The 2019–20 National League season, known as the Vanarama National League for sponsorship reasons, was the fifth season under

English football Association football is the most popular sport in England, where the first modern set of rules for the code were established in 1863, which were a major influence on the development of the modern Laws of the Game. With over 40,000 association f ...

's new title of

National League The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team s ...

, the sixteenth season consisting of three divisions, and the forty-first season overall. As a result of the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

, the National League season was initially suspended on 16 March 2020 until at least 3 April. On 31 March, this suspension was extended indefinitely until further notice. On 22 April, clubs voted to end the season, with promotions and relegations still "under careful consideration". Due to the knock-on effects of Bury F.C.'s expulsion from

EFL League One The English Football League One (often referred to as League One for short or Sky Bet League One for sponsorship purposes, and known as the Football League One from 2004 until 2016) is the second-highest division of the English Football Leag ...

at the start of the season, it had already been assumed prior to the pandemic that no more than one club instead of the usual two was to be relegated from the

English Football League The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in the world. It was the top-level football league in Engla ...

, and that no more than three clubs instead of the usual four were to be relegated from the National division. The cumulative effect that the early termination of the season and Bury's expulsion from the EFL had on the composition of the National League's three divisions would have been determined. On 17 June 2020, Barrow along with Wealdstone and King's Lynn Town were elected champions of their respective divisions after National League clubs voted to decide the final tables on a points-per-game basis. Barrow were therefore promoted to League Two, with Wealdstone and King's Lynn Town promoted to the National League. AFC Fylde considered mounting a legal challenge with support from Ebbsfleet United against their relegations, but ultimately decided against it. Promotion play-offs were held in all three divisions to decide the additional promotion places. The semi-finals took place over the final two weekends of July, and the finals took place on 1 and 2 August. Clubs were expected to conduct and fund a COVID-19 prevention and testing process, and were allowed to decline their place in the competition without penalty if they were unable to fulfil this requirement. On 1 July, the

Premier League The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Fo ...

committed £200,000 to the National League to help fund the conclusion of their season.

National League

The National League consists of 24 clubs.

Promotion and relegation

Team changes

To National League

Promoted from 2018–19 National League North *

Stockport County Stockport County Football Club are a professional football club in Stockport, England, who compete in EFL League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system. Formed in 1883 as Heaton Norris Rovers, they were renamed Stockport Co ...

Chorley Chorley is a town and the administrative centre of the wider Borough of Chorley in Lancashire, England, north of Wigan, south west of Blackburn, north west of Bolton, south of Preston and north west of Manchester. The town's wealth came ...

Promoted from 2018–19 National League South *

Torquay United Torquay United Football Club is a professional football club based in Torquay, Devon, England. The team currently compete in the , the fifth tier of English football. They have played their home matches at Plainmoor since 1921 and are nickna ...

Woking Woking ( ) is a town and borough status in the United Kingdom, borough in northwest Surrey, England, around from central London. It appears in Domesday Book as ''Wochinges'' and its name probably derives from that of a Anglo-Saxon settlement o ...

Relegated from 2018–19 League Two * Yeovil Town *

Notts County Notts County Football Club is a professional association football club based in Nottingham, England. The team participate in the National League, the fifth tier of the English football league system. Founded on the 25 November 1862, it is the ...

From National League

Promoted to 2019–20 League Two *

Leyton Orient Leyton Orient Football Club is a professional football club based in Leyton, East London, England, who compete in , the fourth tier of the English football league system. They are the second oldest football club in London to play at a profession ...

* Salford City Relegated to 2019–20 National League North *

Gateshead Gateshead () is a large town in northern England. It is on the River Tyne's southern bank, opposite Newcastle to which it is joined by seven bridges. The town contains the Millennium Bridge, The Sage, and the Baltic Centre for Contemporary ...

Relegated to 2019–20 National League South *

Maidstone United Maidstone United Football Club is a professional football club based in Maidstone, Kent, England. The team compete in the National League, at the fifth tier of the English football league system. The current club filled the void left by the ol ...

Braintree Town Braintree Town Football Club is a semi-professional football club based in Braintree, Essex, England. They are currently members of and play at Cressing Road. History The club was formed on 24 September 1898 as Manor Works, the works team of ...

* Havant & Waterlooville

Stadia and locations

Personnel and sponsoring

Managerial changes

National League table

Play-offs

Quarter-finals

Semi-finals

Final

Results table

Top scorers

Monthly awards

Each month the Motorama National League announces their official Player of the Month and Manager of the Month.

National League North

The National League North consists of 22 teams.

Team changes

To National League North

Promoted from 2018–19 Northern Premier League Premier Division *

Farsley Celtic Farsley Celtic Football Club is a football club based in Farsley, West Yorkshire, England. The club was founded in 1908, but folded in 2010 and were reformed as Farsley AFC before returning to the name Farsley Celtic in 2015.

Promoted from 2018–19 Southern League Premier Division Central *

Kettering Town Kettering Town Football Club is a football club based in Burton Latimer, Northamptonshire, England. They are currently members of and play at Latimer Park in Burton Latimer. Kettering were the first club to wear sponsorship on their shirts in ...

* King's Lynn Town Relegated from

2018–19 National League 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 ...

Transferred from 2018–19 National League South * Gloucester City

From National League North

Promoted to 2019–20 National League *

Relegated to 2019–20 Northern Premier League Premier Division *

Ashton United Ashton United Football Club is a football club in Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester, England. They are currently members of and play at Hurst Cross. History The club was founded in 1878 as Hurst Football Club and the earliest known match r ...

* F.C. United of Manchester Relegated to 2019–20 Southern League Premier Division Central *

Nuneaton Borough Nuneaton Borough Football Club is an English football club that is based in Nuneaton, Warwickshire. The men's 1st team competes in the , the seventh tier of English football. In 1889, Nuneaton St. Nicholas FC was the first team in Nuneaton t ...

Stadia and locations

National League North table

Play-offs

Quarter-finals

Semi-finals

Final

Results

Managerial changes

Top scorers

Monthly Awards

Each month the Motorama National League announces their official Player of the Month and Manager of the Month.

National League South

The National League South consists of 22 teams.

Team changes

To National League South

Promoted from 2018–19 Isthmian League Premier Division * Dorking Wanderers *

Tonbridge Angels Tonbridge Angels Football Club is a professional football club based in Tonbridge, Kent, England. The club was founded as Tonbridge Football Club in 1947 and became known as "The Angels" in 1949 when they started playing at the Angel Ground. Sin ...

Promoted from 2018–19 Southern League Premier Division South * Weymouth Relegated from

* Havant & Waterlooville *

From National League South

Promoted to 2019–20 National League *

Relegated to 2019–20 Isthmian League Premier Division * East Thurrock United Relegated to 2019–20 Southern League Premier Division South *

Truro City Truro City Football Club ( kw, Klub Peldroes Truru) is an English football club based in Truro, Cornwall. They currently play in the Southern League, at the seventh tier of the English football league system. They are the highest ranked club ...

Weston-super-Mare Weston-super-Mare, also known simply as Weston, is a seaside town in North Somerset, England. It lies by the Bristol Channel south-west of Bristol between Worlebury Hill and Bleadon Hill. It includes the suburbs of Mead Vale, Milton, Oldmix ...

Transferred to 2019–20 National League North * Gloucester City

Stadia and locations

National League South table

Play-offs

Quarter-final

Semi-finals

Final

Results table

Managerial changes

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:2019-20 National League National League (English football) seasons 5 Eng Eng

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...