2025–26 Northern Counties East Football League

Northern Counties East
Football League
Season2025–26
2026–27 →

The 2025–26 Northern Counties East Football League season is the 44th 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 2025.[1]

Premier Division

Northern Counties East League Premier Division
Top goalscorerAlexander Hardwick
(Sheffield)
(29 goals)
Biggest home winSheffield F.C. 10–2 Albion Sports
(20 December 2025)
Biggest away winThackley 0–7 Frickley Athletic
(6 December 2025)
Thackley 0–7 Handsworth
(21 March 2026)
Highest scoringSheffield 10–2 Albion Sports
(20 December 2025)
Highest attendance786
(Frickley Athletic 2–3 Penistone Church, 27 December 2025)
Lowest attendance36
(Eccleshill United 3–1 Penistone Church, 29 November 2025)
Average attendance201
2026–27 →
All statistics correct as of 24 March 2026.

The Premier Division consists of 21 clubs.

The following four teams left the division at the end of the 2024–25 season:

The following five teams joined the division ahead of the 2025–26 season:

League table

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion, qualification or relegation
1 Liversedge (C, P) 34 26 6 2 81 26 +55 84 Promotion to the Northern Premier League Division One East
2 Sheffield (Q) 35 21 8 6 87 37 +50 71 Qualification for the play-offs
3 Beverley Town 35 21 6 8 70 43 +27 69
4 Barton Town 36 20 6 10 65 41 +24 66
5 Tadcaster Albion 36 19 8 9 64 44 +20 65
6 Campion 36 18 9 9 79 51 +28 63
7 Handsworth 36 19 4 13 64 54 +10 61
8 Pickering Town 35 17 5 13 64 57 +7 56
9 Parkgate 36 11 13 12 56 70 −14 46
10 Knaresborough Town 33 11 10 12 61 53 +8 43
11 Golcar United 35 10 11 14 62 56 +6 41
12 Frickley Athletic 36 12 5 19 44 70 −26 41
13 Penistone Church 36 9 12 15 51 76 −25 39
14 Eccleshill United 35 11 5 19 34 56 −22 38
15 Albion Sports 35 11 5 19 64 91 −27 38
16 Thackley 36 10 8 18 36 63 −27 38
17 Bottesford Town 36 10 6 20 54 79 −25 36
18 Horbury Town 36 8 11 17 54 60 −6 35
19 Rossington Main 34 9 8 17 51 58 −7 35 Relegation to Division One
20 Wombwell Town (R) 35 3 8 24 30 86 −56 17
21 Farsley Celtic 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Resigned from the league[a]
Updated to match(es) played on 24 March 2026. Source: Northern Counties East Football League
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored; 4) number of matches won; 5) head-to-head results[3]
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted; (Q) Qualified for the phase indicated; (R) Relegated
Notes:
  1. ^ On 30 June 2025, Farsley Celtic resigned from the NECL, prior to the season's start.[2]

Results table

Home \ Away ALB BAR BEV BOT CAM ECC FRI GCR HAN HOR KNA LIV PAR PEC PIC ROM SHE TAD THA WOM
Albion Sports — 2–5 2–2
Barton Town 3–1 — 1–0 3–0 1–1 0–0 2–0
Beverley Town — 2–1 1–1 2–3 2–2
Bottesford Town 1–4 — 0–1 1–0 0–4
Campion — 4–1 2–2 1–1
Eccleshill United — 2–3 1–2
Frickley Athletic 2–1 — 0–0 0–3 1–0
Golcar United 1–1 1–2 — 0–1 2–1 0–4
Handsworth 0–4 — 2–1 1–4
Horbury Town 2–2 — 0–0 2–4
Knaresborough Town 2–1 2–2 0–0 — 4–2
Liversedge 2–0 2–0 2–0 3–1 — 2–2 4–0
Parkgate 0–0 0–0 2–2 2–0 — 1–1
Penistone Church 0–2 0–0 0–2 1–0 — 1–1 2–1
Pickering Town 3–2 — 2–1
Rossington Main 1–1 1–1 — 0–1
Sheffield 2–0 1–1 —
Tadcaster Albion 3–2 3–0 2–1 — 1–1 3–0
Thackley 3–1 2–4 0–0 0–3 0–1 — 1–0
Wombwell Town 2–1 2–1 —
Updated to match(es) played on 6 September 2025. Source: Northern Counties East Football League
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
For upcoming matches, an "a" indicates there is an article about the rivalry between the two participants.

Stadia and locations

Location of the clubs in the 2025–26 NCEL Premier Division on a map of Yorkshire and the Humber
Club Stadium Location Capacity
Albion Sports Myra Shay Bradford 500
Barton Town Euronics Ground Barton on Humber 3,000
Beverley Town Norwood Recreation Ground Beverley 1,500
Bottesford Town Birch Park Scunthorpe 1,000
Campion Scotchman Road Bradford 1,000
Eccleshill United Cougar Park[a] Keighley 2,225
Frickley Athletic Westfield Lane South Elmsall 2,087
Golcar United Longfield Avenue Huddersfield (Golcar) 1,200
Handsworth Oliver's Mount Sheffield (Darnall) 2,500
Horbury Town Slazengers Sports Complex Wakefield (Horbury) 800
Knaresborough Town Manse Lane Knaresborough 1,000
Liversedge Clayborn Liversedge 2,000
Parkgate Roundwood Sports Complex Rotherham (Rawmarsh) 1,000
Penistone Church Church View Road Penistone 1,000
Pickering Town Mill Lane Pickering 2,000
Rossington Main Welfare Ground Doncaster (New Rossington) 2,000
Sheffield Home of Football Ground Dronfield 2,089
Tadcaster Albion Ings Lane Tadcaster 2,000
Thackley Dennyfield Bradford 3,000
Wombwell Town Recreation Ground Barnsley (Wombwell) 500
  1. ^ home of Keighley Cougars (groundshare)

Division One

Northern Counties East League Division One
Top goalscorerZak Khan
(Route One Rovers)
(49 goals)
Biggest home winHarrogate Railway Athletic 10–0 Glasshoughton Welfare
(3 March 2026)
Biggest away winGlasshoughton Welfare 1–8 Armthorpe Welfare
(4 October 2025)
Highest scoringRoute One Rovers 9–1 Winterton Rangers
(15 October 2025)
South Leeds 6–4 Louth Town
(21 February 2026)
Harrogate Railway Athletic 10–0 Glasshoughton Welfare
(3 March 2026)
Highest attendance565
(Selby Town 1–1 Goole, 16 September 2025)
Lowest attendance23
(Leeds UFCA 2–2 Louth Town, 13 December 2025)
Average attendance149
2026–27 →
All statistics correct as of 24 March 2026.

Division One consists of 22 clubs.

The following six clubs left Division One before the season:

The following six clubs joined Division One before the season:

League table

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion, qualification or relegation
1 Dearne & District (C, P) 38 32 2 4 112 30 +82 98 Promotion to the Premier Division
2 Wakefield 39 26 6 7 102 39 +63 84 Qualification for the play-offs
3 Worsbrough Bridge Athletic 36 25 4 7 90 47 +43 79
4 Harrogate Railway Athletic 37 23 7 7 97 45 +52 76
5 Brigg Town 39 22 6 11 79 53 +26 72
6 Leeds UFCA 36 21 5 10 78 50 +28 68
7 Route One Rovers 37 21 2 14 107 56 +51 65
8 Club Thorne Colliery 37 18 9 10 67 48 +19 63
9 Armthorpe Welfare 37 18 7 12 90 71 +19 61
10 Crowle Colts 38 17 5 16 62 68 −6 56
11 Selby Town 38 15 7 16 66 59 +7 52
12 South Leeds 39 14 7 18 71 85 −14 49
13 Goole 37 15 3 19 78 81 −3 48
14 Maltby Main 37 14 3 20 60 78 −18 45
15 Doncaster City 35 11 8 16 52 70 −18 41
16 Louth Town 38 11 7 20 57 81 −24 40
17 Ilkley Town 39 10 10 19 59 86 −27 40
18 Athersley Recreation 39 11 6 22 55 88 −33 39
19 Appleby Frodingham 37 12 2 23 55 93 −38 38
20 Winterton Rangers 38 9 4 25 45 87 −42 31 Possible relegation to a feeder league
21 Nostell Miners Welfare 38 7 6 25 33 89 −56 27
22 Glasshoughton Welfare (R) 39 2 4 33 34 145 −111 10
Updated to match(es) played on 24 March 2026. Source: Northern Counties East Football League
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored; 4) number of matches won; 5) head-to-head results[3]
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated

Results table

Home \ Away APF ARW ATH BRG CTC CWC D&D DON GHW GOO HRA ILK LUA LOU MAM NMW ROR SLB SLE WAK WIN WBA
Appleby Frodingham — 0–1 0–1 1–0
Armthorpe Welfare — 3–2 4–1 0–2 2–3
Athersley Recreation — 0–1 1–2 1–2 3–1 2–1 0–3
Brigg Town — 1–3 0–4 3–1 3–1
Club Thorne Colliery — 0–1 1–0
Crowle Colts 0–2 3–2 — 0–0 4–1
Dearne & District 2–0 — 2–0 3–1 2–1 1–3 4–0
Doncaster City 2–2 1–1 — 0–3 1–2 2–0
Glasshoughton Welfare 2–2 0–0 — 0–5 3–4 0–4
Goole 0–4 2–3 — 6–0
Harrogate Railway Athletic — 3–0 2–2 3–0 3–0
Ilkley Town 0–1 0–3 — 1–1 3–2
Leeds UFCA 5–1 1–2 2–0 — 1–0
Louth Town 3–2 0–1 2–2 — 1–0 1–2
Maltby Main 2–1 2–1 5–1 0–0 — 2–0
Nostell Miners Welfare 1–2 0–2 — 0–1 1–2
Route One Rovers 0–1 1–2 5–3 3–0 4–1 —
Selby Town 3–1 0–4 1–0 1–1 —
South Leeds 2–1 2–0 3–2 — 4–3
Wakefield 5–1 3–3 2–4 3–0 —
Winterton Rangers 2–3 3–4 1–4 0–1 —
Worsbrough Bridge Athletic 2–1 4–2 0–2 3–2 —
Updated to match(es) played on 6 September 2025. Source: Northern Counties East Football League
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
For upcoming matches, an "a" indicates there is an article about the rivalry between the two participants.

Stadia and locations

Location of the clubs in the 2025–26 NCEL Division One on a map of Yorkshire and the Humber
Club Stadium Location Capacity
Appleby Frodingham Brumby Hall Sports Ground Scunthorpe 1,100
Armthorpe Welfare Welfare Ground Doncaster (Armthorpe) 2,500
Athersley Recreation Sheerien Park Barnsley (Athersley North) 2,000
Brigg Town The Hawthorns Brigg 2,500
Club Thorne Colliery Chesterfield Poultry Stadium Doncaster (Moorends) 1,200
Crowle Colts Windsor Park Crowle 500
Dearne & District Welfare Ground, Goldthorpe Goldthorpe 1,000
Doncaster City Welfare Ground, Armthorpe [a] Doncaster (Armthorpe) 2,500
Glasshoughton Welfare Glasshoughton Centre Castleford (Glasshoughton) 2,000
Goole Victoria Pleasure Grounds Goole 3,000
Harrogate Railway Athletic Station View Harrogate 3,500
Ilkley Town Ben Rhydding Sports club Ilkley 700
Leeds UCFA Crofton Community Centre
[b]		 Wakefield (Crofton) 1,500
Louth Town Marshlands Saltfleetby 500
Maltby Main Muglet Lane Rotherham (Maltby) 2,000
Nostell Miners Welfare Crofton Community Centre
Crofton, West Yorkshire		 Wakefield (Crofton) 1,500
Route One Rovers Myra Shay Bradford 500
Selby Town Richard Street Selby 5,000
South Leeds South Leeds Stadium Leeds (Belle Isle) 3,450
Wakefield Post Office Road Featherstone 6,954
Winterton Rangers The MKM Stadium, Winterton Winterton 3,000
Worsbrough Bridge Athletic Park Road Barnsley (Worsbrough) 2,000
  1. ^ home of Armthorpe Welfare (groundshare)
  2. ^ home of Nostell MW (groundshare)

League Cup

2025–26 Northern Counties East Football League League Cup
Tournament details
CountryEngland
Teams42

The 2025–26 Northern Counties East Football League League Cup is the 43rd season of the league cup competition of the Northern Counties East Football League.

Quarter-finals

Semi-finals

References

  1. ^ "NLS allocations for 2024-25". The Football Association. 17 May 2023.
  2. ^ "Club Statement: Withdrawal from the Northern Counties East League – 2025/26 Season". Farsley Celtic F.C. 30 June 2025.
  3. ^ a b "The FA Handbook 2020/2021 Part 29 Standardised Rules Section 12.2". The FA.
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