1979–80 Alliance Premier League

The 1979–80 Alliance Premier League was the inaugural season of the Alliance Premier League – the first league outside the Football League to cover the whole of England.

Overview
Between 1979 and 2004 the single-division Alliance Premier League formed Level 5 of the English football league system. Since 2004 two regional divisions were added at Level 6.

The founder members of the Alliance Premier League were drawn from the Southern League and Northern Premier League, covering the country from Yeovil Town in the South West to Barrow in the far North. One club from Wales – Bangor City – also participated.

Teams

 * From the Northern Premier League


 * Altrincham
 * Bangor City
 * Barrow
 * Boston United
 * Northwich Victoria
 * Scarborough
 * Stafford Rangers


 * From the Southern League


 * AP Leamington
 * Barnet
 * Bath City
 * Gravesend & Northfleet
 * Kettering Town
 * Maidstone United
 * Nuneaton Borough
 * Redditch United
 * Telford United
 * Wealdstone
 * Weymouth
 * Yeovil Town
 * Worcester City

League table
Note: FA Trophy winners (Dagenham, Isthmian League Premier Division)

Promoted

 * Frickley Athletic (from the Northern Premier League)

Relegated

 * Redditch United (to the Southern League Midland Division)

Election to the Football League
As winners of the Alliance Premier League, Altrincham won the right to apply for election to the Football League to replace one of the four bottom teams in the 1979–80 Football League Fourth Division. The vote went as follows:

As a result of this, Altrincham failed to be elected to membership of the Football League, falling just one point behind Fourth Division's bottom club Rochdale.