The 1988–89 Area League North was the second full season of rugby union within the fourth tier of the English league system, currently known as National League 2 North, and was the counterpart to Area League South (later National League 2 South). By the end of the season Roundhay were crowned league champions, just 1 point ahead of runners up Broughton Park, gaining promotion to the 1989–90 National Division 3.
| 1988–89 Area League North | |
|---|---|
| Countries |  England |
| Champions | Roundhay (1st title) |
| Runners-up | Broughton Park (not promoted) |
| Relegated | Birmingham |
| Matches played | 110 |
At the other end of the table Birmingham were easily the weakest team, failing to register a single point as they suffered a second successive relegation, dropping to Midlands 1.[1] It would be Birmingham's final season as a single entity as they would merge with Solihull (themselves relegated the previous campaign) to form Birmingham & Solihull RFC for the 1989–90 season.[2]
Structure
editEach team played one match against each of the other teams, playing a total of ten matches each. The champions are promoted to National Division 3 and the bottom team was relegated to either North 1 or Midlands 1 depending on their locality.[3]
Participating teams and locations
edit
| Team | Ground | Capacity | City/Area | Previous Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham | Sharmans Cross | 4,000[4] | Solihull, West Midlands | Relegated from National 3 (12th) |
| Broughton Park | Chelsfield Grove | 2,000 (400 seats)[5] | Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Manchester | 6th |
| Durham City | Hollow Drift | 3,000 (500 seats)[6] | Durham, County Durham | 2nd (not promoted) |
| Lichfield | Cooke Fields | 5,460 (460 seats)[7] | Lichfield, Staffordshire | 8th |
| Morley | Scatcherd Lane | 6,000 (1,000 seats)[8] | Morley, West Yorkshire | Relegated from National 3 (11th) |
| Northern | McCracken Park | 1,200 (200 seats)[9] | Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear | 5th |
| Preston Grasshoppers | Lightfoot Green | 2,250 (250 seats)[10] | Preston, Lancashire | 4th |
| Roundhay | Chandos Park | 3,000[11] | Roundhay, Leeds, West Yorkshire | 3rd |
| Stoke-on-Trent | Hartwell Lane | 2,000[12] | Barlaston, Staffordshire | Promoted from Midlands 1 (1st) |
| Stourbridge | Stourton Park | 2,000[13] | Stourbridge, West Midlands | 7th |
| Winnington Park | Burrows Hill | 5,000[14] | Norwich, Cheshire | Promoted from North 1 (1st) |
League table
edit| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Roundhay (C) | 10 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 235 | 81 | +154 | 17 | Promoted |
| 2 | Broughton Park | 10 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 179 | 92 | +87 | 16 | |
| 3 | Stourbridge | 10 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 118 | 79 | +39 | 12 | |
| 4 | Northern | 10 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 182 | 131 | +51 | 10 | |
| 5 | Winnington Park | 10 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 188 | 155 | +33 | 10 | |
| 6 | Preston Grasshoppers | 10 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 161 | 141 | +20 | 10 | |
| 7 | Durham City | 10 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 172 | 157 | +15 | 10 | |
| 8 | Morley | 10 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 135 | 141 | −6 | 10 | |
| 9 | Lichfield | 10 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 112 | 113 | −1 | 9 | |
| 10 | Stoke-on-Trent | 10 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 88 | 138 | −50 | 6 | |
| 11 | Birmingham (R) | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 29 | 371 | −342 | 0 | Relegated |
Rules for classification: Points are awarded as follows:
- 2 pts for a win
- 1 pt for a draw
- 0 pts for a loss
(C) Champions; (R) Relegated
Sponsorship
editArea League North is part of the Courage Clubs Championship and was sponsored by Courage Brewery.
See also
editReferences
edit- 1 2 "Area League 1988/89". The Rugby Archive. Archived from the original on 30 December 2017. Retrieved 25 December 2017.
- ↑ "Club History". Birmingham & Solihull RFC. Retrieved 25 December 2017.
- ↑ "Leagues 1988/99". Birmingham Moseley Rugby Club. Retrieved 18 January 2017.
- ↑ Tony Williams and Bill Mitchell, ed. (1990). "Birmingham and Solihull R.F.C. (Ground Details)". Courage Official Rugby Union Club Directory 1990–91 (3rd ed.). Windsor: Burlington Publishing Co. Ltd. p. 171.
- ↑ Ross Young, ed. (1993). "Broughton Park FC (Ground Details)". Courage Official Rugby Union Club Directory 1993–94. Taunton: Tony Williams Publications. p. 219.
- ↑ Bill Mitchell, ed. (1988). "Durham City". Courage Official Rugby Union Club Directory 1988–89. Horsham: Burlington Publishing Co. Ltd. p. 104.
- ↑ Tony Williams and Bill Mitchell, ed. (1990). "Lichfield R.U.F.C. (Ground Details)". Courage Official Rugby Union Club Directory 1990–91 (3rd ed.). Windsor: Burlington Publishing Co. Ltd. p. 176.
- ↑ Tony Williams and Bill Mitchell, ed. (1990). "Morley R.F.C. (Ground Details)". Courage Official Rugby Union Club Directory 1990–91 (3rd ed.). Windsor: Burlington Publishing Co. Ltd. p. 152.
- ↑ Tony Williams and Bill Mitchell, ed. (1990). "Northern F.C. (Ground Details)". Courage Official Rugby Union Club Directory 1990–91 (3rd ed.). Windsor: Burlington Publishing Co. Ltd. p. 177.
- ↑ Tony Williams and Bill Mitchell, ed. (1990). "Preston Grasshoppers R.F.C. (Ground Details)". Courage Official Rugby Union Club Directory 1990–91 (3rd ed.). Windsor: Burlington Publishing Co. Ltd. p. 179.
- ↑ "Chandos Park, Roundhay R.U.F.C., 1932-2007". The Rugby Journal. Retrieved 28 December 2025.
- ↑ Tony Williams and Bill Mitchell, ed. (1990). "Stoke on Trent R.U.F.C. (Ground Details)". Courage Official Rugby Union Club Directory 1990–91 (3rd ed.). Windsor: Burlington Publishing Co. Ltd. p. 180.
- ↑ Tony Williams and Bill Mitchell, ed. (1990). "Stourbridge R.F.C. (Ground Details)". Courage Official Rugby Union Club Directory 1990–91 (3rd ed.). Windsor: Burlington Publishing Co. Ltd. p. 183.
- ↑ Ross Young, ed. (1993). "Winnington Park RFC (Ground Details)". Courage Official Rugby Union Club Directory 1993–94. Taunton: Tony Williams Publications. p. 285.