Northern Football Alliance

Northern Football Alliance

Organising body	Northumberland Football Association Durham County Football Association
Founded	1890
Country	England
Confederation	FA
Divisions	Premier Division Division One Division Two Division Three
Number of teams	60
Level on pyramid	Level 11 (Premier Division)
Feeder to	Northern League Division Two
Domestic cup(s)	Challenge Cup Stan Seymour League Cup
Current champions	Newcastle University (Premier Division) Blyth Town (Division One) Whitley Bay Sporting United (Division Two) (2018-19)
Current: 2022-23

The Northern Football Alliance is a football league based in the North East, England. It has four divisions headed by the Premier Division, which sits at step 7 (or level 11) of the National League System.

The top club in the Premier Division is eligible for promotion to the Northern League Division Two. The top clubs in the First, Second and Third Divisions are promoted to the Premier, First, and Second Divisions respectively. The bottom club in the Third Division may be relegated to either the North Northumberland League Division One, or the Tyneside Amateur League, depending on which is more geographically appropriate.

The Northern Football Alliance was founded in 1890 as a single league, with a membership of seven teams. In 1926 it became the Second Division of the North Eastern League, but it split away again in 1935. It disbanded in 1964 due to lack of membership, but reformed just one season later, in 1965–66.

In 1988 the Northern Amateur League and the Northern Combination League combined with the Northern Football Alliance (all under the name Northern Football Alliance) to create a three-division format, which later expanded to four. Under a sponsorship agreement it is billed as the Bay Plastics Northern Football Alliance.

The league's teams chiefly come from Tyneside as well as Northumberland, with teams from further south preferring to play in the Wearside League, but there are exceptions, for example Prudhoe Town F.C. from Northumberland compete in the Wearside League, whilst Coundon and Leeholme from near Bishop Auckland in southern County Durham compete in the Alliance.

Member teams, 2022–23 season

Premier Division

• AFC Newbiggin
• Alnwick Town
• Burradon & New Fordley
• Cramlington United
• Gateshead Rutherford
• Haltwhistle Jubilee
• Killingworth
• Newcastle Blue Star
• Newcastle Chemfica
• Newcastle Independent
• Percy Main Amateurs
• Ponteland United
• Seaton Delaval AFC
• Wallington
• Whitley Bay 'A'
• Winlaton Community

Division One

• Bedlington
• FC United of Newcastle
• Forest Hall
• Gosforth Bohemians
• Hebburn Town U23
• Hexham
• Newcastle Blue Star Reserves
• Newcastle East End
• North Shields Athletic
• Rothbury
• Seaton Burn
• Stobswood Welfare
• Wallsend Boys Club
• West Moor & Jesmond
• Whitburn & Cleadon
• Willington Quay Saints

Division Two

• Blaydon Community
• Blyth Town U23
• Cullercoats
• Ellington
• Heaton Stannington 'A'
• Morpeth
• Newcastle Chemfica Amateurs
• Newcastle Independent Cabrito
• Newcastle University 'A'
• North Sunderland
• Ponteland United Reserves
• Red House Farm
• Seaton Sluice
• Walker Central
• Whitley Bay Sporting Club
• Wideopen

Division Three

• Amble AFC
• Alnwick Town Development
• Ashington AFC Reserves
• Benton
• Blyth Rangers
• Cramlington Blue Star
• Gateshead Redheugh 1957
• Gosforth Bohemians Reserves
• Hazlerigg Victory
• Heddon United
• Stocksfield
• Wallsend Boys Club U23
• West Moor & Jesmond U23
• Whickham U23
• Whitley Bay Sporting Club 'A'

Champions (1890–1988)

1890–91 – Sunderland "A" 1891–92 – Shankhouse 1892–93 – Sunderland "A" 1893–94 – Sunderland "A" 1894–95 – Sunderland "A" 1895–96 – Sunderland "A" 1896–97 – Hebburn Argyle 1897–98 – Newcastle United "A" 1898–99 – Jarrow 1899–1900 – Willington Athletic 1900–01 – Newcastle United "A" 1901–02 – Newcastle United "A" 1902–03 – Morpeth Harriers 1903–04 – Wallsend Park Villa 1904–05 – Willington Athletic 1905–06 – Willington Athletic 1906–07 – North Shields Athletic 1907–08 – North Shields Athletic 1908–09 – Blyth Spartans 1909–10 – Willington Athletic 1910–11 – Newburn 1911–12 – Newburn 1912–13 – Blyth Spartans 1913–14 – Ashington 1914–15 – Spen Black & Whites 1915–19 – Not competed for due to World War I 1919–20 – Annfield Plain 1920–21 – Chopwell Institute 1921–22 – Felling Colliery 1922–23 – Annfield Plain 1923–24 – Birtley 1924–25 – Ashington Reserves 1925–26 – Chilton Colliery Recreation 1926–27 – Consett 1927–28 – Washington Colliery 1928–29 – North Shields 1929–30 – Walker Celtic 1930–31 – Chopwell Institute 1931–32 – Crawcrook Albion 1932–33 – Eden Colliery Welfare 1933–34 – Throckley Welfare 1934–35 – Newbiggin West End 1935–36 – Hexham Town 1936–37 – Stakeford Albion 1937–38 – Alnwick

1938–39 – Newcastle United "A" 1939–46 – Not competed for due to World War II 1946–47 – Newburn 1947–48 – Hexham Hearts 1948–49 – Cramlington Welfare 1949–50 – West Sleekburn 1950–51 – Cramlington Welfare 1951–52 – Newburn 1952–53 – Whitley Bay Athletic 1953–54 – Whitley Bay Athletic 1954–55 – Amble 1955–56 – Ashington Reserves 1956–57 – Amble 1957–58 – Newcastle United "A" 1958–59 – Amble 1959–60 – Amble 1960–61 – Amble 1961–62 – Newburn 1962–63 – Alnwick Town 1963–64 – Alnwick Town 1964–65 – not competed 1965–66 – Alnwick Town 1966–67 – Bedlington Colliery Welfare 1967–68 – Alnwick Town 1968–69 – Alnwick Town 1969–70 – Alnwick Town 1970–71 – Alnwick Town 1971–72 – Alnwick Town 1972–73 – Marine Park 1973–74 – Marine Park 1974–75 – South Shields Mariners 1975–76 – South Shields 1976–77 – Wallington 1977–78 – Brandon United 1978–79 – Brandon United 1979–80 – Guisborough Town 1980–81 – Percy Main Amateurs 1981–82 – Percy Main Amateurs 1982–83 – Darlington Cleveland Bridge 1983–84 – Morpeth Town 1984–85 – Dudley Welfare 1985–86 – Gateshead Tyne Sports 1986–87 – West Allotment Celtic 1987–88 – Seaton Delaval Seaton Terrace

Divisional Champions (Since 1988)

Season	Premier Division	Division One	Division Two
1988–89	Seaton Delaval Seaton Terrace	Ashington Premier	Blyth Kitty Brewster
1989–90	Seaton Delaval Amateurs	Westerhope Hillheads	Heaton Corner House
1990–91	West Allotment Celtic	Blyth Kitty Brewster	Procter & Gamble
1991–92	West Allotment Celtic	Carlisle City	St Columbas
1992–93	Seaton Delaval Amateurs	Longbenton	Amble Town
1993–94	Morpeth Town	Amble Town	Ashington Hirst Progressive
1994–95	Newcastle Benfield Park	Amble Town	Walker Ledwood
1995–96	Seaton Delaval	Gosforth Bohemians	Walbottle Masons
1996–97	Lemington Social	Ryton	Northbank
1997–98	West Allotment Celtic	Shankhouse	Coxlodge S C
1998–99	West Allotment Celtic	Percy Main Amateurs	Amble Vikings
1999–2000	West Allotment Celtic	Coxlodge S C	Harraby Catholic Club
2000–01	Walker Central	Amble Vikings	Wallington
2001–02	West Allotment Celtic	Bedlington Terriers "A"	Haydon Bridge
2002–03	Newcastle Benfield Saints	Chopwell Top Club	Blyth Town
2003–04	West Allotment Celtic	Heddon	Alnmouth
2004–05	Shankhouse	Alnmouth	Ashington Colliers
2005–06	Team Northumbria	Wallsend	Whitley Bay "A"
2006–07	Harraby Catholic Club	Gillford Park Spartans	Westerhope
2007–08	Walker Central	Wark	Killingworth Y P C
2008–09	Walker Central	Killingworth Y P C	Amble United
2009–10	Harraby Catholic Club	Gateshead Rutherford	North Shields Athletic
2010–11	Ponteland United	Hebburn Reyrolle	Newcastle Chemfica Independent
2011–12	Heaton Stannington	Amble United	Hexham
2012–13	Heaton Stannington	Wallington	North Shields Athletic
2013-14	Blyth Town	North Shields Athletic	Blyth Isabella
2014–15	Blyth Town	Percy Main Amateurs	Shilbottle Colliery Welfare
2015–16	Blyth Town	Shilbottle Colliery Welfare	Gateshead FC A
2016-17	Killingworth Town	Gateshead FC A	Killingworth YPC
2017-18	Newcastle University	Killingworth YPC	Blyth Spartans Reserves
2018-19	Newcastle University	Blyth Town	Rothbury
2019-20 & 2020-21	Not awarded due to Covid-19 Pandemic	Not awarded due to Covid-19 Pandemic	Not awarded due to Covid-19 Pandemic

Divisional Champions (4 Divisions since 2021)

Season	Premier Division	Division One	Division Two	Division Three
2021-22	Killingworth	Newcastle Independent	Stobswood Welfare	Blaydon Community
2022-23	Newcastle Blue Star	Stobswood Welfare	Ponteland United Reserves	Hazelrigg Victory

External links

• Official website
• Full-Time at The FA