Northern Football Alliance
The Northern Football Alliance is a football competition based in the Northeast of England and Cumbria. It has three divisions headed by the Premier Division, which sits at step 7 of the National League System. Under a sponsorship agreement it is billed as the Newcastle Building Society Northern Football Alliance.
The top club in the Premier Division is eligible for promotion to the Northern League Division Two. The top clubs in the First and Second Divisions are promoted to the Premier and First Divisions respectively. The bottom club in the Second 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 to create a three-division format, which still exists today, currently with 48 member teams.
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, 2019–20 season
The constitution for season 2019–20 is as follows:Premier Division
- AFC Killingworth
- AFC New Fordley
- Alnwick Town
- Blyth Town
- Cullercoats
- Gateshead Rutherford
- Newcastle Blue Star
- Newcastle Chemfica
- North Shields Athletic
- Percy Main Amateurs
- Ponteland United
- Seaton Delaval Amateurs
- Shankhouse
- Wallington
- Whitley Bay 'A'
- Winlaton Vulcans
Division One
- Bedlington
- Blyth Spartans Reserves
- Cramlington United
- FC United of Newcastle
- Felling Magpies
- Forest Hall
- Gosforth Bohemians
- Hebburn Town U23
- Hexham
- Prudhoe Youth Club Seniors
- Red Row Welfare
- Rothbury
- Seaton Burn
- Wallsend Boys Club
- Whitburn & Cleadon
- Whitley Bay Sporting Club
Division Two
- AFC Newbiggin
- Blyth FC
- Burradon
- Cramlington Town
- Ellington
- Gateshead Redheugh 1957
- Halwhistle Jubilee
- Jesmond
- Newcastle Blue Star Reserves
- Newcastle East End
- Newcastle University 'A'
- Seaton Sluice
- Spittal Rovers
- Stobswood Welfare
- Wideopen and District
- Willington Quay Saints
Development Division
- Ashington Reserves
- Gosforth Bohemians Reserves
- Heaton Stannington Reserves
- Lowick
- Morpeth FC
- Morpeth Town Reserves
- Newcastle Chemfica Amateurs
- Newcastle East End Reserves
- North Sunderland
- Ponteland United Reserves
- Red House Farm
- Swalwell FC
- West Jesmond
- Whitley Bay Sporting Club 'A'
- Wideopen 'A'
- Wooler
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)