1990–91 Courage National 4 North
| 1990–91 Courage National 4 North | |
|---|---|
| Countries |  England |
| Champions | Otley (1st title) |
| Runners-up | Lichfield (not promoted) |
| Relegated | Birmingham & Solihull, Stoke-on-Trent |
| Matches played | 110 |
The 1990–91 Courage National 4 North was the fourth full season of rugby union within the fourth tier of the English league system, currently known as National League 2 North, and counterpart to the Courage National 4 South (now National League 2 South). It was the first season for the division using the name National 4 North, having been known as Area League North the previous year. The league champions were newly promoted Otley who comfortably achieved their second successive promotion, this time to the 1991–92 National Division 3, five points clear of runners up Lichfield.
At the other end of the table, Birmingham & Solihull and Stoke-on-Trent and were the two sides to be relegated.[1] For Birmingham & Solihull fans it was a familiar story, as previous incarnations of the club (Solihull and Birmingham) had already been relegated from the division. Both sides would drop to Midlands 1.
Structure[edit]
Each 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.
Participating teams and locations[edit]
| Team | Ground | Capacity | City/Area | Previous Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham & Solihull | Sharmans Cross | 2,500 | Solihull, West Midlands | Promoted from Midlands 1 (runners up) |
| Durham City | Hollow Drift | Durham, County Durham | 4th | |
| Kendal | Mint Bridge | 3,000 | Kendal, Cumbria | 5th |
| Harrogate | Claro Road | Harrogate, North Yorkshire | Promoted from North 1 (runners up) | |
| Hereford | Wyeside | Hereford, Herefordshire | Promoted from Midlands 1 (champions) | |
| Lichfield | Cooke Fields | Lichfield, Staffordshire | 7th | |
| Northern | McCracken Park | 1,000 | Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear | 8th |
| Otley | Cross Green | 5,000 | Otley, West Yorkshire | Promoted from North 1 (champions) |
| Preston Grasshoppers | Lightfoot Green | 5,000 | Preston, Lancashire | 6th |
| Stoke-on-Trent | Hartwell Lane | Barlaston, Staffordshire | 11th (not relegated) | |
| Stourbridge | Stourton Park | 3,000 | Stourbridge, West Midlands | 3rd |
| Walsall | Broadway | 1,150 | Walsall, West Midlands | 10th |
| Winnington Park | Burrows Hill | Norwich, Cheshire | 9th |
League table[edit]
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Otley (C) | 12 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 424 | 89 | +335 | 22 | Promotion place |
| 2 | Lichfield | 12 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 177 | 152 | +25 | 17 | |
| 3 | Preston Grasshoppers | 12 | 8 | 0 | 4 | 192 | 108 | +84 | 16 | |
| 4 | Winnington Park | 12 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 167 | 148 | +19 | 15 | |
| 5 | Kendal | 12 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 191 | 132 | +59 | 14 | |
| 6 | Harrogate | 12 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 220 | 204 | +16 | 13 | |
| 7 | Northern | 12 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 148 | 169 | −21 | 13 | |
| 8 | Stourbridge | 12 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 134 | 161 | −27 | 11 | |
| 9 | Walsall | 12 | 5 | 0 | 7 | 149 | 176 | −27 | 10 | |
| 10 | Durham City | 12 | 4 | 1 | 7 | 109 | 185 | −76 | 9 | |
| 11 | Hereford | 12 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 122 | 208 | −86 | 8 | |
| 12 | Stoke-on-Trent (R) | 12 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 126 | 278 | −152 | 5 | Relegation place |
| 13 | Birmingham & Solihull (R) | 12 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 116 | 265 | −149 | 3 |
Rules for classification: Points are awarded as follows:
- 2 pts for a win
- 1 pt for a draw
- 0 pts for a loss
- If teams are level at any stage, difference between points for and against applies
(C) Champions; (R) Relegated
Sponsorship[edit]
Division 4 North is part of the Courage Clubs Championship and was sponsored by Courage Brewery.
See also[edit]
- 1990–91 Courage League National Division One
- 1990–91 Courage League National Division Two
- 1990–91 Courage League National Division Three
- 1990–91 Courage National 4 South
References[edit]
- ^ a b "Courage League - Division 4 1990/91". The Rugby Archive. Archived from the original on 30 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
- ^ Williams, Tony; Mitchell, Bill (eds.). Courage Official Rugby Union Club Directory 1991–92 (4th ed.). Taunton: Football Directories. ISBN 1 869833 15 5.