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Conference National
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Conference National | |
|---|---|
 Conference National 2006-07 |
|
 |
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| Sport | Football |
| Founded | 1979 |
| No. of teams | 24 |
| Country |  England |
Conference National (often referred to as the Nationwide Conference for sponsorship reasons) is the top division of the Football Conference. It is the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system.
Contents |
The league was formed as the 'Alliance Premier League' in 1979. It was the first attempt to create a fully national league underneath the football league, drawing its clubs from the Northern Premier League and the Southern League. It greatly improved the quality of football at this lower level, as well as improving the financial status of the top clubs. This was reflected in 1986, when the Football League began accepting direct promotion/relegation between the Conference (as it was known by then) and its lowest level - at that time the Football League Fourth Division.
Since 2002-03, the league has been granted a second promotion place, with a play-off deciding who joins the champions in the football league. Previously, no promotion from the Conference would occur if the winners did not have adequate stadium facilities. As of the start of the 2002-03 season, if a club achieves the automatic promotion or the play-off places but does not have an adequate stadium, their place will be re-allocated to the next highest-placed club that has the required facilities. In 2004-05, the Conference increased its size by adding two lower divisions, the Conference North and Conference South respectively. In 2006 the Conference expanded from 22 to 24 teams. This was achieved by relegating 2 teams and promoting 4 teams. From the 2006/07 season there will be a 4 up/4 down system between the Conference National and its two feeder divisions.
The champions of the division are Accrington Stanley who were promoted to Football League Two along with Hereford United who won the 2006 Playoff Final.
| Club |
Finishing position last season |
|---|---|
| Aldershot Town | 13th |
| Altrincham | 22nd |
| Burton Albion | 9th |
| Cambridge United | 12th |
| Crawley Town | 17th |
| Dagenham & Redbridge | 10th |
| Exeter City | 7th |
| Forest Green Rovers | 19th |
| Gravesend & Northfleet | 16th |
| Grays Athletic | 3rd |
| Halifax Town | 4th |
| Kidderminster Harriers | 15th |
| Morecambe | 5th |
| Northwich Victoria | 1st in Conference North |
| Oxford United | 23rd in League Two |
| Rushden & Diamonds | 24th in League Two |
| Southport | 18th |
| St. Albans City | 2nd in Conference South |
| Stafford Rangers | 2nd in Conference North |
| Stevenage Borough | 6th |
| Tamworth | 20th |
| Weymouth | 1st in Conference South |
| Woking | 11th |
| York City | 8th |
| Season | Winner | Playoff Winner |
|---|---|---|
| 1979-80 | Altrincham | |
| 1980-81 | Altrincham | |
| 1981-82 | Runcorn | |
| 1982-83 | Enfield | |
| 1983-84 | Maidstone United | |
| 1984-85 | Wealdstone | |
| 1985-86 | Enfield | |
| 1986-87 | Scarborough* | |
| 1987-88 | Lincoln City* | |
| 1988-89 | Maidstone United* | |
| 1989-90 | Darlington* | |
| 1990-91 | Barnet* | |
| 1991-92 | Colchester United* | |
| 1992-93 | Wycombe Wanderers* | |
| 1993-94 | Kidderminster Harriers | |
| 1994-95 | Macclesfield Town | |
| 1995-96 | Stevenage Borough | |
| 1996-97 | Macclesfield Town* | |
| 1997-98 | Halifax Town* | |
| 1998-99 | Cheltenham Town* | |
| 1999-2000 | Kidderminster Harriers* | |
| 2000-01 | Rushden & Diamonds* | |
| 2001-02 | Boston United* | |
| 2002-03 | Yeovil Town* | Doncaster Rovers* (Match Report) |
| 2003-04 | Chester City* | Shrewsbury Town* (Match Report) |
| 2004-05 | Barnet* | Carlisle United* (Match Report) |
| 2005-06 | Accrington Stanley* | Hereford United* (Match Report) |
| * Promoted to The Football League (Fourth Division until 1991, Third Division from 1992 until 2003 and League Two since) | ||
| Season | Semifinal (1st Leg) | Semifinal (2nd Leg) | Final |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005-06 | Halifax Town 3-2 Grays Athletic |
Grays Athletic 2-2 Halifax Town |
Hereford 3-2(aet) Halifax Town |
| Home Club | Stadium Name | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Halifax Town | The Shay | 14,000 |
| Oxford United | Kassam Stadium | 12,500 |
| Cambridge United | Abbey Stadium | 9,617 |
| Exeter City | St James Park | 9,034 |
| York City | KitKat Crescent | 9,034 |
| Aldershot Town | Recreation Ground | 7,500 |
| Stevenage Borough | Broadhall Way | 7,100 |
| Burton Albion | Pirelli Stadium | 6,500 |
| Weymouth | The Wessex Stadium | 6,500 |
| Rushden & Diamonds | Nene Park | 6,441 |
| Morecambe | Christie Park | 6,400 |
| Kidderminster Harriers | Aggborough Stadium | 6,293 |
| Altrincham | Moss Lane | 6,150 |
| Southport | Haig Avenue | 6,008 |
| Woking | Kingfield Stadium | 6,000 |
| Stafford Rangers | Marston Road | 8,843 |
| Dagenham & Redbridge | Victoria Road | 6,000 |
| Northwich Victoria | Victoria Stadium | 6,000 |
| Forest Green Rovers | Forest Green New Stadium | 5,147 |
| Crawley Town | Broadfield Stadium | 4,996 |
| St Albans City | Clarence Park | 4,500 |
| Tamworth | The Lamb Ground | 4,065 |
| Gravesend & Northfleet | Stonebridge Road | 3,500 |
| Grays Athletic | Recreation Ground | 3,500 |
| Conference National 2006/07 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aldershot Town • Altrincham • Burton Albion • Cambridge United • Crawley Town • Dagenham & Redbridge • Exeter City • Forest Green Rovers • Gravesend & Northfleet • Grays Athletic • Halifax Town • Kidderminster Harriers • Morecambe • Northwich Victoria • Oxford United • Rushden & Diamonds • Southport • Stafford Rangers • St Albans City • Stevenage Borough • Tamworth • Weymouth • Woking • York City edit | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| English football league system - Level 5 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Promotion to: Football League Two | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Relegation to: Conference North and South | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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