Willington Association Football Club is an English football club based in Willington, County Durham. The club are currently members of the Wearside League Premier Division and play at Hall Lane.
The club was established in 1906 and joined the Northern League in 1911. They finished as runners-up in their second season, and won the league in 1913âÂÂ14. In 1925âÂÂ26 they won the league again, and in 1927âÂÂ28 they reached the semi-final of the FA Amateur Cup, losing 2âÂÂ1 to Cockfield in a replay. They won a third Northern League title in 1929âÂÂ30, and in 1938âÂÂ39 they reached the final of the Amateur Cup, losing 3âÂÂ0 to Bishop Auckland at Roker Park, Sunderland.
They resigned from the Northern League on 20 March 1940, but rejoined at the end of World War II. In 1945âÂÂ46 they reached the first round of the FA Cup for the first time, but lost to Bishop Auckland. In 1949âÂÂ50 they reached the final of the Amateur Cup for a second time, this time defeating Bishop Auckland 4âÂÂ0 at Wembley Stadium before a crowd of 88,000. The following season they entered the FA Cup in the first round, but lost 3âÂÂ0 to Rochdale. During this period the club finished in the top nine in every season until 1960, but thereafter saw a gradual decline, although they reached the first round of the FA Cup again in 1973âÂÂ74, losing 6âÂÂ1 to Blackburn Rovers in a replay.
In 1982 the league added a second division, and after finishing bottom of Division One in 1982âÂÂ83, Willington were relegated to Division Two. The club struggled in the second tier, finishing bottom of the league in 1983âÂÂ84 and 1991âÂÂ92, and only finishing in the top ten five times in twenty-two seasons. After finishing bottom again in 2004âÂÂ05 they were relegated to the Wearside League. They continued to struggle, finishing second from bottom in their first two seasons in the league, and then bottom in 2008âÂÂ09 and 2009âÂÂ10.
Their traditional local rivals are Crook Town. The club has had a number of famous managers including both Malcolm Allison and Alan Durban in 1984 and also Eddie Kyle, Alan Murray and Stan Cummins.
The 2017âÂÂ18 campaign saw Willington AFC have their best Northern League points tally for 42 years (1976).