Northern Football League


The Northern League is a British men's football league in north east England. Having been founded in 1889, it is the second-oldest football league in the world still in existence after the English Football League.
It contains two divisions; Division One and Division Two. Division One sits on the ninth tier of the English football league system, five divisions below the Football League. These leagues cover the historic counties of Durham, Northumberland, Cumberland, Westmorland and Yorkshire's North Riding. The champion club of Division One is promoted to the lower division of the Northern Premier League.

History

The Northern league was one of many leagues formed the year after the Football League. In its first season, it consisted of ten clubs that were a mixture of professional and amateur organisations. During its early years, the competition included clubs such as Newcastle United, Middlesbrough and Darlington that would go on to play in the Football League. In 1905, the league split into two divisions, one professional and one amateur. The next year, however, the Northern League made the decision to abolish the professional division and restrict itself to amateur clubs, or at least clubs that claimed to be amateur.
Between the World Wars and in the early years following World War II, the Northern League's amateur status meant that they and their equivalent in the London area, the Isthmian League, dominated the old FA Amateur Cup. The two Leagues continued to be separate from the professional game which was dominated by the Football League, Southern League and, from 1968, the Northern Premier League.
The Northern League and Isthmian League continued to claim amateur status right up until, following pressure, amateur status was abandoned by the Football Association in 1974. This left amateur leagues like the Northern League to find a place in the overall structure of non-League football. Unlike the Isthmian League, which became a feeder to the Alliance Premier League in 1982, the Northern League and its clubs rejected repeated invitations. It was not until 1988 that two Northern League clubs, Bishop Auckland and Whitley Bay, accepted places in the Northern Premier League. Others including Penrith, North Shields and Spennymoor United jumped ship to neighbouring leagues.
The Northern League formally became a feeder to the Northern Premier League, but still few clubs took the opportunity of promotion, with only five moving up over the next 20 years. Since the mid-2010s, FA rules have meant that clubs who are eligible can no longer refuse promotion, and two Northern League clubs are now promoted each season.
Since 1995, Northern League clubs have competed for the FA Vase, with some success, having won 11 finals, losing 4 finals. There were two all Northern League finals in 2012 and 2020.
The League had an unusual sponsorship deal put in place by Brooks Mileson, owner of the Albany Group, who were its sponsors in 2003. In that year, Mileson announced that he had created a trust which would continue to sponsor the league throughout his lifetime and that of his sons. In 2008, however, the league announced that this sponsorship had come to an end, and it held a raffle to determine its next sponsor. Interested parties were invited to buy a stake in the raffle for £250. The winning stake was held by a local training company and the league was known as the skilltrainingltd Northern League from the 2008–09 season until the 2011–12 season. The league is currently sponsored by dehumidifier manufacturer Ebac.
Level 11 clubs from the North Riding Football League, Northern Football Alliance and Wearside Football League may apply for promotion into the Northern League's Second Division.

Current members

Division One

Division Two

+ indicates ground share

Champions

Originally the league comprised a single division. The champions were as follows:
SeasonChampions
1889–90Darlington St. Augustine's
1890–91Middlesbrough Ironopolis
1891–92Middlesbrough Ironopolis
1892–93Middlesbrough Ironopolis
1893–94Middlesbrough
1894–95Middlesbrough
1895–96Darlington
1896–97Middlesbrough

In 1897, the league briefly split into two divisions.
SeasonDivision OneDivision Two
1897–98StocktonHowden-le-Wear
1898–99Bishop AucklandStockton St. John's
1899–1900DarlingtonWhitby

In 1900, the league reverted to a single division.
SeasonChampions
1900–01Bishop Auckland
1901–02Bishop Auckland
1902–03Newcastle United A
1903–04Newcastle United A
1904–05Newcastle United A

In 1905 the league split into two sections, one for professionals and one for amateurs. This lasted for a single season.
SeasonProfessionalAmateur
1905–06Sunderland ABishop Auckland

In 1906 the league reverted to a single division, a format retained until 1982.
SeasonChampions
1906–07Stockton
1907–08South Bank
1908–09Bishop Auckland
1909–10Bishop Auckland
1910–11Eston United
1911–12Bishop Auckland
1912–13Esh Winning Rangers
1913–14Willington
1914–15Crook Town
1915–19Not contested due to World War I
1919–20South Bank
1920–21Bishop Auckland
1921–22South Bank
1922–23Eston United
1923–24Tow Law Town
1924–25Tow Law Town
1925–26Willington
1926–27Crook Town
1927–28Chilton Colliery Recreation
1928–29Stockton
1929–30Willington
1930–31Bishop Auckland
1931–32Stockton
1932–33Stockton
1933–34Shildon
1934–35Shildon
1935–36Shildon
1936–37Shildon
1937–38Ferryhill Athletic
1938–39Bishop Auckland
1939–40Shildon
1940–45Not contested due to World War II
1945–46Stanley United
1946–47Bishop Auckland
1947–48Ferryhill Athletic
1948–49Evenwood Town
1949–50Bishop Auckland
1950–51Bishop Auckland
1951–52Bishop Auckland
1952–53Crook Town
1953–54Bishop Auckland
1954–55Bishop Auckland
1955–56Bishop Auckland
1956–57Billingham Synthonia
1957–58Ferryhill Athletic
1958–59Crook Town
1959–60West Auckland Town
1960–61West Auckland Town
1961–62Stanley United
1962–63Crook Town
1963–64Stanley United
1964–65Whitley Bay
1965–66Whitley Bay
1966–67Bishop Auckland
1967–68Spennymoor United
1968–69North Shields
1969–70Evenwood Town
1970–71Evenwood Town
1971–72Spennymoor United
1972–73Blyth Spartans
1973–74Spennymoor United
1974–75Blyth Spartans
1975–76Blyth Spartans
1976–77Spennymoor United
1977–78Spennymoor United
1978–79Spennymoor United
1979–80Blyth Spartans
1980–81Blyth Spartans
1981–82Blyth Spartans

''In 1982 the league added a second division.''

number of titles (1890-2024)

rank-club-
  • 1-Bishop Auckland
  • 2-Blyth Spartans
  • 3-Spennymoor Town
  • 4-Shildon
  • 5-Stockton
  • 6-Crook Town
  • 7-Bedlington Terriers
  • 8-Billingham Synthonia
  • 9-Middlesbrough Ironopolis
  • 10-Middlesbrough
  • 11-Newcastle
  • 12-South Bank
  • 13-Willington
  • 14-Ferryhill Athletic
  • 15-Stanley United
  • 16-Evenwood Town
  • 17-Tow Law Town
  • 18-Whitley Bay
  • 19-Darlington
  • 20-Eston United
  • 21-West Auckland Town
  • 22-Gretna
  • 23-Whitby Town
  • 24-Dunston Federation Brewery
  • 25-Durham City
  • 26-Marske United
  • 27-North Shield
  • 28-Darlington St.Augustine's
  • 29-Sunderland
  • 30-Esh Winning Rangers
  • 31-Chilton Colliery Recreation
  • 32-Brandon United
  • 33-Newcastle Blue Star
  • 34-Newcastle Benfield
  • 35-South Shield
  • 36-Dunston UTS
  • 37-Newton Aycliffe
in bold, competing for the 2023–24 season in division one or two
  • with Spennymoor United, ancestor club