Everything changes so fast in the sixth tier. If you haven't checked the conference north league table—or the National League North as we officially call it now—since Christmas, you’re basically looking at a different sport. We are deep into January 2026, and the promotion race is absolute chaos. It’s one of those years where the "big" clubs are sweating, and the newcomers are basically acting like they own the place.
Honestly, South Shields sitting at the top isn’t a massive shock if you’ve followed their trajectory, but the gap at the summit is paper-thin. They’ve got 56 points from 25 games, but AFC Fylde is breathing down their necks with 54. One bad Saturday, one dodgy penalty decision, and the whole thing flips.
The Fight for the Top Spot
South Shields has been incredibly clinical. They’ve only lost three times all season, which is honestly absurd for this level of football. Their goal difference of +35 tells you everything you need to know; they aren't just winning, they’re usually dominant. Paul Blackett and Cedwyn Scott have been a nightmare for defenders, racking up 15 and 12 goals respectively.
Then you’ve got Merthyr Town. Talk about a story. They’re sitting in third with 53 points. They’ve played 26 games—one more than the two above them—but they are the highest scorers in the league. 62 goals! They play this sort of "we'll score more than you" brand of football that is terrifying for their own fans but brilliant for neutrals. They just beat Worksop 5-3 in a game that felt more like a basketball match.
It’s worth noting that Kidderminster Harriers are the form team right now. They are currently in fourth with 46 points, and they’ve won five on the bounce. They’re the "grind it out" specialists, only conceding 27 goals. If the top three start stuttering under the pressure of the Tuesday-Saturday-Tuesday grind, Kiddy is the team most likely to pounce.
The Play-off Scramble is a Mess
The mid-section of the conference north league table is where things get really weird.
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Radcliffe and Scarborough Athletic are both tied on 40 points. Radcliffe has a game in hand, which is gold dust this time of year, but Scarborough’s 1-0 win over Chester recently showed they have the grit to stay in the top seven.
Then you look at the chasing pack. Darlington is on 36, and then there’s a massive logjam of four teams all on 34 points:
- Buxton
- Curzon Ashton
- Spennymoor Town
- Marine
Marine and Spennymoor both have games in hand, meaning the "as it stands" table is a total lie. If Spennymoor wins their two extra games, they jump right into the thick of the play-off conversation. It’s the kind of league where you can be 11th on Saturday morning and 5th by Tuesday night.
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Relegation Panic and the Paul Hurst Factor
Down at the bottom, it’s getting grim. Leamington is propping up the table with only 14 points. They’ve lost 15 games. It’s a long way back for them.
The real tension is around the 20th to 23rd spots. Hereford, a club that definitely feels it belongs higher up the pyramid, is struggling in 23rd with 21 points. They’ve played the fewest games in the league (only 21), so there’s a path out, but games in hand are only useful if you actually win them. Alfreton Town and Peterborough Sports are just above them on 22 points.
One of the biggest talking points in non-league right now is Paul Hurst returning to Boston United. While Boston is technically in the National League (one tier up), the ripple effect matters here because of how the relegation/promotion flow works. The movement between these tiers is brutal. Seeing big names like Macclesfield—who are currently 14th with 33 points—sitting in mid-table obscurity shows just how hard it is to buy your way out of this division.
What Most People Get Wrong About This Table
People look at the points and assume the "best" teams are at the top. Sorta. In the National League North, the "best" team is usually just the one that can handle a frozen pitch in January better than the others.
Look at Tyrone Marsh at Bedford Town. He’s the league's top scorer with 19 goals, yet his team is sitting in 18th place. That’s the National League North in a nutshell. You can have a world-class striker for this level, but if your defense is a sieve, you’re still fighting a relegation scrap.
The physical toll is also massive. We’ve seen a lot of postponements lately—Curzon Ashton vs. Bedford and King's Lynn vs. Alfreton both fell victim to the weather recently. This creates a backlog. By March, teams like Hereford are going to be playing three times a week. That is where the conference north league table truly settles—not on who has the most talent, but on who has the biggest squad and the fewest hamstrings snapping.
Actionable Insights for the Rest of the Season
If you’re following the run-in, keep an eye on these specific factors:
- The "Games in Hand" Trap: Don't trust the table fully until everyone has played 30 games. Hereford and Spennymoor have massive swings coming based on their extra matches.
- Home Form vs. Travel: Merthyr Town is a long trip for almost everyone. Their home form is likely to dictate whether they stay in the top three.
- The Transfer Window: Even at this level, January see-saws. Watch for the top four "poaching" strikers from the bottom half. If a team like South Shields grabs a desperate club’s leading man, the race is over.
- Goal Difference: In such a tight play-off race, that extra "point" from a good goal difference is going to decide 7th place. Radcliffe (+16) has a massive advantage over the teams around them in that regard.
The next few weeks are pivotal. With South Shields playing Southport and Fylde taking on Scarborough, the top of the table could look completely different by the time the February frost clears.
To stay ahead of the curve, you should track the weekly disciplinary reports and injury updates from the local papers like the Northumberland Gazette or the Blackpool Gazette, as squad depth is currently the only thing keeping the leaders at the top. Keep an eye on the midweek fixtures—they are usually where the real upsets happen.