The club was established in 1899 by Jack Inskip and was named South Shields Adelaide Athletic after the Adelaide Street area of the town where the founders were from.[1] Success in their early years saw the club win the South Shields Junior Alliance, the 'A' Division of the South Shields Juvenile League, the Shields & District League in 1904–05 and then the Tyneside Junior League.[2] In 1905 they were founders of the Tyneside League and were its inaugural champions.[3] After retaining the title the following season,[3] they joined the Northern Alliance in 1907.