By the mid-1980s the Welsh League (Northern Section) had so reduced in membership that an Auxiliary competition was needed to create sufficient fixtures. With only ten member clubs it was clear that a re-think was needed for the North Wales Coast area’s senior league.

At the 1984 Annual General Meeting of the Welsh League (Northern Section) held on July 7th held at the Park Hall Hotel, Conwy, a new structure was adopted. The new Welsh Alliance Football League (North) was to encompass the whole of North and Mid-Wales - incorporating clubs from the old league, Mid-Wales League and the Welsh National League (Wrexham Area). It was meant to counterbalance the long established Welsh Football League in the south with the intention of both champions playing off for the all-Wales title.

The idea was visionary but did not convince clubs from outside the area of the old League although five new clubs were admitted - CPD Porthmadog, Llanrwst United, an amalgamation of Llanrwst Town and Llanrwst Athletic, Bethesda Athletic, CPD Y Felinheli, and Llanfairpwll FC. The last three opted for membership due to the collapse of the Gwynedd Football League.

The League continued the long established Cookson Cup and Alves Cup competitions run by the old Welsh League (Northern Section) and also administered the younger Barritt Cup established in 1977.

The vision never materialised as far as the Welsh Alliance League was concerned but the idea eventually bore fruit in 1990 when a the Cymru Alliance League was set up, demoting the WAL to the second level. The League continues to act as one of three feeder leagues to the Cymru Alliance but with the creation of the League of Wales in 1992, the WAL now occupies the third tier of the pyramid.

It has recovered its membership level following departures during the setting up of the Cymru Alliance and now rests at a healthy 16.