1998–99 National League 2 North
Rugby union competition in England
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The 1998–99 National League 2 North was the twelfth full season of rugby union within the fourth tier (north) of the English league system. It is counterpart to National League 2 South, which covers the southern half of the country.
England| 1998–99 National League 2 North | |
|---|---|
| Countries | England |
| Champions | Preston Grasshoppers (1st title) |
| Runners-up | Stourbridge (not promoted) |
| Relegated | Winnington Park, Lichfield, Hinckley |
| Matches played | 182 |
As with the previous season, the battle for the league was very competitive, with Preston Grasshoppers edging out Stourbridge by just 2 points to claim the title and only promotion spot to the 1999–00 National League 1. At the other end of the table Winnington Park, Lichfield, Hinckley were the three sides to be relegated, with newly promoted Hinckley being the most competitive of the three.[1] Winnington Park would drop to North 1 while Lichfield and Hinckley fell to Midlands 1. The reason National League 2 North had so many relegation places compared to National League 2 South (3 to 1) was that both of the two teams relegated from the division above were based in the north of the country, requiring more places to accommodate for their arrival the following season.
Structure
Each team played home and away matches against each of the other teams, playing a total of twenty-six matches each. The league champions were promoted to National League 1 while the bottom three sides dropped to either North 1 or Midlands depending on locality.
Participating teams and locations
| Team | Ground | Capacity | City/Area | Previous season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aspatria | Bower Park | 3,000 (300 seats)[2] | Aspatria, Cumbria | 9th |
| Hinckley | Leicester Road | 2,000 | Hinckley, Leicestershire | 12th |
| Kendal | Mint Bridge | 4,600 (600 seats)[3] | Kendal, Cumbria | 3rd |
| Lichfield | Cooke Fields | 5,460 (460 seats)[4] | Lichfield, Staffordshire | 14th |
| New Brighton | Hartsfield | 2,000 | Moreton, Merseyside | Promoted from North 1 (1st) |
| Nuneaton | Liberty Way | 3,800 (500 seats) | Nuneaton, Warwickshire | 7th |
| Preston Grasshoppers | Lightfoot Green | 2,250 (250 seats)[5] | Preston, Lancashire | 4th |
| Sandal | Milnthorpe Green | Sandal Magna, Wakefield, West Yorkshire | 8th | |
| Sedgley Park | Park Lane | 3,000 | Whitefield, Greater Manchester | 5th |
| Sheffield | Abbeydale Park | 3,300 (100 seats)[a] | Dore, Sheffield, South Yorkshire | 10th |
| Stourbridge | Stourton Park | 3,500 (450 seats)[7] | Stourbridge, West Midlands | 6th |
| Walsall | Broadway | 2,250 (250 seats)[8] | Walsall, West Midlands | 11th |
| Whitchurch | Edgeley Park | Whitchurch, Shropshire | Promoted from Midlands 1 (1st) | |
| Winnington Park | Burrows Hill | 5,000[9] | Northwich, Cheshire | 13th |
League table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Preston Grasshoppers (C) | 26 | 23 | 0 | 3 | 822 | 341 | +481 | 46 | Promoted |
| 2 | Stourbridge | 26 | 22 | 0 | 4 | 895 | 413 | +482 | 44 | |
| 3 | New Brighton | 26 | 20 | 0 | 6 | 703 | 329 | +374 | 40 | |
| 4 | Kendal | 26 | 18 | 0 | 8 | 635 | 347 | +288 | 36 | |
| 5 | Nuneaton | 26 | 14 | 2 | 10 | 597 | 533 | +64 | 30 | |
| 6 | Sheffield | 26 | 15 | 0 | 11 | 496 | 455 | +41 | 30 | |
| 7 | Sandal | 26 | 13 | 0 | 13 | 697 | 611 | +86 | 26 | |
| 8 | Sedgley Park | 26 | 12 | 1 | 13 | 710 | 553 | +157 | 25 | |
| 9 | Walsall | 26 | 10 | 1 | 15 | 515 | 720 | −205 | 21 | |
| 10 | Aspatria | 26 | 10 | 0 | 16 | 578 | 675 | −97 | 20 | |
| 11 | Whitchurch | 26 | 9 | 1 | 16 | 450 | 599 | −149 | 19 | |
| 12 | Hinckley (R) | 26 | 7 | 1 | 18 | 445 | 733 | −288 | 15 | Relegated |
| 13 | Lichfield (R) | 26 | 3 | 0 | 23 | 371 | 950 | −579 | 6 | |
| 14 | Winnington Park (R) | 26 | 3 | 0 | 23 | 310 | 965 | −655 | 6 |
Rules for classification: Points are awarded as follows: 2 pts for a win, 1 pt for a draw, 0 pts for a loss. If teams are level at any stage, difference between points for and against applies.
(C) Champions; (R) Relegated
Sponsorship
National League 2 North is part of the Jewson National Leagues is sponsored by Jewson.
See also
Notes
- Although a 1990 club estimate was 1,100 (100 seated and 1,000 standing) this is very conservative as Abbeydale Park would experience 3,000+ crowds several times in later history in what was a relatively unchanged ground.[6]