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.
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.
Divisions 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
Current members The member clubs of the league for the 2026–27 season are as follows.
Camper UK Premier Division North AFC Bentley A.F.C. Phoenix Brodsworth Main Burngreave United Dinnington Town Elite AFC Evo Soccer Glapwell Harworth Colliery Ollerton Town RHP Sports and Social Rossington Rossington Main Reserves St Josephs Rockware of Worksop Staveley Miners Welfare Reserves Teversal Worksop Town reserves
Camper UK Premier Division South Bakewell Town Blidworth Welfare Borrowash Victoria Cromford & Wirksworth Town Derby Gazers Derby Singh Brothers FC Sunnyhill Graham Street Prims Gresley Rovers B Holbrook Sports Holbrook St Michaels Linby Colliery Welfare Melbourne Dynamo Mickleover Athletic Mickleover Royal British Legion Ripley Town Wirksworth Ivanhoe
Macron Store Nottingham Division One North AFC Bentley Development AFC Manton Appleby Frodingham Saints Armthorpe Welfare Reserves Brodsworth Main Reserves Dunscroft United Frickley Athletic Reserves Harworth Colliery Reserves Kinsley Boys Development Kirton Brickworks Long Bennington Rossington Development Team 780
Macron Store Nottingham Division One Central AFC Normanton Belper United Development Eastwood & Kimberley Eastwood Development G3A Heanor Town Reserves Holbrook Sports Development Inter Belper Linby Colliery Welfare Reserves Punjab United Rowsley '86 Sleetmoor United Teversal Reserves Willow Wanderers Wirksworth Ivanhoe Reserves
Macron Store Nottingham Division One South Baobab United Burton Hornets Burton United Castle Doningotn Hemington Hammers Ingles Reserves Little Eaton Markeaton Mayfield Melbourne Dynamo Reserves Mickleover Royal British Legion Reserves Rising Stars Stockbrook United
Drayton PACS Division Two Aston Village Bakewell Town Development Bargate Rovers Castle Donington Reserves Cromford & Wirksworth Town Development Duffield Dynamo Little Eaton Reserves Mickleover Athletic Reserves Punjab United Reserves Ripley Town Reserves Rowsley '86 Reserves
League champions SeasonPremier Division1983–84Shepshed Charterhouse reserves1984–85Rossington Main1985–86Stanton SeasonSupreme DivisionPremier Division1986–87Hinckley TownStanton1987–88Harworth Colliery InstituteHuthwaite1988–89BostonPriory1989–90Hucknall TownMickleover Royal British Legion1990–91Hucknall TownMickleover Royal British Legion1991–92Lincoln UnitedNorth Fryston Colliery WelfareSouth Slack & Parr1992–93Arnold TownSandiacre Town1993–94GlapwellNuthall1994–95Heanor TownClipstone Welfare1995–96Oakham UnitedKillamarsh Juniors1996–97Heanor TownClipstone Welfare1997–98Gedling TownGoole AFC1998–99Mickleover SportsLincoln Moorlands1999–00Lincoln MoorlandsHolbrook2000–01Shirebrook TownNorth Notts2001–02Shirebrook TownRetford United2002–03Carlton TownPelican2003–04Retford UnitedRadcliffe Olympic2004–05DunkirkAFC Barnsley2005–06Barton Town Old BoysBilborough Pelican2006–07Bottesford TownHatfield Main2007–08Askern WelfareOllerton Town2008–09Radcliffe OlympicLouth Town2009–10Louth TownChurch Warsop2010–11Sheffield ParramoreYorkshire Main SeasonNorth DivisionSouth Division2011–12Westella & WillerbyBasford United2012–13Dronfield TownSutton Town2013–14AFC MansfieldClifton All Whites2014–15 Bilsthorpe Mickleover Royals2015–16 Glapwell Selston2016–17 FC Bolsover Selston2017–18 Harworth Colliery Eastwood2018–19 Retford Hucknall Town2019–20 Season abandoned owing to COVID-19 pandemic2020–21 Season curtailed2021–22Newark Town Blidworth Welfare2022–23Retford United Clay Cross Town2023-24Dearne and District Pinxton2024-25Doncaster City South Normanton Athletic2025-26Kinsley Boys Selston
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's North Street stadium.
Finals SeasonWinnerResultRunner-upVenue2000–01Shirebrook Town1 – 0CollinghamNorth Street2001–02Retford United1 – 0Thorne CollieryNorth Street2002–03Dinnington Town2 – 0DunkirkNorth Street2003–04Retford United1 – 0Dinnington TownNorth Street2004–05Sandiacre Town1 – 0DunkirkNorth Street2005–06Dinnington Town2 – 1Askern WelfareNorth Street2006–07Heanor Town5 – 3Ollerton TownNorth Street2007–08Dunkirk1 – 0Blidworth WelfareNorth Street2008–09Sutton Town2 – 0Westella & WillerbyNorth Street2009–10Newark Town4 – 4(p)Louth TownNorth Street2010–11Yorkshire Main2 – 2(p)Kirkby TownNorth Street2011–12Dronfield Town5 – 2Clifton All WhitesNorth Street2012–13Clifton All Whites1 – 0AFC MansfieldNorth Street2013–14AFC Mansfield2 – 1Thorne CollieryNorth Street2014–15Hucknall Town3 – 0Clifton All WhitesNorth Street2015–16Hucknall Rolls Leisure2 – 1Blidworth WelfareNorth Street2016–17Selston2 – 0Hucknall TownNorth Street2017–18Pinxton4 – 3CollinghamNorth Street2018–19Pinxton4 – 4(p)Hucknall TownNorth Street2019-20 Season abandoned owing to COVID-19 pandemic2020–21 Season curtailed2021–22Linby Colliery Welfare1 – 1(p)Mickleover Royal British LegionNorth Street2022–23Mickleover Royal British Legion4 – 2Clay Cross TownNorth Street2023–24Doncaster City2 – 0Dinnington TownNorth Street2024–25Dinnington Town2 – 1Doncaster CityNorth Street
References
External links North Division current table at NonLeagueMatters South division current table at NonLeagueMatters Central Midlands League on Mitoo (to 2012–13) Central Midlands League on FA Full-Time (2013–14 onwards)