The 1979–80 Northern Premier League was the twelfth season of the Northern Premier League, a regional football league in Northern England, the northern areas of the Midlands and North Wales. The season began on 18 August 1979 and concluded on 7 May 1980.

Overview

The League featured twenty-two clubs.

Team changes

The Alliance Premier League was established as a new, national top division of non-League football. Seven Northern Premier League clubs and thirteen clubs from the Premier Division of the Southern League joined the newly created Alliance Premier League. The remaining clubs in the Northern Premier League had effectively been relegated down one tier in the English football league system. The following seven clubs left the League at the end of the previous season: The following six clubs joined the League at the start of the season:

League table

Results

Stadia and locations

Cup results

Challenge Cup

Northern Premier League Shield

Between Champions of NPL Premier Division and Winners of the NPL Cup.

FA Cup

None of the twenty-two Northern Premier League clubs reached the second round: First Round

FA Trophy

Two of the twenty-two Northern Premier League clubs reached the fourth round: Fourth Round Semi-finals Final

End of the season

At the end of the twelfth season of the Northern Premier League, Frickley Athletic applied to join the Alliance Premier League and were successful

Promotion and relegation

The following club left the League at the end of the season: The following club joined the League the following season: