2001-2002 WHAT ELSE...

YEOVIL Town, who finished 14 points behind Boston and Dagenham in third in the Conference, lifted the FA Trophy at Villa Park. Carl Alford and the late Adam Stansfield netted the goals in front of almost 19,000 fans as Town beat Stevenage Borough 2-0.

STALYBRIDGE Celtic went straight back from the Conference to the Northern Premier League, and they were joined in the relegation zone by Hayes and Dover Athletic. Fellow promoted teams Farnborough Town and Margate finished seventh and eighth respectively. Barnet, who had been relegated from the Football League the previous season, ended up in fifth place.

GRAVESEND & Northfleet, now of course Ebbsfleet United, were promoted to the Conference after winning the Isthmian League, four points ahead of Canvey Island. The climax of the season sees the Isthmian Leagues split into the North and South system, which remains today and many clubs earned a step up the Pyramid due to this.

BURTON Albion began their climb up the leagues, winning the Northern Premier League’s Premier Division by a margin of 15 points, scoring 106 goals in the process. This was the first time the Brewers were promoted to the Football Conference. Gretna spend their last season in English football, finishing seventh in NPL Division One.

A LAST-DAY victory at Tiverton Town sees Kettering Town promoted to the Conference, two points ahead of Tamworth. Kettering lost nine times in the campaign, compared to Tamworth’s five, but 13 draws for the Lambs in the end cost them dear. Meanwhile, Havant & Waterlooville, Crawley Town and Newport County make up the top five.

MANAGER Andy Gowans leads Whitley Bay to the first of four FA Vase victories, where a spectacular Ian Chandler header in extra-time helps beat their Eastern League rivals Tiptree United 2-0 in the final at Villa Park. Bay would go on to lift the Vase for three consecutive years from 2009-11.