YOU only have to look down a list of former players that went on to earn full international caps to realise how successful the Northern League has been.
Brian Clough, Bob Paisley, Chris Waddle, Gary Pallister and Eric Gates are just some of the 34 Northern League players that went on to represent their countries, let alone win Premier League titles, FA Cups and European Cups.
Clough, who led Notthingham Forest to the European Cup twice, played for Billingham Synthonia before his national service with the RAF between 1953 and 1955. When he returned, Clough joined hometown club Middlesbrough, where he scored 197 goals in 213 league matches.
Liverpool legend Paisley, who was born and raised in Hetton le Hole, County Durham, signed for Bishop Auckland after he had been rejected by Sunderland for being “too small”. It took Paisley only two months to impress for Bishops, so much so that Liverpool came knocking in May 1939 to sign him up. He went on to make more than 250 appearances before taking over the reins as manager, winning three European Cups and six First Division titles.
Twelve years before Paisley ran out for Bishops, another player who would go on to big things at the top level started his career with the Northern League side. Bobby Gurney, who went on to win the FA Cup with Sunderland, started his career with Bishops before he was spotted by Charlie Buchan.
Another Sunderland favourite, Eric Gates, plied his trade with Spennymoor United, while more recently Waddle (Tow Law) and Pallister (Billingham Town) both came from the humble beginnings of the Northern League.
In recent years, the trend has continued, although Steve Harper (Seaham Red Star), Steve Howard (Tiow Law) and Danny Graham (Chester-le- Street), have all established themselves at top professionals.
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