National League North
English football league
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The National League North is a professional[citation needed] association football league in England. National League North is the second division of the National Leagues and step 2 of the NLS and sixth-highest tier overall in the English football league system, after the Premier League, the EFL leagues and the National League and is contested by 24 clubs.
| |
| Founded | 2004 |
|---|---|
| Country | England |
| Other club from | Wales |
| Number of clubs | 24 |
| Level on pyramid | 6 Step 2 (National League System) |
| Promotion to | National League |
| Relegation to | Northern Premier League Premier Division Southern Football League Premier Division Central or South |
| Domestic cup(s) | FA Cup FA Trophy |
| International cup(s) | Europa League (via FA Cup) |
| Current champions | AFC Fylde (3rd title) (2025–26) |
| Most championships |
|
| Website | National League |
| Current: 2026–27 National League North | |
National League North consists of teams mostly located in Northern England, the English Midlands and East Anglia. In addition, it can include a small number of teams from the northern-most parts of the South West and South East, as well as currently containing a team from Wales. Since the start of the 2015–16 season, the league has been known as the National League North.[1]
History
The Conference North was introduced in 2004 as part of a major restructuring of English non-League football.[2] The champions are automatically promoted to the National League. A second promotion place goes to the winners of play-offs involving the teams finishing in second to seventh place (expanded from four to six teams in the 2017–18 season).[3] The three bottom clubs are relegated to Step 3 leagues. Teams from this division, as well as from the National League South, enter the FA Cup at the Second Qualifying Round.
The National League North was scheduled to expand to 24 teams in 2021.[4][5] Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in England, the 2020–21 National League North season was curtailed and voided after written resolutions were put to a vote. No teams were relegated.[6] Expansion was implemented before the 2022–23 season, when the bottom club was relegated and four promoted from Step 3.[7]
Member clubs for 2026–27
The member clubs for the 2026–27 season are as follows:
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| Club | Finishing position 2025–26 |
|---|---|
| AFC Telford United | 11th |
| Bedford Town | 18th |
| Brackley Town | 21st (National League) |
| Buxton | 5th |
| Chester | 7th |
| Chorley | 15th |
| Darlington | 9th |
| Harborough Town | 1st (Southern League Central) |
| Hebburn Town | 1st (Northern Premier League) |
| Hednesford Town | 2nd (Northern Premier League) |
| Hereford | 20th |
| King's Lynn Town | 19th |
| Macclesfield | 4th |
| Marine | 12th |
| Merthyr Town | 8th |
| Morecambe | 22nd (National League) |
| Oxford City | 17th |
| Radcliffe | 13th |
| Scarborough Athletic | 6th |
| Southport | 14th |
| South Shields | 2nd |
| Spalding United | 2nd (Southern League Central) |
| Spennymoor Town | 10th |
| Worksop Town | 16th |
League champions
The winners of the league title and the winners of the play-off final since the league's formation in 2004 are as follows:
League stadiums for 2025–26
The home stadiums for all of the teams in the league for the 2025–26 season are listed below:
League records
| Record home win | Chorley 9-0 Gloucester City, 4 September 2021 |
| Record away win | Redditch United 0–9 Boston United, 21 August 2010[8] |
| Highest-scoring game | AFC Fylde 9–2 Boston United, 19 November 2016[9] |
| Most points in a season | 107 points – Chester (2012–13) |
| Most wins in a season | 34 – Chester (2012–13) |
| Fewest defeats in a season | 3 – Chester (2012–13) |
| Most goals scored in a season | 112 – AFC Fylde (2025–26) |
| Largest positive goal difference | 71 – Chester (2012–13) |
| Most league titles | 3 – AFC Fylde (2016–17, 2022–23, 2025-26) |
| Most consecutive wins | 15 games (21 February 2006 to 22 April 2006) – Northwich Victoria |
| Most consecutive clean sheets | 10 games (30 August 2010 to 9 November 2010) – Boston United |
| Most clean sheets in a season | 28 (2021/22) - Brackley Town |
| Longest unbeaten run | 30 games (15 September 2012 to 6 April 2013) – Chester |
| Largest attendance | 9,086 (18 May 2025) – Scunthorpe United (vs Chester)[10] |
Sponsorship
In June 2025, the league was renamed to the Enterprise National League North after the sponsorship deal with Vanarama ended upon completion of the 2024–25 season.[11]