1985–86 Alliance Premier League

The Alliance Premier League season of 1985–86 (known as the Gola League 1985–86 for sponsorship reasons) was the seventh season of the Alliance Premier League. This was the first year where a team from the Isthmian League had been promoted to the APL, and this was the last season of the league under this name - starting with the 1986–87 season, the league would be renamed to the Football Conference.

New teams in the league this season

 * Cheltenham Town (promoted 1984–85)
 * Stafford Rangers (promoted 1984–85)
 * Wycombe Wanderers (promoted 1984-85)

Top scorers

 * Source:

Promoted

 * Gateshead (from the Northern Premier League)
 * Sutton (from the Isthmian League)
 * Welling United (from the Southern Premier League)

Relegated

 * Wycombe Wanderers (to the Isthmian League)
 * Dartford (to the Southern Premier League)
 * Barrow (to the Northern Premier League)

Election to the Football League
As winners of the Alliance Premier League, Enfield won the right to apply for election to the Football League to replace one of the four bottom sides in the 1985–86 Football League Fourth Division. The vote went as follows:

As a result Enfield did not gain membership of the Football League. This was the final season in which the team who won the Conference National had to apply for election to the Football League, and from the 1986–87 season onward the winning team was automatically promoted, on the provision that they met the various conditions that the Football League set for all its members.