National League North
| File:Blue Square Bet North logo.png | |
| Founded | 2004 |
|---|---|
| Country |  England Wales |
| Number of teams | 22 |
| Level on pyramid | 6 Step 2 (National League System) |
| Promotion to | Conference National |
| Relegation to | Northern Premier League Premier Division Southern League Premier Division |
| Domestic cup(s) | FA Cup FA Trophy Conference League Cup |
| Current champions | Chester (2012–13) |
| Website | Football Conference |
| Current: 2012–13 Football Conference | |
The Conference North also known as Blue Square Bet North for sponsorship reasons, is a division of the Football Conference in England, taking its place immediately below the Conference National. Along with the Conference 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, the English Midlands and North Wales.
It has been known as the Blue Square Bet North since the start of the 2007–08 season.
History
The Conference North was introduced in 2004 as part of a major restructuring of English non-League football.[1] The champions are automatically promoted to Conference National. A second promotion place goes to the winners of play-offs involving the teams finishing in second to fifth place. The winners of the play-offs are also promoted to Conference National. The three bottom clubs are relegated to Step 3 leagues.[1] Teams from this division, as well as from the Conference South, enter the FA Cup at the Second Qualifying Round. On the last day of the 2010–11 season, Eastwood Town set a new record of 19 games unbeaten in the league, passing Southport and Solihull Moors previous joint record of 18 games.[2]
Current member clubs 2012–13
The current member clubs for the 2012–13 season are as follows:
| Club |
Finishing position 2011–12 |
|---|---|
| Altrincham | 8th |
| Bishop's Stortford | 10th |
| Boston United | 3rd |
| Brackley Town | 1st in Southern Premier League |
| Bradford Park Avenue | 4th in Northern Premier League |
| Chester | 1st in Northern Premier League |
| Colwyn Bay | 12th |
| Corby Town | 17th |
| Droylsden | 9th |
| F.C. Halifax Town | 3rd |
| Gainsborough Trinity | 4th |
| Gloucester City | 14th |
| Guiseley | 2nd |
| Harrogate Town | 15th |
| Hinckley United | 20th (reprieved) |
| Histon | 16th |
| Oxford City | 2nd in Southern Premier League |
| Solihull Moors | 19th |
| Stalybridge Celtic | 6th |
| Vauxhall Motors | 18th |
| Worcester City | 7th |
| Workington | 13th |
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 2012–13 season are listed below in capacity order:
| Home Club | Stadium Name | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| F.C. Halifax Town | The Shay | 14,061 |
| Gloucester City | Whaddon Road | 7,066 |
| Boston United | York Street | 6,643 |
| Stalybridge Celtic | Bower Fold | 6,500 |
| Altrincham | Moss Lane | 6,085 |
| Chester | Exacta Stadium | 5,376 |
| Worcester City | St Georges Lane | 4,850 |
| Hinckley United | Greene King Stadium | 4,429 |
| Gainsborough Trinity | The Northolme | 4,304 |
| Histon | Bridge Road | 4,300 |
| Bishop's Stortford | Woodside Park | 4,000 |
| Corby Town | Steel Park | 3,893 |
| Harrogate Town | Wetherby Road | 3,800 |
| Brackley Town | St. James Park | 3,500 |
| Bradford Park Avenue | Horsfall Stadium | 3,500 |
| Vauxhall Motors | Rivacre Park | 3,300 |
| Workington | Borough Park | 3,101 |
| Solihull Moors | Damson Park | 3,050 |
| Guiseley | Nethermoor Park | 3,000 |
| Droylsden | Butchers Arms Ground | 3,000 |
| Colwyn Bay | Llanelian Road | 2,500 |
| Oxford City | Court Place Farm | 2,000 |
League records
| Record Home Win | Fleetwood Town 8–0 Redditch United, 14 November 2009[3] |
| Record Away Win | Redditch United 0–9 Boston United, 21 August 2010[4] |
| Highest Scoring Game | Stalybridge Celtic 3–7 Hyde, 1 January 2007 |
| Most Points in a Season | Chester - 103 points, Season 2012 - 2013 (4 games still to play) |
| Most Wins in a Season | Chester - 33, Season 2012 - 2013 (4 games still to play) |
| Most Goals Scored in a season | Chester - 100, Season 2012 - 2013 (4 games still to play) |
| Most League Titles | 2 – Southport |
| Longest Unbeaten Run | 30 games (29 Sep 2012 to 06 Apr 2013) – Chester |
See also
References
- ^ a b "Football Conference - History". Football Conference. Retrieved 26 October 2012.
- ^ "Record Run for Badgers". Football Conference. Retrieved 2 May 2011.
- ^ "Fleetwood Town 8-0 Redditch Utd". BBC Sport. 14 November 2009. Retrieved 26 October 2012.
- ^ "Redditch United 0-9 Boston United". BBC Sport. 21 August 2010. Retrieved 26 October 2012.
External links
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