The Northern League is an English 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 (with its feeder leagues) 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 North West Counties League and Northern Counties East League).
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 (Gretna in 1992, Blyth Spartans in 1994, Whitby Town in 1997, Newcastle Blue Star in 2007 and Durham City in 2008). 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 (the champions and the winner of a four-team playoff).
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 (Dunston UTS beat West Auckland Town) and 2020 (Hebburn Town beat Consett).
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 (level 10).
Current members
Division One ClubHome groundBirtley TownBirtley Sports ComplexBoro RangersTrinity College, MiddlesbroughCarlisle CityGillford ParkCrook TownThe Sir Tom Cowie Millfield Ground Easington CollieryWelfare Ground (Easington)Guisborough TownKing George V GroundHorden Community WelfareHorden Recreation GroundKendal TownParkside RoadMarske UnitedMount PleasantNewcastle BenfieldSam Smith's Park Newcastle Blue StarScotswood Sports CentreNorth ShieldsDaren Persson StadiumNorthallerton TownCalvert StadiumPenrithFrenchfields StadiumShildon Dean Street ThornabyTeesdale ParkWest Allotment CelticEast Palmersville Sports PavilionWest Auckland TownThe Wanted Metal StadiumWhickhamThe Glebe Sports GroundWhitley BayHillheads Park
Division Two ClubHome ground A.F.C. Newbiggin Newbiggin Sports Centre Alnwick Town St James' Park Billingham SynthoniaBroughton Road Billingham TownBedford Terrace Boldon CABoldon Colliery Welfare Chester-le-Street TownMoor Park Darlington Town Eastbourne Community Stadium Durham United Graham Sports Centre Grangetown Boys ClubB&W Lifting Ltd Stadium Esh WinningWest Terrace FC HartlepoolGrayfields Enclosure JarrowPerth Green CA Newcastle University Kimberley Park (Prudhoe)+ Park View Riverside Prudhoe Youth Club Kimberley Park Redcar TownThe Vibrant Doors Stadium Ryton & Crawcrook AlbionKingsley ParkSeaham Red StarSeaham Town ParkSunderland RCAMeadow Park Sunderland West EndFord QuarryTow Law TownIronworks Road Yarm & EaglescliffeBedford Terrace (Billingham)+
+ indicates ground share
Champions
Originally the league comprised a single division. The champions were as follows: SeasonChampions1889–90Darlington St. Augustine's1890–91Middlesbrough Ironopolis1891–92Middlesbrough Ironopolis1892–93Middlesbrough Ironopolis1893–94Middlesbrough1894–95Middlesbrough1895–96Darlington1896–97Middlesbrough
In 1897, the league briefly split into two divisions. SeasonDivision OneDivision Two1897–98StocktonHowden-le-Wear1898–99Bishop AucklandStockton St. John's1899–1900DarlingtonWhitby
In 1900, the league reverted to a single division. SeasonChampions1900–01Bishop Auckland1901–02Bishop Auckland1902–03Newcastle United A1903–04Newcastle United A1904–05Newcastle United A
In 1905 the league split into two sections, one for professionals and one for amateurs. This lasted for a single season. SeasonProfessionalAmateur1905–06Sunderland ABishop Auckland
In 1906 the league reverted to a single division, a format retained until 1982.
SeasonChampions1906–07Stockton1907–08South Bank1908–09Bishop Auckland1909–10Bishop Auckland1910–11Eston United1911–12Bishop Auckland1912–13Esh Winning Rangers1913–14Willington1914–15Crook Town1915–19Not contested due to World War I1919–20South Bank1920–21Bishop Auckland1921–22South Bank1922–23Eston United1923–24Tow Law Town1924–25Tow Law Town1925–26Willington1926–27Crook Town1927–28Chilton Colliery Recreation1928–29Stockton1929–30Willington1930–31Bishop Auckland1931–32Stockton1932–33Stockton1933–34Shildon1934–35Shildon1935–36Shildon1936–37Shildon1937–38Ferryhill Athletic1938–39Bishop Auckland1939–40Shildon1940–45Not contested due to World War II1945–46Stanley United1946–47Bishop Auckland1947–48Ferryhill Athletic1948–49Evenwood Town1949–50Bishop Auckland1950–51Bishop Auckland1951–52Bishop Auckland1952–53Crook Town1953–54Bishop Auckland1954–55Bishop Auckland1955–56Bishop Auckland1956–57Billingham Synthonia1957–58Ferryhill Athletic1958–59Crook Town1959–60West Auckland Town1960–61West Auckland Town1961–62Stanley United1962–63Crook Town1963–64Stanley United1964–65Whitley Bay1965–66Whitley Bay1966–67Bishop Auckland1967–68Spennymoor United1968–69North Shields1969–70Evenwood Town1970–71Evenwood Town1971–72Spennymoor United1972–73Blyth Spartans1973–74Spennymoor United1974–75Blyth Spartans1975–76Blyth Spartans1976–77Spennymoor United1977–78Spennymoor United1978–79Spennymoor United1979–80Blyth Spartans1980–81Blyth Spartans1981–82Blyth Spartans
In 1982 the league added a second division.
SeasonDivision OneDivision Two1982–83Blyth SpartansPeterlee Newtown1983–84Blyth SpartansChester-le-Street Town1984–85Bishop AucklandBrandon United 1985–86Bishop AucklandNewcastle Blue Star1986–87Blyth SpartansBillingham Synthonia1987–88Blyth SpartansStockton1988–89Billingham SynthoniaConsett1989–90Billingham SynthoniaMurton1990–91GretnaWest Auckland Town 1991–92GretnaStockton1992–93Whitby TownDunston Federation Brewery 1993–94Durham CityBedlington Terriers1994–95Tow Law TownWhickham1995–96Billingham SynthoniaMorpeth Town1996–97Whitby TownNorthallerton1997–98Bedlington TerriersChester-le-Street Town1998–99Bedlington TerriersDurham City1999–2000Bedlington TerriersBrandon United2000–01Bedlington TerriersAshington2001–02Bedlington TerriersShildon2002–03Brandon UnitedPenrith2003–04Dunston Federation BreweryAshington2004–05Dunston Federation BreweryWest Allotment Celtic2005–06Newcastle Blue StarConsett2006–07Whitley BaySpennymoor Town2007–08Durham CityPenrith Town2008–09Newcastle BenfieldHorden Colliery Welfare2009–10Spennymoor TownStokesley2010–11Spennymoor TownNewton Aycliffe2011–12Spennymoor TownTeam Northumbria2012–13DarlingtonCrook Town2013–14Spennymoor TownNorth Shields2014–15Marske UnitedSeaham Red Star2015–16ShildonSouth Shields2016–17South ShieldsStockton Town2017–18Marske UnitedBlyth2018–19Dunston UTSBillingham Town2019–20No champions; season abandoned due to coronavirus pandemic2020–21No champions; season abandoned due to lockdown regulations2021–22North ShieldsCarlisle City2022–23Newton AycliffeBoro Rangers2023–24Bishop AucklandBlyth Town2024–25Redcar AthleticHorden C.W.2025–26Guisborough TownRedcar Town
League Cup