Northern League Division Two
The Northern League is a historic institution, as when it comes to the English game, only the Football League has been around longer. The Northern League Division Two is step six of the National League System and the tenth tier of the English football system overall.
The division contains teams from the English Durham, Northumberland, Cumberland, Westmorland and Yorkshire’s North Riding.
The history of the division
The Northern League split into two divisions in 1905, which were one professional and one amateur. After just a year, the league decided that it would abolish the professional league and continue with clubs that claimed to be amateurs.
The league clung to its amateur status until 1974 when the FA decided to abolish amateur status. The decision basically forced clubs in the Northern League to become professional once again. Division Two, as we now know it, was not properly established until the 1982/83 season.
The Northern League didn’t join the non-league football pyramid until 1991, though. The top division is now a feeder league for the Northern Premier League.
How does promotion and relegation work in the Northern League Division Two?
The league’s 22 teams compete for promotion and relegation over 42 games. The team that finishes champions of the Northern League Division Two wins automatic promotion to Division One. The caveat is that the club must meet the safety and stadium requirements of the higher division.
A second promotion spot is also available via the play-offs, which involves the teams that finish 2- 5th place in the table over the 42 regular season games. The winner of the play-offs goes up alongside the champions to Division One for the following season.
The teams who finish from 20th to 22nd in the league suffer relegation to one of the Northern Football Alliance Premier Division, Wearside League First Division and the North Riding League Premier Division. Clubs from all three leagues are eligible for promotion to Division Two if they fit the league’s criteria.
Which clubs have been successful in Division Two?
| Season | Champions |
|---|---|
| 2014/15 | Seaham Red Star |
| 2015/16 | South Shields |
| 2016/17 | Stockton Town |
| 2017/18 | Blyth |
| 2018/19 | Billingham Town |
| 2019/20 | No champions; season abandoned due to coronavirus pandemic |
| 2020/21 | No champions; the season was abandoned due to lockdown rules |
| 2021/22 | Carlisle City |
| 2022/23 | Boro Rangers |
| 2023/34 | Blyth Town |
Several clubs have been successful in Division Two. Some clubs have won the title twice, including Consett, Blyth Town, Chester-Le-Street Town, Ashington and Stockton.
However, no club has yet to win three titles in Division Two. The reason for the lack of three-time winners may be due to the fact that they won promotion and may not play again in Division Two.