National League North
The National North, alongside the National League South, form the sixth tier of English football and step 2 of the National League System. The league contains 24 clubs from North England, the English Midlands, and East Anglia.
Most clubs in the National League North are semi-professional, with a few professional clubs.
What is the NL North format?

The 24 teams compete for promotion to the National League and to avoid demotion to tier seven of the English football pyramid. Two teams are promoted each season, while three teams are relegated.
Here is how promotion and relegation works in the seventh tier:
- The team that finishes at the top of the table are crowned champions and wins automatic promotion to the National League.
- The teams that finish from second to seventh place in the league go into a play-off round.
- Teams that finish in second and third place go directly to the semi-finals of the play-offs.
- The team that finished fourth place in the table play the team that finished seventh in an eliminator round. Meanwhile, the teams that finished fifth and sixth place face off in the other eliminator. The highest-place team have home advantage. If no team wins after 90 minutes, then the tie is decided via extra-time or penalty kicks. The two winning teams from the eliminators then go on to face the teams that finished second and third in the play-off semi-finals.
- The semi-finals see the winners from eliminator one go head-to-head with the second-place team, while the winners of eliminator two face the team who finished third in the table.
- The winners of the eliminator rounds play away from home in this single play-off tie, with the winning team booking their place in the final. If there is no winner after 90 minutes, the game is then decided in either extra time or by a penalty shootout.
- The final of the play-offs is played at England’s national stadium, Wembley, between the two winners of the semi-finals. The game is decided over 90 minutes. If it isn’t, then extra-time or penalty kicks are used to determine the winner. The winning team is rewarded with a place in the National league.
- The teams that finish from 22nd until 24th place in the league table are relegated to either the Northern Premier League Premier Division or the Southern Football Premier Division Central.
Has the National League North been known by another name?
As part of a restructuring of the non-league game in 2004, two new divisions were added below step 1 of the NAS system, which would become step 2 or the seventh tier of the English game. These were initially called the Conference North and the Conference South.
Due to a sponsorship deal, the Conference North was called the Nationwide North from 2004 until 2007, when it then once again changed its name. This time, it became Blue Square North.
Blue Square continued to sponsor the league, and the name was changed to the Blue Square Bet North in 2010. The deal lasted until Blue Square’s sponsorship with the league expired. In 2013, the league became the Skrill North, and finally, it became the National League North in 2015.
Which teams have won promotion to step 1 in the last decade?
Season | Champions | Play-off winners |
---|---|---|
2023/24 | Tamworth | Boston United |
2022/23 | AFC Fylde | Kidderminster Harriers |
2021/22 | Gateshead | York City |
2020/21 | None, league null and void due to COVID-19 | – |
2019/20 | Kings Lynn Town | Altrincham |
2018/19 | Stockport County | Chorley |
2017/18 | Salford City | Harrogate Town |
2016/17 | AFC Fylde | FC Halifax Town |
2015/16 | Solihull Moors | North Ferriby United |
2014/15 | Barrow | Guiseley |
League records
The Northern section of England’s step 2 has seen many teams enjoy success over the years. The three teams that have been the joint most successful in the history of the league are AFC Fylde, Southport and Tamworth, as all three have won the title twice. The first two are from the north west of England, and the last from the Midlands.
A team that holds two records in a single league season are Chester from season 2012/13. The north west outfit picked up a record 34 wins in the season, which also contributed to them collecting a record 107 points while also suffering the league’s least defeats in one season, having lost just three times.
The most prolific team in a single season in the competition are AFC Fylde, who scored an impressive 109 goals in one of their title-winning campaigns in season 2016/17.