boston United, 21 August 2010[5] |
| Highest-scoring game | AFC Fylde 9–2 Boston United, 19 October 2016 |
| Highest League Attendance | 4,797 – Stockport County Vs. F.C. United of Manchester, 5 December 2015 |
| Most points in a season | Chester – 107 points, Season 2012–13 |
| Most wins in a season | Chester – 34, Season 2012–13 |
| Fewest defeats in a season | Chester – 3, Season 2012–13 |
| Most goals scored in a season | Chester – 103, Season 2012–13 |
| Best goal difference | Chester – +71, Season 2012–13 |
| Most league titles | 2 – Southport |
| Most consecutive wins | 15 games (21 Feb 2006 to 22 April 2006) – Northwich Victoria |
| Most consecutive clean sheets | 10 games (30 Aug 2010 to 9 November 2010) – Boston United |
| Longest unbeaten run | 30 games (15 Sep 2012 to 6 April 2013) – Chester |
See also
References
- 1 2 "BBC Sport – Football Conference to be renamed as National League". BBC Sport. Retrieved 11 May 2015.
- ↑ "Football Conference – History". Football Conference. Retrieved 26 October 2012.
- ↑ "Fleetwood Town 8–0 Redditch Utd". BBC Sport. 14 November 2009. Retrieved 26 October 2012.
- ↑ "ALTRINCHAM VS. HINCKLEY UNITED 8 – 0". Soccerway. 17 November 2012. Retrieved 22 June 2013.
- ↑ "Redditch United 0–9 Boston United". BBC Sport. 21 August 2010. Retrieved 26 October 2012.
External links
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