North Eastern League
Ashington joined the North Eastern League for the start of the 1914/15 season, replacing Seaham Harbour, but the following months proved to be a difficult financial struggle. With war clouds over Europe the attendances weren't very good and were not helped by a poor home record. Fortunately good results were achieved on the Clubs travels and by the turn of the year, following a good run of two wins and two drawn games, seventh in the League was achieved. Although a satisfactory final place of ninth in the table (out of twenty clubs) was the eventual outcome - with 15 victories, 11 draws and 12 defeats - the season was a financial disaster. By February, when Dinnington were the opposition in the Aged Miners Cup, less than 100 saw the Colliers win 9-1! The next season was suspended because of World War One, so a localised Tyneside League was created for clubs to continue to play.
1914-15 NE 38 15 11 12 60 65 41 9/20
With the War over, the Colliers returned to the North Eastern League and by the end of the 1919/20 season the Colliers had finished 7th out of 18. In the FA Cup a record attendance of 8,000 saw the Colliers defeated by Blyth Spartans in a second qualifying Round match at Portland Park with a final score of 0-3 to the visitors.
The 1920/21 season saw the Colliers finish in a disappointing ninth place out of 20 teams. By January the 22nd a 'low' was reached when the home game against Wallsend was lost - the visitors FIRST victory of the season. A gradual Improvement was made and by mid-February the team was 12th in the table. The last home game was played on the 30th of April with the Colliers defeating Carlisle thanks to a goal by Parsons - who also missed a penalty in the match. The return at Carlisle ended 1-1 with Dickinson on target for the Colliers. Ashington were then elected to join the Football League and the newly formed Third Division North alongside Darlington, Durham City and Hartlepools United, with teams like West Stanley and Blyth Spartans left out.
1919-20 NE 34 14 8 12 51 51 36 7/18
1920-21 NE 38 14 13 11 66 52 41 9/20
After eight seasons amongst the English games elite, the Colliers weren't re-elected and the Colliers were without a league to join. The Colliers couldn't even join the North Eastern League 1st division because there was no room, meaning Ashington had to join the 2nd Division alongside 'unheard' opposition such as White-le-Head Rangers, Bedlington United and St. Peter's Albion, with everyone expecting the Colliers to go straight back up. The first game on August the 31st was played at home to Crawcrook Albion, with the visitors taking a shock 2-0 lead after only a few minutes, before the Colliers managed to fight back and win 5-3. More victories followed as the Club was top of the table by the end of September, but only managed third at the end of the season in a league in which only the top two were promoted. With The Colliers still running a professional team and very small crowds the club was on the brink of extinction, but luck turned Ashingtons way when second placed White-le-Head declined the move up meaning Ashington were allowed to take their place. The Colliers also reached the FA Cup First Round, losing to a former opponent in the Football League, as Rotherham were lucky to win 3-0 at Portland Park with a crowd of 6,537 present.
English FA Cup Rotherham 3 - 0 Ashington 30-11-1929
1930-31 NE-1 42 12 6 24 65 101 30 18/22
1931-32 NE-1 42 17 2 23 91 104 36 15/22
1932-33 NE-1 38 12 9 17 87 92 33 14/20
1933-34 NE-1 38 13 5 21 57 94 31 13/20
1934-35 NE-1 38 10 7 21 57 96 27 16/20
1935-36 NE 38 10 6 22 48 74 26 18/20
The Colliers won the League Cup - jointly with Sunderland in 1934 and solely in 1940 before the League was abandoned because of World War Two.
1936-37 NE 38 21 4 13 93 72 46 7/20
1937-38 NE 38 19 8 11 87 63 46 7/20
1938-39 NE 38 20 6 12 107 87 46 7/20
1939-40 NE 2 0 2 0 4 4 2 ABAND
Programme from Middlebrough Reserves v Ashington
The Early post war years produced little for Colliers fans to enthuse over and by the end of the 1949/50 Season saw the Club near the bottom of table in a final position of 15th. Despite poor league form the Colliers went on a remarkable FA Cup run, disposing of Hexham Hearts 6-0 in a replay, Cramlington Welfare 3-1, Farsley Celtic at home and a first round win at Halifax Town before finally going out in the Second Round at home to Rochdale 1-2, with a record crowd of 13,199 in attendance.
English FA Cup Halifax 2 - 3 Ashington 25-11-1950
English FA Cup Ashington 1 - 2 Rochdale 09-12-1950
1947-48 NE 38 16 7 15 81 70 39 9/20
This programme is from the North Eastern League game between South Shields and Ashington on the 4th of December 1948. The Colliers starting XI in this game was:
1. Charlton, 2. Henderson, 3. Brown, 4. Gallon, 5. Douglas, 6. West, 7. Dent, 8. Gibson, 9. Harrison, 10. Scott, 11. Clarke.
1948-49 NE 38 18 8 12 96 83 44 7/20
1949-50 NE 38 13 5 20 74 93 31 15/20
1950-51 NE 38 16 11 11 83 67 43 8/20
A good season in 1951/52 saw the Colliers finish in 5th place in the League and in 1952/53, the Colliers reached the FA Cup First Round again, losing 8-1 at Tranmere.
English FA Cup Tranmere 8 - 1 Ashington 22-11-1952
The Colliers better League finishes continued until disaster struck in 1957/58, after the Colliers had finished in a superb final position of 3rd, the Football League sides decided to resign their Reserve sides from the League. Because of this, the competition in the League was devalued and the League closed down after nearly 60 years existence, meaning the Colliers were without a League. The Colliers finally joined the Midland League alongside a number of former North Eastern League sides including South Shields.
1951-52 NE 34 15 8 11 84 78 38 5/18
1952-53 NE 34 12 6 16 71 76 30 10/18
1953-54 NE 34 11 5 18 61 79 27 15/18
1954-55 NE 34 10 9 15 61 74 29 13/18
1955-56 NE 34 19 7 8 92 59 45 3/18
1956-57 NE 34 20 8 6 117 55 48 4/18
1957-58 NE 34 22 5 7 79 48 49 3/18
Programme from Ashington v Consett, 1958
The 1962/63 season saw a return after several seasons of the North Eastern League. Ashington, along with most of the other clubs who had tried both the Midland and Northern Counties Leagues, were pleased to join forces in the regional competition after four somewhat nomadic years. But the revival of the League was shortlived and after two seasons, without honours for Ashington, it was time one again to find a new league with the Colliers finally joining the Wearside League.
1962-63 NE 22 7 7 8 47 46 21 5/12