Cup results

Division 1

League Table
League Results

Division 2

League Table
League Results
 

1996-1997

End of Season review

Jarrow Roofing became the newest team to join the Northern League, from the Wearside League.  Ferryhill Athletic survived a League management vote to suspend them for a year while they sorted out a ground.  Ferryhill continued to ground share at Brandon.

Darlington Cleveland Social resigned from the League in September.  They hadn't won a game for 18 months, and were struggling to run the club in terms of a committee and attract players.  A make-shift team appeared at Horden on the 14th September.  They went down 16-1.  Two days later, the club submitted their resignation.

It wasn't to be all doom and gloom that season.  Whitby Town won the Cleator Cup, 3-0, by beating the League champions from last season, Billingham Synthonia.   This was just a warm up to the tremendous season that was to unfold for them.  They reaching the 1st round proper in the FA Cup, won the League championship, and also won the FA Vase at Wembley.  Winning the League championship enabled Whitby to be promoted to the Unibond League. 

Consett also had a good run in the FA Cup.  They matched Whitby, by reaching the 1st round proper.  All previous games had seen Consett drawn away from home.  This tie wasn't to change things, and Consett were drawn away at Mansfield Town.    Unfortunately, they went down 4-0.  Whitby Town went out of the FA Cup in a replay against Hull City. The score at full time was 4-4 - Hull equalising in the last minute.  Hull scored four more in extra time to win the tie.

In the FA Vase, the League had three teams through to the quarter final.  Guisborough Town beat Taunton Town 3-0, Whitby won 5-1 at home to Mossley, while Bedlington lost 2-0 away at North Ferriby United.   Both Northern League teams left in the draw managed to avoid playing each other in the semi finals.   However, North Ferriby had other ideas about an all NL Vase final.  They won 2-0 at Guisborough in the first leg, and held on to a 1-1 draw in the second leg.  Whitby won 1-0 away at Banstead Athletic in the first leg.  However, in the second leg, Banstead went ahead in the 21st minute to make the scores 1-1 on aggregate.  With just two minutes to go before extra time loomed, Paul Pitman managed to blast the ball into the roof of the net after a goalmouth scramble.  Whitby became the first Northern League team to play at Wembley since North Shields in 1969.  

A crowd of just over 11,000 saw Whitby win the FA Vase on the 10th May.  Goals from David Logan (27 minutes), Graeme Williams (61 minutes) and Andy Toman (75 minutes). 

Back in the League, Jarrow Roofing gained promotion to the first division at the first attempt by finishing third, and also won the Craven Cup.  The other two teams to be promoted were Northallerton, who finished as second division champions, and Billingham Town.

Bedlington won the League Cup by beating Billingham Synthonia 3-0.  The goals came from Dean Gibb (2) and Mark Cameron.

FA Vase Winners: Whitby Town

League Division One Champions: Whitby Town

Runners Up: Billingham Synthonia

Relegated:  Chester-Le-Street, Whickham, West Auckland Town

Division Two Champions: Northallerton Town

Promoted: Billingham Town, Jarrow Roofing

League Cup Winners: Bedlington Terriers

Finalists: Billingham Synthonia

Craven Cup Winners: Jarrow Roofing

Finalists: Shotton Comrades