The 2019–20 season was the 52nd season of the Northern Premier League. After one season, the two divisions of Division One were re-aligned from West and East to North West and South East.
The League announced on 8 July 2019 that the new sponsors for 2019–20 were BetVictor.
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, this season's competition was formally abandoned on 26 March 2020, with all results from the season being expunged, and no promotion or relegation taking place to, from, or within the competition. On 30 March 2020, sixty-six non-league clubs sent an open letter to the Football Association requesting that they reconsider their decision. A legal appeal against the decision, funded by South Shields, was dismissed in June 2020.
Premier Division
Team changes The following 5 clubs left the Premier Division before the season - Farsley Celtic – promoted to National League North Marine – relegated to NPL Division One North West North Ferriby United folded during the NPL Division One North West. A new North Ferriby was placed in Northern Counties East League Division One. Workington – relegated to NPL Division One North West Hednesford Town – transferred to Southern League Premier Division Central
Marine had been in the highest division of the league for 40 consecutive seasons before their relegation.
The following 5 clubs joined the Premier Division before the season - Ashton United – relegated from National League North Atherton Collieries – promoted from NPL Division One West F.C. United of Manchester – relegated from National League North Morpeth Town – promoted from NPL Division One East Radcliffe – promoted from NPL Division One West
Premier Division table at the time of abandonment
Top 10 goalscorers RankPlayerClubGoals1 Tunde Owolabi F.C. United of Manchester 28 2 Diego De Girolamo Buxton 233 James Walshaw Scarborough Athletic 16 Josh Wilson Ashton United 5 Jason Gilchrist South Shields 15 Darius Osei South Shields & Stalybridge Celtic 7 Alistair Waddecarr Bamber Bridge 14 8 David Norris Lancaster City 13 9 Liam Hardy Buxton 12 Gregg Smith Gainsborough Trinity & Grantham Town Craig Westcarr Grantham Town Updated to matches played on 14 March 2020
Results table
update=14 September 2019
Promotion play-offs
Semi-finals
Final
Stadia and locations
ClubLocationGroundCapacity Ashton United Ashton-under-Lyne Hurst Cross 4,500 Atherton Collieries Atherton Alder Street 2,500 Bamber Bridge Bamber Bridge Irongate 2,264 Basford United Nottingham Greenwich Avenue 2,200 Buxton Buxton The Silverlands 5,200 FC United of Manchester Manchester Broadhurst Park 4,400 Gainsborough Trinity Gainsborough The Northolme 4,304 Grantham Town Grantham South Kesteven Sports Stadium 7,500 Hyde United Hyde Ewen Fields 4,250 Lancaster City Lancaster Giant Axe 3,500 Matlock Town Matlock Causeway Lane 2,214 Mickleover Sports Derby Station Road 1,500 Morpeth Town Morpeth Craik Park 1,500 Nantwich Town Nantwich The Weaver Stadium 3,500 Radcliffe Radcliffe Stainton Park 3,500 Scarborough Athletic Scarborough Flamingo Land Stadium 2,833 South Shields South Shields Mariners Park 3,500 Stafford Rangers Stafford Marston Road 4,000 Stalybridge Celtic Stalybridge Bower Fold 6,500 Warrington Town Warrington Cantilever Park3,500 Whitby Town Whitby Turnbull Ground 3,500 Witton Albion Northwich Wincham Park 4,813
Division One North West
Team changes The following 10 clubs left Division One West before the season -
Atherton Collieries – promoted to NPL Premier Division Chasetown – transferred to NPL Division One South East Colwyn Bay resigned from the English Pyramid to join FAW Cymru North in the Welsh Pyramid Glossop North End – transferred to NPL Division One South East Kidsgrove Athletic – transferred to NPL Division One South East Leek Town – transferred to NPL Division One South East Market Drayton Town – transferred to NPL Division One South East Newcastle Town – transferred to NPL Division One South East Radcliffe – promoted to NPL Premier Division Skelmersdale United – relegated to North West Counties League Premier Division
The following 10 clubs joined Division One North West before the season -
Brighouse Town – transferred from NPL Division One East City of Liverpool – promoted from North West Counties League Premier Division Dunston – promoted from Northern League Division One Marine – relegated from NPL Premier Division Marske United – transferred from NPL Division One East Ossett United – transferred from NPL Division One East Pickering Town – transferred from NPL Division One East Pontefract Collieries – transferred from NPL Division One East Tadcaster Albion – transferred from NPL Division One East Workington – relegated from NPL Premier Division
Division One North-West table at the time of abandonment
Top 10 goalscorers RankPlayerClubGoals 1 Scott Allison Workington 22 2 Niall Cummins Marine 19 3 Nic Evangelinos Ramsbottom United 18 4 Tom Greaves Ossett United 16 5 Connor Gaul Clitheroe 15 Curtis Round Marske United 7 Jamie Rainford Widnes, Mossley & Runcorn Linnets 14 8 Lewis Salmon Trafford 12 9 Jacob Day Tadcaster Albion 11 Joe Lumsden Pontefract Collieries Updated to matches played on 14 March 2019
Results table
|update=14 September 2019
Promotion play-offs
Semi-finals
Final
Relegation play-off
Stadia and locations
Team Location Stadium Capacity Brighouse Town Brighouse St Giles Road 1,000 City of Liverpool Aintree New Bucks Park 3,750 Clitheroe Clitheroe Shawbridge 2,000 Colne Colne Holt House 1,800 Droylsden Droylsden Butcher's Arms Ground 3,000 Dunston Dunston Wellington Road 2,500 Kendal Town Kendal Parkside Road 2,400 Marine Crosby Marine Travel Arena 3,185 Marske United Marske-by-the-Sea Mount Pleasant 2,500 Mossley Mossley Seel Park 4,000 Ossett United Ossett Ingfield 1,950 Pickering Town Pickering Mill Lane 2,000 Pontefract Collieries Pontefract Harratt Nissan Stadium 1,200 Prescot Cables Prescot Valerie Park 3,200 Ramsbottom United Ramsbottom The Harry Williams Riverside 2,000 Runcorn Linnets Runcorn Millbank Linnets Stadium 1,600 Tadcaster Albion Tadcaster Ings Lane 2,000 Trafford Urmston Shawe View 2,500 Widnes Widnes Select Security Stadium 13,350 Workington Workington Borough Park 3,101
Division One South East
Team changes The following 9 clubs left Division One East before the season -
AFC Mansfield – demoted to Northern Counties East League Premier Division after their ground failed grading regulations Brighouse Town – transferred to NPL Division One North West Gresley – relegated to Midland League Premier Division Marske United – transferred to NPL Division One North West Morpeth Town – promoted to NPL Premier Division as Champions Ossett United – transferred to NPL Division One North West Pickering Town – transferred to NPL Division One North West Pontefract Collieries – transferred to NPL Division One North West Tadcaster Albion – transferred to NPL Division One North West
The following 9 clubs joined Division One South East before the season -
Chasetown – transferred from NPL Division One West Glossop North End – transferred from NPL Division One West Ilkeston Town – promoted from Midland League Premier Division Kidsgrove Athletic – transferred from NPL Division One West Leek Town – transferred from NPL Division One West Market Drayton Town – transferred from NPL Division One West Newcastle Town – transferred from NPL Division One West Sutton Coldfield Town – transferred from Southern League Division One Central Worksop Town – promoted from Northern Counties East League Premier Division
Division One South-East table at the time of abandonment
Top 10 goalscorers RankPlayerClubGoals 1 Tim Grice Leek Town 24 2 Scott Vernon Cleethorpes Town 23 3 Jonathon Margetts Frickley Athletic 19 4 Tyler Blake Carlton Town 18 Tom Siddons Stamford 6 Luke Mangham Stocksbridge Park Steels 16 7 Jacob Hazel Frickley Athletic 14 8 Scott Ruthven Stocksbridge Park Steels 13 9 Ryan McLean Newcastle Town & Market Drayton Town 12 Isai Marselia Sutton Coldfield Town Marc Newsham Sheffield Updated to matches played on 14 March 2020
Results table
|update=14 September 2019
Promotion play-offs
Semi-finals
Final
Relegation play-off
Stadia and locations
Team Location Stadium Capacity Belper Town Belper Christchurch Meadow 2,650 Carlton Town Carlton Bill Stokeld Stadium 1,500 Chasetown Burntwood The Scholars Ground 2,000 Cleethorpes Town Grimsby Bradley Football Centre 1,000 Frickley Athletic South Elmsall Westfield Lane 2,087 Glossop North End Glossop The Amdec Forklift Stadium 1,350 Ilkeston Town Ilkeston New Manor Ground 3,029 Kidsgrove Athletic Kidsgrove The Autonet Insurance Stadium 2,000 Leek Town Leek Harrison Park 3,600 Lincoln United Lincoln Ashby Avenue 2,200 Loughborough Dynamo Loughborough Nanpantan Sports Ground 1,500 Market Drayton Town Market Drayton Greenfields Sports Ground 1,000 Newcastle Town Newcastle-under-Lyme Lyme Valley Stadium 4,000 Sheffield Dronfield Coach and Horses Ground 2,089 Spalding United Spalding Sir Halley Stewart Field 3,500 Stamford Stamford Borderville Sports Centre 2,000 Stocksbridge Park Steels Stocksbridge Bracken Moor 3,500 Sutton Coldfield Town Sutton Coldfield Central Ground 2,000 Wisbech Town Wisbech Fenland Stadium 1,118 Worksop Town Worksop Sandy Lane 2,500
Challenge Cup
The 2019–20 Northern Premier League Challenge Cup, known as the 2019–20 Integro Doodson League Cup for sponsorship reasons, is the 50th season of the Northern Premier League Challenge Cup, the main cup competition in the Northern Premier League. It was sponsored by Doodson Sport for an eighth consecutive season. 62 clubs entered the competition, beginning with the First Round, and all ties ended after 90 minutes and if the scores were level concluded with penalties.
The format from last season remains with two clubs to receive a bye into Round 2.
The defending champions are Trafford
The Competition alongside the League contest was abandoned with no title awarded due to the Coronavirus Pandemic
First round
Several First Round Ties were postponed from their original dates to allow teams to prepare for the FA Cup 2nd Qualifying Round on the following weekend