1984–85 Alliance Premier League

The Alliance Premier League season of 1984–85 (known as the Gola League 1984–85 for sponsorship reasons) was the sixth season of the Alliance Premier League. This was the first year where the Isthmian League acted as an APL feeder league.

Alliance Premier League
Season1984–85
ChampionsWealdstone (1st Alliance Premier League title)
Promoted to the Football LeagueNone
Runners-upNuneaton Borough
Relegated to
Level 6		Gateshead,
Worcester City,
Yeovil Town
Promoted for the next seasonCheltenham Town,
Stafford Rangers,
Wycombe Wanderers
Matches played462
Goals scored1,343 (2.91 per match)
Top goalscorerPaul Culpin (Nuneaton Borough), 36
Biggest home winBarnet – Wealdstone 7–0
Biggest away winBath City – Kettering Town 1–6;
Gateshead – Enfield 0–6
Highest scoringAltrincham – Boston United 7–2;
Weymouth – Gateshead 5–4
Longest winning run?
Longest unbeaten run?
Longest losing run?
Highest attendance?
Lowest attendance?
Average attendance?

New teams in the league this season

Final table
Pos Team Pld HW HD HL HGF HGA AW AD AL AGF AGA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Wealdstone[lower-alpha 1] 42 8 8 5 31 26 12 2 7 33 28 +10 62 Football Conference Champions, no promotion
2 Nuneaton Borough 42 13 8 0 55 23 6 6 9 30 30 +32 58
3 Dartford[lower-alpha 2] 42 7 7 7 28 25 10 6 5 29 23 +9 57
4 Bath City 42 15 1 5 30 22 6 8 7 22 27 +3 57
5 Altrincham 42 13 2 6 39 21 8 4 9 24 26 +16 56
6 Scarborough 42 10 7 4 35 20 7 6 8 34 42 +7 54
7 Enfield 42 11 7 3 48 27 6 6 9 36 34 +23 53
8 Kidderminster Harriers 42 8 4 9 40 38 9 4 8 39 39 +2 51
9 Northwich Victoria 42 9 4 8 22 19 7 7 7 28 27 +4 50
10 Telford United 42 10 7 4 36 24 5 7 9 23 30 +5 49
11 Frickley Athletic 42 12 3 6 38 25 6 4 11 27 46 −6 49
12 Kettering Town 42 9 6 6 37 22 6 6 9 31 37 +9 48
13 Maidstone United 42 10 7 4 38 24 5 6 10 20 27 +7 48
14 Runcorn 42 6 9 6 27 21 7 6 8 21 26 +1 48 Conference League Cup winners
15 Barnet 42 9 7 5 36 20 6 4 11 23 32 +7 47
16 Weymouth 42 13 1 7 41 32 2 12 7 29 34 +4 45
17 Boston United 42 10 5 6 43 32 5 5 11 26 37 0 45
18 Barrow[lower-alpha 2] 42 6 9 6 25 22 5 7 9 22 35 −10 43
19 Dagenham 42 8 6 7 28 27 5 4 12 19 40 −20 41
20 Worcester City 42 7 4 10 29 36 5 5 11 26 48 −29 38 Relegated to the Southern League
21 Gateshead 42 5 6 10 27 42 4 6 11 24 40 −31 33[lower-alpha 3] Relegated to the Northern Premier League
22 Yeovil Town 42 4 7 10 26 36 2 4 15 18 51 −43 25 Relegated to the Isthmian League
Source: [1]
Rules for classification: 2 points for a home win, 3 points for an away win, 1 point for a draw.
Notes:
  1. FA Trophy winners
  2. New club in the Conference
  3. Gateshead had 1 point deducted.

Results
Home \ Away ALT BAR BRW BAT BOS DAG DAR ENF FRK GAT KET KID MDS NOR NUN RUN SCA TEL WEA WEY WRC YEO
Altrincham 0–2 2–0 0–0 7–2 3–1 2–1 3–2 3–4 2–0 2–1 2–1 2–0 1–2 1–0 0–1 3–0 0–1 1–2 2–0 1–1 2–0
Barnet 1–0 4–0 2–1 1–0 0–0 0–1 3–2 1–2 1–1 4–2 2–4 0–0 1–1 1–1 1–1 1–2 0–1 7–0 0–0 2–0 4–1
Barrow 0–2 1–0 0–1 1–1 3–1 0–0 1–1 6–0 0–1 0–1 3–1 0–2 0–0 0–0 1–1 1–1 2–1 2–1 3–3 1–0 2–2
Bath City 1–0 2–1 1–2 2–1 2–0 1–0 1–0 3–0 1–1 1–6 0–2 1–0 0–3 1–0 0–1 2–1 2–1 3–1 2–1 3–1 1–0
Boston United 0–0 2–1 1–3 1–2 4–1 2–0 3–2 2–1 1–1 3–1 2–3 1–0 3–4 2–3 2–0 3–3 1–3 1–1 2–2 4–1 3–0
Dagenham 1–1 0–0 1–1 0–0 1–2 0–1 0–3 4–1 0–2 2–1 2–2 4–1 2–1 2–1 2–1 0–2 1–0 1–2 2–2 1–3 2–0
Dartford 1–0 2–0 2–0 1–3 1–1 3–0 1–2 0–2 1–2 0–1 2–1 1–1 1–0 2–2 1–1 3–1 0–0 2–3 1–1 2–3 1–1
Enfield 3–3 3–3 0–0 1–1 1–1 3–2 0–1 1–0 3–1 5–3 5–2 1–2 3–2 1–0 1–1 3–4 0–0 2–0 2–1 6–0 4–0
Frickley Athletic 2–1 3–1 2–2 2–0 2–1 0–2 2–4 1–0 1–0 3–0 3–0 1–3 4–0 1–1 1–1 2–3 1–2 0–2 2–0 2–1 3–1
Gateshead 0–1 0–2 1–2 1–1 1–2 2–1 0–0 0–5 3–2 1–4 4–1 2–1 2–6 0–2 0–3 3–1 1–1 1–2 2–2 2–2 1–1
Kettering Town 1–2 4–0 0–0 1–2 2–1 0–1 0–2 4–3 5–0 1–1 2–2 2–0 2–2 1–1 3–0 0–1 4–2 0–1 1–1 1–0 3–0
Kidderminster Harriers 0–2 1–4 0–1 2–2 2–0 5–1 1–1 1–3 2–4 3–0 2–2 2–1 3–1 3–4 0–1 3–2 0–2 0–3 3–3 4–1 3–0
Maidstone United 3–0 1–0 2–0 2–0 2–2 0–1 2–1 2–2 1–1 1–0 3–0 1–4 1–0 2–2 5–1 2–2 0–0 0–1 1–4 4–0 3–3
Northwich Victoria 1–2 2–0 1–0 3–1 1–0 0–1 0–1 1–1 3–0 2–0 1–2 0–2 0–0 1–0 0–1 1–1 1–0 0–2 0–3 2–2 2–0
Nuneaton Borough 4–1 1–1 5–2 0–0 4–2 2–2 5–1 2–2 0–0 3–0 1–1 1–1 3–2 2–2 2–1 5–2 2–1 1–0 4–2 3–0 5–0
Runcorn 1–2 2–1 0–0 0–0 1–2 3–0 1–1 1–1 0–0 1–1 2–2 1–2 1–4 0–0 1–0 1–1 3–0 2–0 3–1 1–2 3–0
Scarborough 2–1 1–1 1–1 2–0 1–0 5–0 1–3 2–3 1–2 5–1 0–0 2–1 1–0 0–0 3–2 0–0 4–1 1–1 0–0 1–2 2–1
Telford United 0–2 1–0 3–1 3–1 1–1 1–1 1–2 2–0 5–3 1–1 1–1 3–2 0–0 0–1 2–1 3–1 1–2 4–2 0–0 1–1 3–1
Wealdstone 1–0 1–2 2–2 0–1 0–1 0–0 0–0 1–2 1–1 4–2 1–0 5–2 1–1 1–1 3–1 1–0 1–0 2–2 3–2 3–3 0–3
Weymouth 2–1 3–0 3–1 2–2 2–1 1–0 1–2 4–2 2–1 5–4 3–0 0–2 0–1 1–0 1–3 0–2 1–2 3–2 0–3 3–1 4–2
Worcester City 1–1 1–2 3–2 1–2 2–1 1–3 2–5 1–0 2–1 4–1 1–2 1–2 1–1 0–1 1–4 2–0 4–1 0–0 0–4 1–1 0–2
Yeovil Town 1–2 2–1 1–2 3–2 2–4 2–1 2–2 0–0 1–2 0–4 1–1 0–0 3–0 0–1 1–2 1–3 2–2 3–3 0–2 0–0 1–2
Updated to match(es) played on unknown. Source: Rothmans Football Yearbook 1985–86. Queen Anne Press, Macdonald Futura Publishers, London & Sydney, 1985;[1] Football Conference statistics.
Note: For this season, the Rothmans Football Yearbook 1985–86 had 15 incorrect match results in their results grid, which rendered it as good as useless. Correct results were obtained from the Football Conference, courtesy of Dennis Strudwick, general manager, and John Harman, Statistician.
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
Locations of the Alliance Premier League teams 1984–1985
Locations of the Alliance Premier League 1984–1985 London teams

Top scorers
Rank Player Club League FA Cup FA Trophy League Cup Total[1]
1 Paul Culpin Nuneaton Borough 36
2Gary HooleyFrickley Athletic29
3Frank MurphyNuneaton21
=John PowellKidderminster Harriers21
5Paul BennettAltrincham20
6Paul DaviesKidderminster Harriers19
=Dave FlintEnfield19
=Bob LeeBoston United19
=Steve MahoneyKidderminster Harriers19
10Ian DonaldsonGateshead17
=Paul MossWorcester City17
12Mike DohertyWeymouth16
=Bill JefferyKettering Town16
=Gerry PearsonKidderminster Harriers16
15Mark GravesWealdstone15
16Marshall BurkeScarborough13
=Colin CowperthwaiteBarrow13
=Nicky EvansBarnet13
=Paul ReidNorthwich Victoria13
=Mark SmithKettering Town13
=Les WhittonDagenham13
22Carl RichardsEnfield12
23Mark CarterRuncorn11

Promotion and relegation

Relegated

Election to the Football League

This year Wealdstone, the champions of the Alliance Premier League, could not apply for election because they did not meet Football League requirements. 2nd placed Nuneaton could not apply either for the same reason, and nor could 3rd placed Dartford, so 4th placed Bath City won by default the right to apply for election to the Football League to replace one of the four bottom sides in the 1984–85 Football League Fourth Division. The voting went as follows:

Club Final Position Votes
Northampton Town23rd (Fourth Division)52
Stockport County22nd (Fourth Division)50
Torquay United24th (Fourth Division)50
Halifax Town21st (Fourth Division)48
Bath City4th (Alliance Premier League)8

As a result of this, Bath City failed to gain membership of the Football League.

References
  1. Peter Dunk (ed.), Rothmans Football Yearbook 1985–86. Queen Anne Press, Macdonald & Co., London & Sydney, 1985.
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