These leagues cover the historic counties of Durham, Northumberland, Cumberland, Westmorland and Yorkshire's North Riding.

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.

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.

This left amateur leagues like the Northern to find a place in the overall structure of non-League football.

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.