Northern Football Alliance Explained

Organiser:	Northumberland Football Association Durham County Football Association
Pixels:	100px
Country:	England
Confed:	FA
Founded:	1890
Divisions:	Premier Division Division One Division Two Division Three
Teams:	60
Feeds:	Northern League Division Two
Levels:	Level 11 (Premier Division)
Domest Cup:	Challenge Cup Stan Seymour League Cup
Champions:	Wallington FC (Premier Division) Gosforth Bohemians FC (Division One) Heaton Stannington FC Reserves (Division Two) Cramlington Town Independent(Division Three)
Season:	2023-2024
Current:	2023-24

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 competed 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
2023-24	Wallington