Central Midlands Football League

Central Midlands Football League
Founded
1971
Nation
England
Feeder To
Northern Counties East League East Midlands Counties League
Divisions
Supreme Division Premier Division +2 Reserve divisions
Number of Teams
34 18(Supreme Division) 16(Premier Division)
Levels on Pyramid
11th (Supreme Division) 12th (Premier Division)
Current Champions (2008-09)
Radcliffe Olympic (Supreme Division) Louth Town (Premier Division)

The Central Midlands Football League 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 taking on its current name in 1983, it covers Derbyshire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and South Yorkshire. Since the 2004-05 season, their principal sponsor has been Abacus Lighting.

The number of divisions has varied over time as follows

• 1983-1984 - three divisions: Supreme, Premier First and Premier
• 1984-1985 - three divisions: Central, Premier First and Premier
• 1985-1986 - two divisions: Central and Premier
• 1986-1987 - three divisions: Supreme, Premier and First
• 1987-1988 to 1989-1990 - two divisions: Supreme and Premier
• 1990-1991 - three divisions: Supreme, Premier and First
• 1991-1992 - three divisions: Supreme, Premier North and Premier South
• 1993-1994 to present - two divisions: Supreme and Premier

Within the English football league system, the Central Midlands League's top division, called the Supreme Division, is considered part of the National League System (at Step 7), while the lower Premier Division (at the twelfth overall tier of the pyramid) and two reserve divisions are not. Four clubs from the Premier Division had the distinction of being the lowest-ranked clubs, and only ones outside the NLS, accepted for the 2006-07 FA Vase.

Buckingham Insurance sponsor the Supreme Division, Vipond Fire Protection the Premier Division, and "Lee's" sponsor the Reserve Premier Division and 15-team Reserve Division One.

Champions of the Supreme Division are eligible (if they meet ground standards) for promotion to the Northern Counties East League or the East Midlands Counties League, and some clubs have progressed from the CML to the Football Conference North and Northern Premier League. A representative side from the league takes part in the FA National League System Cup.

Six local leagues are below the CML on the pyramid. These are the Midlands Regional Alliance, the Humber Premier League, the Nottinghamshire Senior League, the Doncaster and District Senior League, the Sheffield and Hallamshire County Senior League, and the Chesterfield and District Amateur League. In most cases these have multiple divisions or feeder leagues of their own.

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 at Step 6 of the National League System.

Member clubs 2009-10

Recent Champions

External links

• [1] Final placings for all teams.