The 2023–24 season is the 42nd in the history of the Northern Counties East Football League, a football competition in England.
The allocations for Steps 5 and 6 this season were announced by The Football Association on 15 May 2023.[1] Starting this season, the Premier Division (Step 5) in the league will promote two clubs; one as champions and one via a four-team play-off. This replaces the previous inter-step play-off system. For this season only, there will be only one club relegated from the division.[2]
Premier Division
| Season | 2023–24 |
|---|---|
← 2022–23 2024–25 → | |
The Premier Division featured 16 clubs which competed in the previous season, along with four new clubs:
- Campion, promoted from Division One
- Pickering Town, transferred from the Northern League
- Rossington Main, promoted from Division One
- Tadcaster Albion, relegated from the Northern Premier League
League table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Campion | 25 | 16 | 6 | 3 | 76 | 41 | +35 | 54 | Promotion to Step 4 |
| 2 | Emley | 22 | 16 | 4 | 2 | 59 | 15 | +44 | 52 | Qualification for the play-offs |
| 3 | Thackley | 23 | 12 | 4 | 7 | 37 | 31 | +6 | 40 | |
| 4 | Albion Sports | 21 | 12 | 5 | 4 | 44 | 28 | +16 | 38[lower-alpha 1] | |
| 5 | Rossington Main | 21 | 11 | 3 | 7 | 41 | 34 | +7 | 36 | |
| 6 | Penistone Church | 22 | 12 | 0 | 10 | 38 | 34 | +4 | 36 | |
| 7 | Garforth Town | 20 | 11 | 2 | 7 | 51 | 29 | +22 | 35 | |
| 8 | Knaresborough Town | 22 | 10 | 5 | 7 | 46 | 34 | +12 | 35 | |
| 9 | Silsden | 21 | 11 | 1 | 9 | 45 | 35 | +10 | 34 | |
| 10 | Frickley Athletic | 22 | 10 | 3 | 9 | 45 | 40 | +5 | 33 | |
| 11 | Handsworth | 22 | 9 | 5 | 8 | 40 | 41 | −1 | 32 | |
| 12 | Hallam | 21 | 9 | 3 | 9 | 37 | 36 | +1 | 30 | |
| 13 | Barton Town | 19 | 8 | 5 | 6 | 38 | 32 | +6 | 29 | |
| 14 | Golcar United | 23 | 8 | 4 | 11 | 39 | 37 | +2 | 28 | |
| 15 | Tadcaster Albion | 22 | 8 | 2 | 12 | 35 | 47 | −12 | 26 | |
| 16 | Bottesford Town | 23 | 5 | 5 | 13 | 28 | 53 | −25 | 20 | |
| 17 | Pickering Town | 22 | 5 | 2 | 15 | 33 | 62 | −29 | 17 | |
| 18 | Eccleshill United | 21 | 5 | 1 | 15 | 28 | 52 | −24 | 16 | |
| 19 | Maltby Main | 22 | 4 | 2 | 16 | 25 | 63 | −38 | 14 | |
| 20 | Goole | 22 | 4 | 2 | 16 | 28 | 69 | −41 | 14 | Relegation to Step 6 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored; 4) number of matches won; 5) head-to-head results[4]
Notes:
Stadia and locations
| Club | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Albion Sports | Horsfall Stadium[lower-alpha 1] | 3,500 |
| Barton Town | Euronics Ground | 3,000 |
| Bottesford Town | Birch Park | 1,000 |
| Campion | Scotchman Road | 1,000 |
| Eccleshill United | Kings Way | 2,225 |
| Emley | Fantastic Media Welfare Ground | 2,000 |
| Frickley Athletic | Westfield Lane | 2,087 |
| Garforth Town | Wheatley Park | 3,000 |
| Golcar United | Skye Direct Stadium | 1,200 |
| Goole | Victoria Pleasure Grounds | 3,000 |
| Hallam | Sandygate | 1,300 |
| Handsworth | Oliver's Mount | 2,500 |
| Knaresborough Town | Manse Lane | 1,000 |
| Maltby Main | Muglet Lane | 2,000 |
| Penistone Church | Church View Road | 1,000 |
| Pickering Town | Mill Lane | 2,000 |
| Rossington Main | Welfare Ground | 2,000 |
| Silsden | Keighley Road Stadium | 1,500 |
| Tadcaster Albion | Ings Lane | 2,000 |
| Thackley | Dennyfield | 3,000 |
| ||
Division One
| Season | 2023–24 |
|---|---|
← 2022–23 2024–25 → | |
Division One featured 18 clubs which competed in the previous season, along with five new clubs:
- Clay Cross Town, promoted from Central Midlands League Premier Division South
- Louth Town, promoted from the Lincolnshire League
- Retford United, promoted from the Central Midlands League Premier Division North
- Wombwell Town, promoted from the Sheffield & Hallamshire County Senior League
- Yorkshire Amateur, relegated from the Premier Division
League table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wakefield | 26 | 18 | 3 | 5 | 74 | 26 | +48 | 57 | Promotion to Step 5 |
| 2 | Parkgate | 22 | 18 | 2 | 2 | 74 | 20 | +54 | 56 | Qualification for the play-offs |
| 3 | Shirebrook Town | 27 | 17 | 5 | 5 | 75 | 36 | +39 | 56 | |
| 4 | Retford United | 23 | 15 | 5 | 3 | 66 | 28 | +38 | 50 | |
| 5 | Beverley Town | 22 | 15 | 4 | 3 | 62 | 23 | +39 | 49 | |
| 6 | Wombwell Town | 23 | 15 | 3 | 5 | 54 | 26 | +28 | 48 | |
| 7 | Horbury Town | 24 | 12 | 5 | 7 | 70 | 44 | +26 | 41 | |
| 8 | Dronfield Town | 27 | 12 | 5 | 10 | 60 | 52 | +8 | 41 | |
| 9 | Louth Town | 25 | 12 | 4 | 9 | 49 | 39 | +10 | 40 | |
| 10 | Retford | 28 | 12 | 4 | 12 | 62 | 57 | +5 | 40 | |
| 11 | Nostell Miners Welfare | 24 | 12 | 3 | 9 | 61 | 51 | +10 | 39 | |
| 12 | Staveley Miners Welfare | 26 | 11 | 5 | 10 | 47 | 37 | +10 | 38 | |
| 13 | Harrogate Railway Athletic | 23 | 11 | 5 | 7 | 42 | 38 | +4 | 38 | |
| 14 | Brigg Town | 24 | 11 | 2 | 11 | 51 | 58 | −7 | 35 | |
| 15 | Selby Town | 24 | 9 | 4 | 11 | 44 | 49 | −5 | 31 | |
| 16 | Worsbrough Bridge Athletic | 25 | 9 | 3 | 13 | 38 | 41 | −3 | 30 | |
| 17 | Clay Cross Town | 23 | 8 | 2 | 13 | 33 | 45 | −12 | 26 | |
| 18 | Glasshoughton Welfare | 27 | 7 | 4 | 16 | 45 | 60 | −15 | 25 | |
| 19 | Athersley Recreation | 25 | 5 | 4 | 16 | 35 | 65 | −30 | 19 | |
| 20 | Yorkshire Amateur | 25 | 5 | 5 | 15 | 29 | 80 | −51 | 17[lower-alpha 1] | |
| 21 | Armthorpe Welfare | 20 | 3 | 3 | 14 | 23 | 61 | −38 | 12 | |
| 22 | Swallownest | 28 | 2 | 3 | 23 | 24 | 109 | −85 | 9 | Possible relegation to feeder leagues |
| 23 | Ollerton Town | 24 | 1 | 1 | 22 | 14 | 88 | −74 | 4 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored; 4) number of matches won; 5) head-to-head results[4]
Notes:
Stadia and locations

| Club | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Armthorpe Welfare | Welfare Ground | 2,500 |
| Athersley Recreation | Sheerien Park | 2,000 |
| Beverley Town | Norwood Recreation Ground | |
| Brigg Town | The Hawthorns | 2,500 |
| Clay Cross Town | Mill Lane | |
| Dronfield Town | Stonelow Ground | 500 |
| Glasshoughton Welfare | Glasshoughton Centre | 2,000 |
| Harrogate Railway Athletic | Station View | 3,500 |
| Horbury Town | Slazengers Sports Complex | 300 |
| Louth Town | Marshlands | |
| Nostell Miners Welfare | The Welfare Ground | 1,500 |
| Ollerton Town | Walesby Lane Sports Ground | |
| Parkgate | Roundwood Sports Complex | 1,000 |
| Retford | The Rail | 1,000 |
| Retford United | Cannon Park | 2,000 |
| Selby Town | Richard Street | 5,000 |
| Shirebrook Town | Langwith Road | 2,000 |
| Staveley Miners Welfare | Inkersall Road | 5,000 |
| Swallownest | Miners Welfare Ground | 500 |
| Wakefield | Belle Vue | 9,333 |
| Wombwell Town | Recreation Ground | 2,000 |
| Worsbrough Bridge Athletic | Park Road | 2,000 |
| Yorkshire Amateur | Bracken Edge | 1,550 |
League Cup
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Country | |
| Teams | 42 |
The 2023–24 Northern Counties East Football League League Cup is the 42nd season of the league cup competition of the Northern Counties East Football League.
References
- ↑ "The FA releases National League System club allocations for Steps 3-6 in 2023-24 term". The Football Association. 15 May 2023.
- ↑ "Step 5 to 4 promotion/relegation update". The FA. 16 March 2023.
- ↑ http://www.ncefl.org.uk/news/ncelpremierdivision/2023/6033-pointsdeductionforlions/
- 1 2 "The FA Handbook 2020/2021 Part 29 Standardised Rules Section 12.2". The FA.
- ↑ http://www.ncefl.org.uk/news/nceldivisionone/2023/6097-pointsdeductionforammers/