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.
Organising body | Northumberland Football Association Durham County Football Association |
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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 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)
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Divisional Champions (Since 1988)
Season | Premier Division | Division One | Division Two |
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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 |
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2021-22 | Killingworth | Newcastle Independent | Stobswood Welfare | Blaydon Community |
2022-23 | Newcastle Blue Star | Stobswood Welfare | Ponteland United Reserves | Hazelrigg Victory |