National League - North is an English men’s league competition, formed in 2004, with recorded database coverage from 2019 to 2025. Visitors can use this page to follow live scores, fixtures, results, standings and player and team statistics throughout the competition’s recorded seasons, with core competition information presented in one place for ongoing reference over time.
Upcoming matches, National League - North
National League North - 10
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- National League North - 10
Merthyr Town
Marine
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- National League North - 10
Oxford City
Morecambe
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- National League North - 10
Southport
Spennymoor Town
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- National League North - 10
South Shields
Buxton
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- National League North - 10
Hednesford Town
Radcliffe
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- National League North - 10
Macclesfield
Harborough Town
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- National League North - 10
Darlington 1883
Hebburn Town
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- National League North - 10
Chorley
Spalding United
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- National League North - 10
Chester
Worksop Town
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- National League North - 10
Bedford Town
Hereford
Latest played matches, National League - North
National League North - 9
National League - North Standings
National League N/S: North
| Rank | Club | MP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Last 5 |
|---|
National League - North Statistics
Top scorers 2026
| # | Player | Goals |
|---|
Top assists 2026
| # | Player | Assists |
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Top key passes
Top tackles
Top yellow cards
Top red cards
National League - North teams participation since 2019
History
| Team | Nb participations |
|---|---|
| Chester | 7 |
| Southport | 7 |
| Alfreton Town | 7 |
| Hereford | 7 |
| Curzon Ashton | 7 |
| Spennymoor Town | 7 |
| Chorley | 6 |
| Kidderminster Harriers | 6 |
| Brackley Town | 6 |
| Leamington | 6 |
| Darlington 1883 | 6 |
| AFC Telford United | 5 |
| Blyth Spartans | 5 |
| Gloucester City | 5 |
| King's Lynn Town | 5 |
| Farsley Celtic FC | 5 |
| AFC Fylde | 4 |
| Buxton | 4 |
| Peterborough Sports | 4 |
| Scarborough Athletic | 4 |
| Boston United | 4 |
| Bradford (Park Avenue) | 4 |
| Kettering Town | 4 |
| Gateshead | 3 |
| Guiseley AFC | 3 |
| York | 3 |
| South Shields | 3 |
| Scunthorpe | 2 |
| Oxford City | 2 |
| Marine | 2 |
| Banbury United | 2 |
| Radcliffe | 2 |
| Rushall Olympic | 2 |
| Warrington Town | 2 |
| Macclesfield | 1 |
| Altrincham | 1 |
| Worksop Town | 1 |
| Bedford Town | 1 |
| Bishop's Stortford | 1 |
| Merthyr Town | 1 |
| Needham Market | 1 |
| Tamworth | 1 |
| Darlington | 1 |
| Farsley Celtic | 1 |
| Boston Town | 1 |
National League - North top scorer teams
National League - North About
National League - North, also recorded as English National League North, is a men’s league competition in England and a semi-professional division within the National League System. It operates at Step 2, the sixth tier of the English football pyramid, and provides clubs in Northern England and the Midlands with a structured route towards the professional game.
Role in the English football pyramid
The competition was established in 2004 as Conference North, following a major restructuring of the non-League pyramid. Its purpose is to bring together clubs of a comparable sporting level while respecting the practical demands of geography, facilities and travel. Although regional in scope, the division forms part of England’s merit-based pyramid, in which clubs can progress through successive levels according to their results and eligibility.
National League North sits below the National League and above the regional Step 3 divisions. Clubs generally arrive through one of two routes: promotion from a Step 3 competition, such as the Northern Premier League, Southern League or Isthmian League, or relegation from the National League. The exact destination of promoted or relegated clubs is influenced by the National League System’s geographical considerations.
The division is managed under the National League structure by the National League Board, subject to the ultimate jurisdiction of The Football Association. Clubs must also comply with the relevant FA and National League System regulations. Ground grading is particularly important: a club seeking promotion must normally meet the required stadium, safety and infrastructure standards, commonly associated with Grade B or higher. Financial and affiliation requirements also form part of the conditions for participation and advancement.
League format and match rules
The standard competition consists of 24 clubs playing a double round-robin league schedule. Each side faces every other club once at home and once away, producing 46 league matches per team. The familiar football points system applies: three points for a win, one for a draw and none for a defeat.
League positions are principally separated by points, followed by goal difference and then total goals scored when teams remain level. This system rewards both consistent results and productive attacking play across the full regular season. The league campaign normally begins in August and runs through to late April, leaving May available for the promotion play-offs.
The play-offs involve the clubs finishing from second to seventh. Fourth plays seventh and fifth plays sixth in single-leg eliminators, with the higher-placed club hosting each tie. The winners then meet the teams finishing second and third in the semi-finals; those higher-ranked sides receive a bye into that round. The two semi-final winners contest a single promotion final.
Play-off matches are decided on the day. If the scores are level after 90 minutes, the teams play two 15-minute periods of extra time. A penalty shoot-out is used if the match remains undecided after extra time. This knockout stage gives clubs outside the automatic promotion position a second route to the National League, while rewarding the advantages earned through a higher league finish.
Promotion, relegation and wider opportunities
The league champion earns automatic promotion to the National League. The play-off final winner also goes up, meaning that two clubs normally advance from the division each season. At the other end of the table, the bottom four clubs are relegated to Step 3, with their eventual destinations determined within the National League System and its geographical balancing process.
Participation also opens the door to major national competitions. Clubs are eligible to enter the FA Cup, with entry at the Second Qualifying Round, and can compete in the FA Trophy. These tournaments give regional semi-professional sides opportunities to face opponents from elsewhere in the country, build national recognition and generate important sporting and financial rewards.
History and recorded coverage
The competition’s origins lie in the 2004 creation of Conference North, a divisional arrangement designed to strengthen the regional structure below the national level. It has since retained its role as an important bridge between grassroots football and the fully professional tiers. The regular season’s August-to-May calendar reflects the wider English football tradition, while the scheduling of the play-offs in May creates a decisive conclusion after the league programme.
Xtra-Stats records National League North from the 2019 season through the 2025 season, covering seven recorded seasons. Across that period, the competition remains defined by its regional identity, 24-club league format and two promotion pathways: the title and the play-offs. For supporters, players and clubs, it is both a demanding season-long championship and one of the clearest routes from regional football towards the National League and the higher levels of the English pyramid.