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 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 Football League|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 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, 2025–26 season
Premier Division
- Bedlington Terriers
- Burradon & New Fordley
- Cramlington United
- Gateshead Rutherford
- Gosforth Bohemians
- Haltwhistle Jubilee
- Hazlerigg Victory
- Heaton Stannington 'A'
- Hebburn Town Reserves
- Newcastle Chemfica
- Newcastle East End
- Newcastle Independent
- North Shields Athletic
- Ponteland United
- Seaton Delaval AFC
- Wallington
- West Moor & Jesmond
Division One
- Bedlington
- Hexham
- Killingworth
- Morpeth
- Newcastle Benfield Reserves
- Newcastle University 'A'
- Percy Main Amateurs
- Rothbury
- Sporting Wallsend
- Stobswood Welfare
- Wallsend Boys Club
- Whitley Bay Sporting Club
- Wideopen
- Willington Quay Saints
- Winlaton Community
Division Two
- AFC Newbiggin Reserves
- Blyth Rangers
- Blyth Town Reserves
- Cramlington Town Independent
- Ellington
- FC United of Newcastle
- Forest Hall
- Gosforth Bohemians Reserves
- Great Park
- Newcastle Chemfica Amateurs
- North Shields Athletic Reserves
- North Sunderland
- Prudhoe Youth Club Seniors Reserves
- Whickham Reserves
- Wrekenton Blue Star
Division Three
- Bedlington United
- Ellington Development
- Forest Hall United
- Gateshead Borough FC
- Gateshead Redheugh 1957
- Hadrian
- Heddon United
- Killingworth Reserves
- North East Sporting Club
- Ponteland United Development
- Red House Farm Seniors
- Walkergate XI
- Wideopen Reserves
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