The
Premier Division is the top division of the
Northern Premier
League. It is at Step 3 (or level 7) of the
National League System, placing it
six divisions below the
FA Premier
League. For sponsorship reasons, it is often referred to as the
UniBond League Premier Division.
The league was founded in
1968, as the northern equivalent
of the
Southern League,
being the highest level
non-League division below
The Football League. In
1979, upon the creation of the
Alliance Premier League, it
became a feeder league and fell down one 'level' in the
English football league
system. Since then, its prestige has fallen further: there are
now two levels between it and the Football League.
The division is at the same level as the Premier Divisions of the
Southern League and
the
Isthmian
League. At the end of each season two clubs are promoted to the
Conference North: the league
champions, and the winners of a play-off competition held between
the 2nd through 5th placed clubs. The four lowest placed teams are
relegated to the
Northern Premier
League Division One North or
Northern Premier
League Division One South, to be replaced by four promoted
teams.
All clubs in the Premier Division also compete in the Challenge Cup
knockout competition, but not in the other two NPL cup competitions
(the President's Cup and the Chairman's Cup) which in 2007–2008
were only open to teams in the lower divisions.
Current clubs 2009-10
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Past winners
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