Willington Athletic Football Club was an English football club based in Willington Quay, Northumberland. The team played at a ground next to Howdon railway station.
Willington Athletic was founded in 1888, and it joined the Northern Alliance in 1891âÂÂ92. The club won that league's championship for the first time in 1899âÂÂ1900, repeating the feat in 1904âÂÂ05, 1905âÂÂ06 and 1909âÂÂ10.
Its team first entered the FA Cup in 1891âÂÂ92they lost to Shankhouse in the second qualifying round after a replayand entered each season until competitive football was abandoned for the duration of the First World War. In 1899âÂÂ1900, they reached the fifth qualifying round, in which they lost to Jarrow, also after a replay. They won the Northumberland Senior Cup in 1896 and 1897.
The club applied for election to the Football League in 1903, but received only one vote.
When the Northern Alliance resumed after the war, Willington Athletic initially intended to continue in membership, but by the time the 1919âÂÂ20 season began, the club had resigned, its letter being accepted "with very deep regret". The last recorded fixture for the club was a friendly in August 1919, although some former players turned out for a charity match under the Athletic name in 1923.
The club wore dark blue shirts.
The club's first ground was known as Rosehill, and in 1900 the club moved to a new ground, known as Willington Quay (or occasionally as the Howdon Station Ground), midway between Howdon and Willington Quay stations. In 1927 it was turned into a recreation ground by the local council.