2009–10 Northern Premier League


The 2009–10 season was the 42nd season for the Northern Premier League Premier Division, and the third season for the Northern Premier League Division One North and South.
For Sponsorship reasons, the leagues were more formally known as the Unibond Premier, Unibond 1st Division North and Unibond 1st Division South
This was the last season that the three Northern Premier League divisions were sponsored by Henkel Unibond, ending a record 17 seasons relationship.
The final allocations of teams following the 2008–09 season was released on 29 May 2009. With the restructuring of the national league system complete, all three divisions of the Northern Premier League had their full complement of twenty-two teams until the withdrawal of Newcastle Blue Star.

Premier Division

The Premier Division featured seven new clubs:

Results

Play-offs

* After extra time

Stadia and locations

TeamStadiumCapacity
F.C. United of ManchesterGigg Lane 11,840
Newcastle Blue StarKingston Park10,200
Boston UnitedYork Street6,643
King's LynnThe Walks5,733
BuxtonThe Silverlands5,200
Bradford Park AvenueHorsfall Stadium5,000
Hucknall TownWatnall Road5,000
Ashton UnitedHurst Cross4,500
Nantwich TownThe Weaver Stadium3,500
Stocksbridge Park SteelsLook Local Stadium3,500
Whitby TownTurnbull Ground3,500
Worksop TownNew Manor Ground 3,500
BurscoughVictoria Park3,054
Durham CityThe Arnott Stadium3,000
GuiseleyNethermoor Park3,000
MarineThe Arriva Stadium2,800
North Ferriby UnitedGrange Lane2,700
Kendal TownLakeland Radio Stadium2,400
Matlock TownCauseway Lane2,214
Frickley AthleticWestfield Lane2,087
Ossett TownIngfield2,000
Retford UnitedCannon Park2,000

Division One North

The Division One North featured three new clubs:

Results

Play-offs

Division One South

The Division One South featured five new clubs:

Results

Play-offs

Resignations and their effects

On 20 June 2009, three days following the league's AGM which confirmed the 2009–10 allocation, Newcastle Blue Star resigned from the league. As division placements had been confirmed be then, no replacement team could be entered and the Premier Division was reduced to twenty one teams for the season.
On 9 December 2009, King's Lynn were officially wound up by the High Court in London over debts and an overdue tax bill, and they will play no further games in the season. The League released a table on 21 December with King's Lynn's playing record expunged from it, and leaving the Premier Division with twenty clubs and only two relegation spots. Then, in March 2010 Chester City F.C. and Farsley Celtic A.F.C. were removed from the Conference National and Conference North respectively.
Promotion from the First Divisions to the Premier Division took place as planned. Relegation from the First Divisions to the county level was reduced from the planned two per division to one. Relegation from the Premier Division was reduced from two to one on account of developments in the Conference. The final decision on relegations were made during the close season by the FA's National League System Committee which left this method completely redundant as Chester City, Farsley Celtic, King's Lynn, Grays Athletic, Merthyr Tydfil, VCD Athletic and Rothwell Town were all demoted to Level 8.

Cup results

Challenge Cup: Teams from all 3 divisions.
President's Cup: Teams from lower 2 divisions.
Chairman's Cup: Between Champions of NPL Division One North and NPL Division One South.
The Peter Swales Shield has changed format several times, and the 2010 version saw the champions of the 2009–10 NPL Premier Division, Guiseley, play against the winners of the 2010 NPL Chairman's Cup, North Ferriby United. It was decided before the match that no extra time would be played and would go straight to penalties after regulation. Guiseley won the game 5–3 on penalties after a 1–1 draw after 90 minutes.