Founded | 1983 |
---|---|
Country | England |
Divisions |
|
Number of teams | 92 17 (North Division) 18 (South Division) 10 (Division One North) 12 (Division One East) 12 (Division One West) 10 (Division One South) 13 (Division Two) [1] |
Level on pyramid | 11th (North and South Divisions) |
Feeder to | |
Promotion to | Northern Counties East League Division One United Counties League Division One |
Domestic cup(s) | League Challenge Cup |
Current champions | Retford United (Premier North) Clay Cross Town (Premier South) |
Most championships | Hucknall Town (Three times, 1990, 1991 and 2019) |
Website | Pitchero |
The Central Midlands Alliance is an English football league covering the northeast-central part of England. Formed in 1971 as the South Derbyshire League, changing name initially to the Derbyshire League before changing to the Central Midlands League in 1983, it covers parts of Derbyshire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, South Yorkshire and Staffordshire, although Sheffield-based teams play in the Sheffield & Hallamshire County Senior Football League. The league's current sponsor is Abacus Lighting. Upon merging with the Midland Regional Alliance in 2023, the current name was adopted. The number of divisions has varied over time as follows
Within the English football league system, the Central Midlands League's top two divisions, called the North Division and South Division, were considered part of the National League System (at Step 7) until 2020, when they were redesignated as NLS county feeders. Four clubs from the previously-named Premier Division had the distinction of being the lowest-ranked clubs, and only ones outside the NLS, accepted for the 2006–07 FA Vase. For the 2008–09 season, eight of the leading sides left the Central Midlands League to join forces with eight clubs from the Leicestershire Senior League to form a new league, the East Midlands Counties League, at Step 6 of the National League System. For the 2015–16 season reserve teams of clubs who play higher up the pyramid were allowed to participate in the league for the first time.
One club per season from the North and South Divisions may be promoted (subject to ground standards and a top five finish) to either the Northern Counties East League Division One or United Counties League Division One. Some clubs have progressed from the CML to the National League North and Northern Premier League. A representative side from the league takes part in the FA Inter-League Cup.
The member clubs of the league for the 2024-25 season are as follows.
North Division
| South Division
|
Division One North
| Division One East
|
Division One West
| Division One South
|
Division Two
Season | Premier Division |
---|---|
1983–84 | Shepshed Charterhouse reserves |
1984–85 | Rossington Main |
1985–86 | Stanton |
Season | Supreme Division | Premier Division |
---|---|---|
1986–87 | Hinckley Town | Stanton |
1987–88 | Harworth Colliery Institute | Huthwaite |
1988–89 | Boston | Priory |
1989–90 | Hucknall Town | Mickleover Royal British Legion |
1990–91 | Hucknall Town | Mickleover Royal British Legion |
1991–92 | Lincoln United | North Fryston Colliery Welfare South Slack & Parr |
1992–93 | Arnold Town | Sandiacre Town |
1993–94 | Glapwell | Nuthall |
1994–95 | Heanor Town | Clipstone Welfare |
1995–96 | Oakham United | Killamarsh Juniors |
1996–97 | Heanor Town | Clipstone Welfare |
1997–98 | Gedling Town | Goole AFC |
1998–99 | Mickleover Sports | Lincoln Moorlands |
1999–00 | Lincoln Moorlands | Holbrook |
2000–01 | Shirebrook Town | North Notts |
2001–02 | Shirebrook Town | Retford United |
2002–03 | Carlton Town | Pelican |
2003–04 | Retford United | Radcliffe Olympic |
2004–05 | Dunkirk | AFC Barnsley |
2005–06 | Barton Town Old Boys | Bilborough Pelican |
2006–07 | Bottesford Town | Hatfield Main |
2007–08 | Askern Welfare | Ollerton Town |
2008–09 | Radcliffe Olympic | Louth Town |
2009–10 | Louth Town | Church Warsop |
2010–11 | Sheffield Parramore | Yorkshire Main |
Season | North Division | South Division | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
2011–12 | Westella & Willerby | Basford United | ||
2012–13 | Dronfield Town | Sutton Town | ||
2013–14 | AFC Mansfield | Clifton All Whites | ||
2014–15 | Bilsthorpe | Mickleover Royals | ||
2015–16 | Glapwell | Selston | ||
2016–17 | F.C. Bolsover | Selston | ||
2017–18 | Harworth Colliery | Eastwood | ||
2018–19 | Retford | Hucknall Town | ||
2019–20 | Season abandoned owing to COVID-19 pandemic | |||
2020–21 | Season curtailed | |||
2021–22 | Newark Town | Blidworth Welfare | ||
2022–23 | Retford United | Clay Cross Town | ||
2023-24 | Dearne and District | Pinxton |
The league also runs the Central Midlands League Challenge Cup, which is contested by every club in the league. Since 2001 every final has been played at Alfreton Town's North Street stadium.
The Northern Counties East Football League is a semi-professional English football league. It has two divisions – Premier Division and Division One – which stand at the ninth and tenth levels of the English football pyramid respectively.
The Southern League is a football competition featuring semi-professional clubs from East Anglia, the South and Midlands of England, and South Wales. Together with the Isthmian League and the Northern Premier League it forms levels seven and eight of the English football league system.
The United Counties League is an English football league covering an area including the English counties of northern Bedfordshire, northern Buckinghamshire, most of Cambridgeshire, southern Derbyshire, southern Leicestershire, most of Lincolnshire, western Norfolk, Northamptonshire, southern Nottinghamshire, northern Oxfordshire, Rutland, eastern Staffordshire, eastern Warwickshire and eastern West Midlands. It has a total of five divisions, three for first teams and two for reserve teams, but the reserves' divisions were merged into a single division for the 2013–14 season and remains so at present.
Lincoln United Football Club is a football club based in Lincoln, Lincolnshire, England. They are currently members of the United Counties League Premier Division North and play at Ashby Avenue. Nicknamed the Whites after their home kit colours, they have played at Ashby Avenue since their foundation in 1938.
Belper Town Football Club is a football club based in Belper, Derbyshire, England. They are currently members of the Northern Premier League Division One East and play at Christchurch Meadow. The club are nicknamed the "Nailers" due to the town's nail-making industry.
Glapwell Football Club are a football club based in Glapwell in Derbyshire, England. They are currently members of the Central Midlands Alliance Premier Division North and play at Hall Corner.
Mickleover Football Club is a football club based in the Mickleover suburb of Derby, Derbyshire, England. They are currently members of the Northern Premier League Premier Division and play at Station Road. The club were formed as Mickleover Old Boys in 1948, before becoming Mickleover Sports in the 1990s. In 2020 the club dropped "Sports" from its name.
Long Eaton United Football Club is a football club in Long Eaton, Derbyshire, England. They are currently members of the Northern Premier League Division One Midlands and play at Grange Park.
Lincoln Moorlands Railway A.F.C. is a football club based in Lincoln, England. They are currently members of the Lincolnshire League Premier Division and play at the Moorlands Sports & Social Club.
Staveley Miners Welfare Football Club is an English football club based in Staveley, Derbyshire. They play in the Northern Counties East Football League Division One, at level 10 of the English football league system with the reserve side playing at step 7 in the Central Midlands Alliance Premier Division North.
Heanor Town Football Club is a football club based in Heanor, Derbyshire, England. They are currently members of the United Counties League Premier Division North and play at the Town Ground.
Holbrook Sports Football Club is a football club based in Holbrook, near Derby, Derbyshire, England. They are currently members of the Central Midlands Alliance Premier Division South and play at the Holbrook Sports Ground.
Askern Miners Football Club is a football club based in Askern, Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. They are currently members of the Doncaster Saturday League Premier Division.
Blidworth Welfare Football Club is a football club based in Blidworth, near Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, England. They are currently members of the Central Midlands Alliance Premier Division North.
Harworth Colliery Football Club is an English football club based in Harworth and Bircotes, Nottinghamshire. The club are currently members of the Central Midlands Alliance Premier Division North.
Gresley Rovers Football Club is an English football club from Church Gresley, South Derbyshire. Gresley is a member of the United Counties League Premier Division North and plays home games at the Moat Ground. They were known as Gresley Rovers until 2009, when they were reformed under the name of Gresley F.C. In July 2020 the club readopted their original name, Gresley Rovers.
For more information on the current structure of the NLS, see the main article.
Derby County Women are an English women's football club affiliated with Derby County F.C. The first-team currently play in the FA Women's National League North Division.
Mickleover Royal British Legion Football Club is an English football club based in the Derby suburb of Mickleover in Derbyshire. The club is a FA Charter Standard Club affiliated to the Derbyshire County Football Association. They are currently members of the Central Midlands Alliance Premier Division South.
Selston F.C. is a football club based in Selston, Nottinghamshire. They are currently members of the United Counties League Division One and play at the Parish Hall Ground.