Country England Level on pyramid 7 Current champion Darlington 1883 Promotion to National League North Domestic cups FA Cup, FA Trophy | Other club(s) from Wales Number of teams 24 Date founded 1968 Levels on pyramid 7 | |
Relegation to NPL Division One North
NPL Division One South Current champions Darlington 1883
(2015–16) Most championships Boston United (4 times) Teams Nantwich Town FC, Ilkeston FC, Hednesford Town FC, Stourbridge FC, Blyth Spartans AFC | ||
The Premier Division is the top division of the Northern Premier League. It is at Step 3 (or level 7) of the National League System, placing it six divisions below the Premier League. For sponsorship reasons, it is often referred to as the Evo-Stik League Premier Division.
The league was founded in 1968, as the northern equivalent of the Southern League, being the highest level non-League division below The Football League. In 1979, upon the creation of the Alliance Premier League, it became a feeder league and fell down one 'level' in the English football league system. Since then, its prestige has fallen further: there are now two levels between it and the Football League.
The division is at the same level as the Premier Divisions of the Southern League and the Isthmian League. At the end of each season two clubs are promoted to the National League North: the league champions, and the winners of a play-off competition held between the 2nd through 5th placed clubs. The four lowest placed teams are relegated to the Northern Premier League Division One North or Northern Premier League Division One South, to be replaced by four promoted teams.
All clubs from the Premier Division also compete in the NPL Challenge Cup and the Peter Swales Shield knockout competition, but not in the other two NPL cup competitions (the President's Cup and the Chairman's Cup). Before 2007–08 Premier Division teams did compete in the Chairman's Cup.