The National League is an association football league in England consisting of three divisions, the National League, National League North, and National League South. It was called the "Alliance Premier League" from 1979 until 1986. Between 1986 and 2015, the league was known as the "Football Conference".
The National League is the highest level of the National League System and fifth-highest of the overall English football league system. It is the highest league that semi-professional teams in the English football league system play. Notable former English Football League clubs that compete in the National League include: Oldham Athletic, Rochdale, York City, Hartlepool United and Southend United. The National League is the lowest division in the English football pyramid organised on a nationwide basis. Formerly the Conference National, the league was renamed the National League from the 2015–16 season.
FC Halifax Town is a professional association football club based in Halifax, West Yorkshire, England. They currently compete in the National League, the fifth level of English football league system, as of the 2023–24 season.
The 2012–13 Football Conference season was the ninth season in which the Conference consisted of three divisions and the thirty-third season overall. The Conference covers the top two levels of Non-League football in England. The Conference Premier is the fifth highest level of the overall pyramid, whilst the Conference North and Conference South exist at the sixth level. The Conference was won by Mansfield Town who together with Newport County, the winner of the play-off of the National division, were promoted to Football League Two, while the bottom four were relegated to the North or South divisions. The champions of the North and South divisions were promoted to the National division, alongside the play-off winners from each division. The bottom three in each of the North and South divisions were relegated to the premier divisions of the Northern Premier League, Isthmian League or Southern League.
The 1996–97 FA Trophy was the twenty-eighth season of the FA Trophy.
The 2013–14 Football Conference season was the tenth season with the Conference consisting of three divisions and the thirty-fourth season overall. The Conference covers the top two levels of Non-League football in England. The Conference Premier is the fifth highest level of the overall pyramid, whilst the Conference North and Conference South exist at the sixth level. The top team and the winner of the playoff of the Premier division will be promoted to Football League Two, while the bottom four are relegated to the North or South divisions. The champions of the North and South divisions will be promoted to the Premier division, alongside the play-off winners from each division. The bottom three in each of the North and South divisions are relegated to the premier divisions of the Northern Premier League, Isthmian League or Southern League.
The 2014–15 FA Cup, also called the 2014–15 FA Challenge Cup, was the 134th occurrence of the FA Cup, the main domestic cup in English football and the oldest knockout competition in the world. It was the first season when the BBC and BT Sport hosted televised matches, seven years after the BBC lost the rights to ITV. The 2014–15 season's Cup also marked the first time that 3G artificial pitches were allowed in all rounds of the competition, designed to lower costs for maintenance. After Queens Park Rangers, Luton Town, Oldham Athletic and Preston North End trialled artificial pitches in the 1980s, they were made illegal in 1995.
George Thomas Smith is an English footballer who plays as a left back for National League North club Farsley Celtic. He has previously played in the English Football League for Barnsley, Crawley Town, Northampton Town and Chesterfield, and in the National League for Bradford Park Avenue, Gateshead, Dover Athletic, Boston United, Harrogate Town and Darlington.
The 2015–16 FA Trophy Final was the 47th final of the FA Trophy. The match was contested by FC Halifax Town and Grimsby Town. Grimsby Town were beaten finalists in 2013, but it was FC Halifax Town's first final and their first visit to Wembley Stadium. For the first time the final of the FA Vase was played on the same day at the same venue, contested by Hereford and Morpeth Town. Both matches were televised in the UK on BT Sport.
The 2015–16 FA Cup was the 135th edition of the oldest recognised football tournament in the world. It was sponsored by Emirates, and known as The Emirates FA Cup for sponsorship purposes. It began with the extra preliminary round on 15 August 2015, and concluded with the final on 21 May 2016. The FA Cup winner qualifies for the 2016–17 UEFA Europa League group stage.
The 2018–19 FA Cup was the 138th edition of the oldest football tournament in the world. It was sponsored by Emirates and known as The Emirates FA Cup for sponsorship purposes. It started with the extra preliminary round on the weekend of 11 August 2018 and concluded with the final on 18 May 2019.
The 2018–19 National League season, known as the Vanarama National League for sponsorship reasons, was the fourth season under English football's new title of National League, fifteenth season consisting of three divisions and the fortieth season overall.
The 2019–20 National League season, known as the Vanarama National League for sponsorship reasons, was the fifth season under English football's new title of National League, the sixteenth season consisting of three divisions, and the forty-first season overall.
The 2021–22 FA Cup was the 141st season and marked the 150th anniversary of the first Football Association Challenge Cup, the oldest football tournament in the world, started in the 1871–72 season. It was sponsored by Emirates and was known as the Emirates FA Cup for sponsorship purposes.
The 2022–23 season was the 158th season in the existence of Wrexham A.F.C. and their 15th consecutive season in the National League. Wrexham were one of the five Welsh football clubs in the English football league system. The season was unusual in that the fixture dates of domestic and European competitions were consistently postponed to accommodate the coverage of the 2022 FIFA World Cup played in November and December 2022 in Qatar.
The 2022–23 Southend United F.C. season was the club's 117th season in their history and the second season in the National League. Along with the National League, the club also participated in the FA Cup and FA Trophy.
The 2022–23 season is the 128th in Oldham Athletic's history and the club's first season outside the Football League since 1906-07. The club will compete in the National League, the FA Cup and the FA Trophy.
The 2023–24 season is the 117th season in the history of Rochdale and their first outside the Football League since the 1920–21 season. The club will compete in the National League, the FA Cup and the FA Trophy.
The 2023–24 National League season, known as the Vanarama National League for sponsorship reasons, was the ninth season under the title of the National League, the twenty-first season consisting of three divisions, and the forty-fifth season overall.
The 2023–24 season is the 129th in Oldham Athletic's history, and the club's second season since dropping out of the Football League. The club will compete in the National League, the FA Cup and the FA Trophy.
