2021–22 United Counties League

The United Counties League operated three divisions in the English football league system for the first time in the 2021-22 season. These were the Premier Divisions North and South at Step 5 and Division One at Step 6.

United Counties League
Season2021–22

The allocations for Steps 5 and 6 were announced by The Football Association on 18 May 2021,[1] and were subject to appeal.

After the abandonment of the 2019–20 and 2020–21 seasons due to the COVID-19 pandemic in England, numerous promotions were decided on a points per game basis over the previous two seasons.[2][3][4] As part of the National League System's restructure, the FA's Alliance and Leagues Committees recommended the league's expansion to gain another Step 5 division.[5] At the end of the past season, Shepshed Dynamo left the league through promotion to the new Northern Premier League Division One Midlands, the only former Premier Division club to do so.

Premier Division North

The remaining nine teams from the old Premier Division, together with the following, formed the Premier Division North for 2021–22:

Premier Division North table

Prior to the first match(es) being played the Pos column shows alphabetic sequence of teams rather than league position.

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion, qualification or relegation
1 Long Eaton United 18 15 3 0 56 10 +46 48 Promotion to Step 4
2 Gresley Rovers 16 12 3 1 42 12 +30 39 Promotion to Step 4 or qualification to inter-step play-offs[lower-alpha 1]
3 Anstey Nomads 16 11 3 2 52 17 +35 36
4 Boston Town 16 11 3 2 40 24 +16 36
5 Loughborough University 17 10 3 4 39 20 +19 33
6 Heather St John's 16 9 3 4 37 28 +9 30
7 Melton Town 17 7 5 5 31 25 +6 26
8 Leicester Nirvana 17 8 1 8 42 38 +4 25
9 Skegness Town 17 8 1 8 26 26 0 25
10 Heanor Town 17 6 3 8 28 23 +5 21
11 Newark 17 6 2 9 31 45 −14 20
12 Eastwood Community 16 6 1 9 28 35 −7 19
13 Deeping Rangers 17 5 3 9 19 32 −13 18
14 Sleaford Town 17 5 2 10 26 39 −13 17
15 Quorn 18 4 4 10 25 38 −13 16
16 Pinchbeck United 18 3 3 12 17 49 −32 12
17 Selston 17 3 1 13 19 48 −29 10 Possible relegation to Step 6[lower-alpha 2]
18 Holbeach United 17 0 2 15 4 53 −49 2 Relegation to Step 6
Updated to match(es) played on 11 December 2021. Source: FA Full-Time
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored; 4) number of matches won; 5) head-to-head results[8]
Notes:
  1. The 10 runners-up from Step 5 with the most points per game (PPG) will be automatically promoted. The remaining six runners-up will contest one-off inter-step play-off matches with six third-from-bottom clubs with the fewest PPG from the eight divisions at Step 4 at the end of the 2021–22 season. The winner of each match will rise to or stays in Step 4 for the 2022–23 season, while each loser will drop to or remains in Step 5.[6]
  2. Twelve clubs with the most PPG out of 16 that are second-from-bottom at Step 5 will be reprieved.[7]

Stadia and locations
Location of the clubs in the 2021–22 United Counties League Premier Division North
Club Location Stadium Capacity
Anstey NomadsAnsteyCropston Road
Boston TownBostonTattershall Road6,000
Deeping RangersMarket DeepingHaydon Whitham Stadium2,000
EastwoodEastwoodCoronation Park
Gresley RoversChurch GresleyMoat Ground2,400
Heather St John'sHeatherSt John's Park
Heanor TownHeanorTown Ground
Holbeach UnitedHolbeachCarters Park4,000
Leicester NirvanaLeicesterHamilton Park
Long Eaton UnitedLong EatonGrange Park3,000
Loughborough UniversityLoughboroughLoughborough University Stadium3,000
Melton TownMelton MowbrayMelton Sports Village
NewarkNewark-on-TrentHawton Lane
Pinchbeck UnitedSpaldingSir Halley Stewart Field2,700
QuornQuornFarley Way Stadium1,400
SelstonSelstonMansfield Road
Skegness TownSkegnessVertigo Stadium
Sleaford TownSleafordEslaforde Park1,000

Premier Division South

The remaining 10 teams from the old Premier Division, together with the following, formed the Premier Division South for 2021–22:

Promoted from Division One

Promoted from the Midland League

Transferred from the Eastern Counties League

Transferred from the Hellenic League

Transferred from the Midland League

Transferred from the Spartan South Midlands League

Premier Division South table

Prior to the first match(es) being played the Pos column shows alphabetic sequence of teams rather than league position.

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion, qualification or relegation
1 Hinckley LRFC 19 19 0 0 60 10 +50 57 Promotion to Step 4
2 Harborough Town 19 17 1 1 59 9 +50 52 Promotion to Step 4 or qualification to inter-step play-offs[lower-alpha 1]
3 Newport Pagnell Town 19 15 1 3 49 19 +30 46
4 Coventry United 20 14 1 5 55 26 +29 43
5 Lutterworth Town 20 13 2 5 52 28 +24 41
6 Rugby Town 20 13 2 5 48 30 +18 41
7 Wellingborough Town 21 11 3 7 34 29 +5 36
8 Coventry Sphinx 19 11 0 8 45 25 +20 33
9 Godmanchester Rovers 20 8 2 10 38 39 −1 26
10 Bugbrooke St Michaels 22 9 2 11 35 42 −7 26[lower-alpha 2]
11 Long Buckby 22 8 2 12 43 61 −18 26
12 Eynesbury Rovers 22 7 3 12 33 45 −12 24
13 Cogenhoe United 21 6 5 10 26 37 −11 23
14 GNG Oadby Town 19 6 4 9 33 36 −3 22
15 Easington Sports 20 6 4 10 30 34 −4 22
16 Potton United 19 5 6 8 31 39 −8 21
17 Desborough Town 20 4 4 12 27 38 −11 16
18 Rothwell Corinthians 20 2 3 15 20 47 −27 9
19 Northampton ON Chenecks 21 1 3 17 14 68 −54 6
20 Biggleswade United 19 2 0 17 19 89 −70 6 Possible relegation to Step 6[lower-alpha 3]
21 Peterborough Northern Star 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Folded midway through the season, record expunged
Updated to match(es) played on 11 December 2021. Source: FA Full-Time
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored; 4) number of matches won; 5) head-to-head results[8]
Notes:
  1. The 10 runners-up from Step 5 with the most points per game (PPG) will be automatically promoted. The remaining six runners-up will contest one-off inter-step play-off matches with six third-from-bottom clubs with the fewest PPG from the eight divisions at Step 4 at the end of the 2021–22 season. The winner of each match will rise to or stays in Step 4 for the 2022–23 season, while each loser will drop to or remains in Step 5.[6]
  2. Bugbrooke St Michaels were deducted 3 points for fielding an ineligible player against Rothwell Corinthians on 3 August 2021.
  3. Twelve clubs with the most PPG out of 16 that are second-from-bottom at Step 5 will be reprieved.[7]

Stadia and locations
Location of the clubs in the 2021–22 United Counties League Premier Division South
Club Location Stadium Capacity
Biggleswade UnitedBiggleswadeSecond Meadow2,000
Bugbrooke St. MichaelsBugbrookeBirds Close2,500
Cogenhoe UnitedCogenhoeCompton Park5,000
Coventry SphinxCoventrySphinx Drive
Coventry UnitedButts Park Arena[lower-alpha 1]4,000
Desborough TownDesboroughWaterworks Field
Easington SportsBanburyAddison Road
Eynesbury RoversEynesburyAlfred Hall Memorial Ground
GNG Oadby TownOadbyWigston Road3,000
Godmanchester RoversGodmanchesterBearscroft Lane
Harborough TownMarket HarboroughBowden Park
Hinckley LRFCHinckleyLeicester Road Stadium4,329
Long BuckbyLong BuckbyStation Road1,000
Lutterworth TownLutterworthDunley Way
Newport Pagnell TownNewport PagnellWillen Road2,000
Northampton ON ChenecksNorthamptonThe Old Northamptonians Sports Ground1,000
Peterborough Northern StarPeterboroughBranch Bros Stadium600
Potton UnitedPottonThe Hollow
Rothwell CorinthiansRothwellSergeants Lawn
Rugby TownRugbyButlin Road6,000
Wellingborough TownWellingboroughLondon Road2,500
  1. home of Coventry Rugby Club (groundshare)

Division One

At the end of the 2020–21 season, the following teams left the division:

The remaining nine teams, together with the following, formed Division One for 2021–22:

Division One table

Prior to the first match(es) being played the Pos column shows alphabetic sequence of teams rather than league position.

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion, qualification or relegation
1 Hinckley 25 17 4 4 81 31 +50 55 Promotion to Step 5
2 Radford 24 18 0 6 53 25 +28 54 Qualification for the play-offs
3 Aylestone Park 25 16 3 6 87 33 +54 51
4 Kimberley Miners Welfare 22 16 2 4 64 18 +46 50
5 Belper United 23 16 2 5 61 29 +32 50
6 Hucknall Town 24 14 5 5 65 37 +28 47
7 Birstall United 25 13 5 7 49 37 +12 44
8 Harrowby United 25 13 3 9 64 45 +19 42
9 Dunkirk 24 11 6 7 51 39 +12 39
10 Barrow Town 25 10 7 8 44 42 +2 37
11 Saffron Dynamo 24 10 6 8 45 48 −3 36
12 Gedling Miners Welfare 24 11 2 11 49 57 −8 35
13 St Andrews 24 10 3 11 49 39 +10 33
14 Kirby Muxloe 25 10 3 12 55 58 −3 33
15 West Bridgford 24 9 2 13 43 47 −4 29
16 Holwell Sports 25 9 2 14 46 59 −13 29
17 Lutterworth Athletic 23 7 4 12 38 53 −15 25
18 Clifton All Whites 24 7 4 13 41 63 −22 25
19 Bourne Town 23 7 4 12 36 60 −24 25
20 Ingles 24 6 2 16 29 55 −26 20
21 Graham Street Prims 24 3 4 17 30 67 −37 13 Possible relegation to feeder leagues
22 Blackstones 24 3 4 17 27 98 −71 13
23 Borrowash Victoria 24 2 1 21 12 79 −67 7
Updated to match(es) played on 11 December 2021. Source: FA Full-Time
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored; 4) number of matches won; 5) head-to-head results[8]

Stadia and locations
Location of the clubs in the 2021–22 United Counties League Division One
Club Location Stadium Capacity
Aylestone ParkLeicesterSaffron Lane1,128
Barrow TownBarrow upon SoarBarrow Road
Belper UnitedBelperChristchurch Meadow[lower-alpha 1]
Birstall UnitedBirstallMeadow Lane
BlackstonesStamfordLincoln Road1,000
Borrowash VictoriaSpondonBorrowash Road[lower-alpha 2]
Bourne TownBourneAbbey Lawn2,000
Clifton All WhitesNottingham (Clifton)Green Lane
DunkirkNottingham (Dunkirk)Lenton Lane
Gedling Miners WelfareGedlingPlains Road
Graham Street PrimsSpondonBorrowash Road[lower-alpha 3]
Harrowby UnitedGranthamDickens Road
Hinckley AFCHeatherSt. John's Park[lower-alpha 4]
Holwell SportsAsfordby HillWelby Road1,000
Hucknall TownHucknallWatnall Road
InglesShepshedThe Dovecote Stadium[lower-alpha 5]
Kimberley Miners WelfareKimberleyStag Ground
Kirby MuxloeKirby MuxloeRatby Lane3,000
Lutterworth AthleticLutterworthHall Park
RadfordNottingham (Radford)Selhurst Street
Saffron DynamoCosbyCambridge Road
St AndrewsLeicesterCanal Street1,000
West BridgfordWest BridgfordRegatta Way
  1. home of Belper Town (groundshare)
  2. part of the same complex as Graham Street Prims
  3. part of the same complex as Borrowash Victoria
  4. Groundshare with Heather St John's
  5. home of Shepshed Albion (groundshare)

References
  1. "We have provided an update on NLS allocations at Steps 3-6 for the 2021-22 season". The Football Association. 18 May 2021. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  2. "Coronavirus: All football below National League to end". BBC Sport. 26 March 2020. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  3. "FA provides update on NLS Steps 3-6". The Football Association. 24 February 2021. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  4. "EXPLAINED: The 2021-22 Non-League restructure". The Non-League Paper. 12 April 2021. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  5. "UCL to expand". Uhlsport United Counties Football League. 13 April 2021. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  6. Bayliss, Ollie [@Ollie_Bayliss] (2 November 2021). "One of the other significant changes is promotion from Step 5 to Step 4. At Step 5, the best 10 second-placed teams now go up automatically. The other second-placed teams at Step 5 will play a play-off against a club third-bottom in Step 4" (Tweet). Retrieved 4 December 2021 – via Twitter.
  7. Bayliss, Ollie [@Ollie_Bayliss] (2 November 2021). "As a result of gaps in the non-league pyramid, the FA has clarified its position on promotions & relegations this season: ♦ Just 1 club per division will be relegated from the National League North & South ♦ Just 9 [recte 8] Step 3 clubs will be relegated (rather than 16 [recte 15])" (Tweet). Retrieved 4 December 2021 – via Twitter.
  8. "The FA Handbook 2020/2021 Part 29 Standardised Rules Section 12.2". The FA.
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