The Central Midlands Alliance is an English

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

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 Derbyshire ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It borders Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, and South Yorkshire to the north, Nottinghamshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south-east, Staffordshire to the south a ...

Lincolnshire Lincolnshire (), abbreviated ''Lincs'', is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber regions of England. It is bordered by the East Riding of Yorkshire across the Humber estuary to th ...

Nottinghamshire Nottinghamshire (; abbreviated ''Notts.'') is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. The county is bordered by South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west. Th ...

South Yorkshire South Yorkshire is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It borders North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire to the north, the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north-east, Lincolnshire ...

and

Staffordshire Staffordshire (; postal abbreviation ''Staffs''.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands of England. It borders Cheshire to the north-west, Derbyshire and Leicestershire to the east, ...

, although

Sheffield Sheffield is a city in South Yorkshire, England, situated south of Leeds and east of Manchester. The city is the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire and some of its so ...

-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 *1983–84: Premier, Premier First, Senior and First *1984–85 to 1985–86: Premier, Central, Senior and First *1986–87 to 1987–88: Supreme, Premier, First and Second *1988–89 to 1990–91: Supreme, Premier and First *1991–92: Supreme, Premier North and Premier South *1992–93 to 2010–11: Supreme and Premier *2011–12 to 2012–13: North and South *2012–13 to 2014–15: North, South, Reserve Supreme and Reserve Premier *2015–16 to 2016–17: North, South, Reserve Division *2017–18 to 2018–19: North, South, Reserve Supreme and Division One *2018–19 to 2019–20: North, South, Division One North and South *2019–20 to 2021–22: North, South, Division One North, South and Central *2022–23: North, South, Division One North, East and West *2023–24 onwards: North, South, Division One North, South, East and West and Division 2 Within the

English football league system The English football league system, also known as the football pyramid, is a series of interconnected leagues for men's association football clubs in England, with five teams from Wales, one from Guernsey, one from Jersey and one from the ...

, the Central Midlands League's top two divisions, called the ''North Division'' and ''South Division'', were considered part of the

National League System The National League System comprises the six levels of the English football league system immediately below the level of the English Football League. It comes under the jurisdiction of the Football Association. The National League System has a ...

(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 The Football Association Challenge Vase, also known as the Isuzu FA Vase for sponsorship reasons, is an annual football competition run by and named after The Football Association (The FA), for teams playing in Steps 5 and 6 of the English Nation ...

. 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 The Leicestershire Senior League (currently sponsored by Everards Brewery) is a association football, football competition based in Leicestershire, England. History The league was formed in 1896, had a two-year hiatus between 1901 and 1903, and ...

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 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. ...

Division One or

United Counties League The United Counties League (also known after its sponsor as the ''GCE Hire Fleet Ltd. United Counties League'') is an England, English association football, football league covering an area including the English Counties of the United Kingdom, ...

Division One. Some clubs have progressed from the CML to the

National League North The National League North, officially known as Vanarama National League North for sponsorship reasons, is a professional Association football league in England. National League North is the second division of the National League (English footb ...

and

Northern Premier League The Northern Premier League is an English Association football, football league that was founded in 1968. Together with the Isthmian League and the Southern Football League, Southern League it forms levels seven and eight of the English footba ...

. A representative side from the league takes part in the

FA Inter-League Cup The FA Inter-League Cup (formerly known as the FA National League System Cup or FA NLS Cup) is a football competition run by The Football Association. It was created in the 2003–04 season to provide an English representative in the UEFA Reg ...

Current members

The member clubs of the league for the 2024-25 season are as follows.

North Division

*AFC Bentley * A.F.C. Phoenix * Blidworth Welfare * Dinnington Town * Doncaster City *Elite FC *

Glapwell Glapwell is a rural village and civil parish on the A617 road in the Bolsover District of north-east Derbyshire, The village is at the top of a steep hill at an elevation of 176m, on the western edge of the Southern Magnesian Limestone, overloo ...

* Harworth Colliery *Hatfield Town *Kiveton Miners Welfare * Ollerton Town * Rossington Main reserves *St Josephs Rockware of Worksop * Staveley Miners Welfare reserves *Woodhouse Colts * Worksop Town reserves * Yorkshire Main

South Division

*AFC Normanton * Arnold Town *Bakewell Town *Cromford & Wirksworth Town *Derby Singh Brothers * Graham Street Prims * Gresley Rovers reserves *Holbrook St Michaels * Holbrook Sports * Linby Colliery Welfare *Mansfield Hosiery Mills *Mayfield *Melbourne Dynamo *

Mickleover Mickleover is a village in the unitary authority of Derby, in Derbyshire, England. It is west of Derby, northeast of Burton upon Trent, southeast of Ashbourne and northeast of Uttoxeter. History The earliest recorded mention of Mickleov ...

reserves * Mickleover Royal British Legion * South Normanton Athletic * Teversal *Wirksworth Ivanhoe Division One North *780 JLC * Appleby Frodingham Reserves * Armthorpe Welfare Development *Bessacarr * Bottesford Town Development *Crowle Colts Development * Dearne & District Development *Epworth Town *Evo FC *FC United of Sheffield * Harworth Colliery Reserves *Kinsley Boys *St Josephs Rockware of Worksop Development Division One East *Ashland Rovers * Blidworth Welfare Reserves *Eastwood & Kimberley *Kirton Brickworks * Linby Colliery Reserves *Long Bennington *Mansfield Hosiery Mills *RHP Sports & Social *Pilsley Community *Shirebrook Soldiers * Southwell City Development * Teversal Development Division One West *Bakewell Town Development *Bargate Rovers * Belper United Reserves *Cromford & Wirksworth Town Reserves * Heanor Town Reserves *Holbrook St Michaels Reserves *Inter Belper *Little Eaton *Mayfield *Melbourne Dynamo Reserves *Mickleover Athletic *Rowsley 86 *Sleetmoor United Division One South *Baobab United * Borrowash Victoria Reserves *Burton Hornets *Burton United *Castle Donington *FC Sunnyhill *Hemington Hammers *Hilton Harriers * Holbrook Sports Development *Punjab United * Stapenhill Reserves Division Two *Allenton United *Ashland Rovers Reserves *Ashover *Aston Village *Castle Donington Reserves *Little Eaton Reserves *Markeaton *Mickleover Athletic Reserves *Rising Stars *Rowsley 86 Reserves *Winster Darley Lions *Wirksworth Ivanhoe Reserves

League champions

League Challenge Cup

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 Alfreton Town Football Club is a football club based in Alfreton, Derbyshire, England. The club are currently members of and play at North Street. History The club was formed in 1959 following the merger of Alfreton Miners Welfare and Alf ...

's North Street stadium.

Current members

North Division

South Division

League champions

League Challenge Cup

Finals

References

External links