1988–89 Area League North
| 1988–89 Area League North | |
|---|---|
| Countries | England |
| Champions | Roundhay (1st title) |
| Runners-up | Broughton Park (not promoted) |
| Relegated | Birmingham |
| Matches played | 110 |
The 1988–89 Area League North was the second full season of rugby union within the fourth tier of the English league system, currently known as National League 2 North, and was the counterpart to Area League South (later National League 2 South). By the end of the season Roundhay were crowned league champions, just 1 point ahead of runners up Broughton Park, gaining promotion to the 1989–90 National Division 3.
At the other end of the table Birmingham were easily the weakest team, failing to register a single point as they suffered a second successive relegation, dropping to Midlands 1.[1] It would be Birmingham's final season as a single entity as they would merge with Solihull (themselves relegated the previous campaign) to form Birmingham & Solihull RFC for the 1989–90 season.[2]
Structure
Each team played one match against each of the other teams, playing a total of ten matches each. The champions are promoted to National Division 3 and the bottom team was relegated to either North 1 or Midlands 1 depending on their locality.[3]
Participating teams and locations
| Team | Ground | Capacity | City/Area | Previous Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham | Sharmans Cross | 4,000[4] | Solihull, West Midlands | Relegated from National 3 (12th) |
| Broughton Park | Chelsfield Grove | 2,000 (400 seats)[5] | Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Manchester | 6th |
| Durham City | Hollow Drift | 3,000 (500 seats)[6] | Durham, County Durham | 2nd (not promoted) |
| Lichfield | Cooke Fields | 5,460 (460 seats)[7] | Lichfield, Staffordshire | 8th |
| Morley | Scatcherd Lane | 6,000 (1,000 seats)[8] | Morley, West Yorkshire | Relegated from National 3 (11th) |
| Northern | McCracken Park | 1,200 (200 seats)[9] | Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear | 5th |
| Preston Grasshoppers | Lightfoot Green | 2,250 (250 seats)[10] | Preston, Lancashire | 4th |
| Roundhay | Chandos Park | 3,000[11] | Roundhay, Leeds, West Yorkshire | 3rd |
| Stoke-on-Trent | Hartwell Lane | 2,000[12] | Barlaston, Staffordshire | Promoted from Midlands 1 (1st) |
| Stourbridge | Stourton Park | 2,000[13] | Stourbridge, West Midlands | 7th |
| Winnington Park | Burrows Hill | 5,000[14] | Norwich, Cheshire | Promoted from North 1 (1st) |
League table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Roundhay (C) | 10 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 235 | 81 | +154 | 17 | Promoted |
| 2 | Broughton Park | 10 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 179 | 92 | +87 | 16 | |
| 3 | Stourbridge | 10 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 118 | 79 | +39 | 12 | |
| 4 | Northern | 10 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 182 | 131 | +51 | 10 | |
| 5 | Winnington Park | 10 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 188 | 155 | +33 | 10 | |
| 6 | Preston Grasshoppers | 10 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 161 | 141 | +20 | 10 | |
| 7 | Durham City | 10 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 172 | 157 | +15 | 10 | |
| 8 | Morley | 10 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 135 | 141 | −6 | 10 | |
| 9 | Lichfield | 10 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 112 | 113 | −1 | 9 | |
| 10 | Stoke-on-Trent | 10 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 88 | 138 | −50 | 6 | |
| 11 | Birmingham (R) | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 29 | 371 | −342 | 0 | Relegated |
Rules for classification: Points are awarded as follows:
- 2 pts for a win
- 1 pt for a draw
- 0 pts for a loss
(C) Champions; (R) Relegated
Sponsorship
Area League North is part of the Courage Clubs Championship and was sponsored by Courage Brewery.
See also
- 1988–89 National Division 1
- 1988–89 National Division 2
- 1988–89 National Division 3
- 1988–89 Area League South
References
- ^ a b "Area League 1988/89". The Rugby Archive. Archived from the original on 30 December 2017. Retrieved 25 December 2017.
- ^ "Club History". Birmingham & Solihull RFC. Retrieved 25 December 2017.
- ^ "Leagues 1988/99". Birmingham Moseley Rugby Club. Retrieved 18 January 2017.
- ^ Tony Williams and Bill Mitchell, ed. (1990). "Birmingham and Solihull R.F.C. (Ground Details)". Courage Official Rugby Union Club Directory 1990–91 (3rd ed.). Windsor: Burlington Publishing Co. Ltd. p. 171.
- ^ Ross Young, ed. (1993). "Broughton Park FC (Ground Details)". Courage Official Rugby Union Club Directory 1993–94. Taunton: Tony Williams Publications. p. 219.
- ^ Bill Mitchell, ed. (1988). "Durham City". Courage Official Rugby Union Club Directory 1988–89. Horsham: Burlington Publishing Co. Ltd. p. 104.
- ^ Tony Williams and Bill Mitchell, ed. (1990). "Lichfield R.U.F.C. (Ground Details)". Courage Official Rugby Union Club Directory 1990–91 (3rd ed.). Windsor: Burlington Publishing Co. Ltd. p. 176.
- ^ Tony Williams and Bill Mitchell, ed. (1990). "Morley R.F.C. (Ground Details)". Courage Official Rugby Union Club Directory 1990–91 (3rd ed.). Windsor: Burlington Publishing Co. Ltd. p. 152.
- ^ Tony Williams and Bill Mitchell, ed. (1990). "Northern F.C. (Ground Details)". Courage Official Rugby Union Club Directory 1990–91 (3rd ed.). Windsor: Burlington Publishing Co. Ltd. p. 177.
- ^ Tony Williams and Bill Mitchell, ed. (1990). "Preston Grasshoppers R.F.C. (Ground Details)". Courage Official Rugby Union Club Directory 1990–91 (3rd ed.). Windsor: Burlington Publishing Co. Ltd. p. 179.
- ^ "Chandos Park, Roundhay R.U.F.C., 1932-2007". The Rugby Journal. Retrieved 28 December 2025.
- ^ Tony Williams and Bill Mitchell, ed. (1990). "Stoke on Trent R.U.F.C. (Ground Details)". Courage Official Rugby Union Club Directory 1990–91 (3rd ed.). Windsor: Burlington Publishing Co. Ltd. p. 180.
- ^ Tony Williams and Bill Mitchell, ed. (1990). "Stourbridge R.F.C. (Ground Details)". Courage Official Rugby Union Club Directory 1990–91 (3rd ed.). Windsor: Burlington Publishing Co. Ltd. p. 183.
- ^ Ross Young, ed. (1993). "Winnington Park RFC (Ground Details)". Courage Official Rugby Union Club Directory 1993–94. Taunton: Tony Williams Publications. p. 285.