Northern Football Alliance

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.

Northern Football Alliance
Organising bodyNorthumberland Northumberland Football Association
County Durham Durham County Football Association
Founded1890
CountryEngland
ConfederationFA
DivisionsPremier Division
Division One
Division Two
Division Three
Number of teams60
Level on pyramidLevel 11 (Premier Division)
Feeder toNorthern League Division Two
Domestic cup(s)Challenge Cup
Stan Seymour League Cup
Current championsWallington FC (Premier Division)
Gosforth Bohemians FC (Division One)
Heaton Stannington FC Reserves (Division Two)
Cramlington Town Independent(Division Three)
(2023-2024)
Current: 2023-24

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

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Premier Division

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Division One

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  • 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

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  • 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

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  • 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)

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Divisional Champions (Since 1988)

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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)

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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

References

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