Central Alliance
| Founded | 1911 |
|---|---|
| First season | 1911–12 |
| Folded | 1985 |
| Country | England |
| Domestic cup(s) | FA Cup |
The Central Alliance was a football league in England, covering the East Midlands.
History[edit]
The league was established in 1911 with twelve clubs, most of which had previously been members of the Notts & Derbyshire League; Derby County Reserves, Grantham, Grantham Avenue, Ilkeston United, Long Eaton St Helens, Mansfield Mechanics, Mansfield Town, Nottingham Forest Reserves, Peterborough GN Loco, Sutton Junction, Sutton Town and Walsall Reserves.[1]
Following the outbreak of World War I the league was played in two series in 1915–16, with the nine clubs playing each other once; however, three clubs dropped out before the second series, and the remaining six only played nine or ten matches before the league was abandoned.[1] It restarted in 1919–20.[1] However, at the end of the 1924–25 season the league was dissolved, with five clubs joining the Midland League, three joining the Derbyshire Senior League and one joining the Leicestershire Senior League.[1]
In 1947 the league was re-established with 14 clubs.[2] By 1950 it had expanded to the extent that a second division was added.[2] A third division was added in 1956, with Division One split into North and South sections, above Division Two.[2] This system remained in place until 1961 when several clubs moved to the reformed Midland League, and the league reverted to two divisions,[2] a Premier Division and Division One. The following season Division One was divided into A and B sections.[3] However, the two were combined for the 1963–64 season.[3]
The league lost all but four of its Premier Division clubs to the new East Midlands Regional League in 1967. The two leagues subsequently merged to form the Midlands Regional Alliance in 1985.
Divisional champions[edit]
| Season | Champions | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1911–12 | Derby County Reserves | ||
| 1912–13 | Long Eaton St Helens | ||
| 1913–14 | Shirebrook | ||
| 1914–15 | Notts County Reserves | ||
| League abandoned during World War I | |||
| 1919–20 | Mansfield Town | ||
| 1920–21 | Leicester City Reserves | ||
| 1921–22 | Leicester City Reserves | ||
| 1922–23 | Leicester City Reserves | ||
| 1923–24 | Alfreton Town | ||
| 1924–25 | Grantham | ||
| Competition abolished | |||
| 1947–48 | Nottingham Forest 'A' | ||
| 1948–49 | Whitwick Colliery | ||
| 1949–50 | Linby Colliery | ||
| Season | Division One | Division Two | |
| 1950–51 | Sutton Town | ||
| 1951–52 | Ilkeston Town | ||
| 1952–53 | Ilkeston Town | ||
| 1953–54 | Ilkeston Town | ||
| 1954–55 | Ilkeston Town | ||
| 1955–56 | Ransome & Marles | Creswell Colliery Reserves | |
| Season | Division One North | Division One South | Division Two |
| 1956–57 | Heanor Town | Skegness Town | Heanor Town Reserves |
| 1957–58 | Heanor Town | Skegness Town | Sutton Town Reserves |
| 1958–59 | Belper Town | Long Eaton United | Heanor Town Reserves |
| 1959–60 | Matlock Town | Bourne Town | Matlock Town Reserves |
| 1960–61 | Matlock Town | Skegness Town Reserves | Ransome & Marles |
| Season | Premier Division | Division One | |
| 1961–62 | Boston United | Ilkeston Town Reserves | |
| Season | Premier Division | Division One A | Division One B |
| 1962–63 | Arnold St Mary's | Long Eaton United Reserves | Arnold St Mary's Reserves |
| Season | Premier Division | Division One | |
| 1963–64 | Eastwood Town | Derby County 'A' | |
| 1964–65 | Gresley Rovers | Creswell Colliery | |
| 1965–66 | Boston | Grantham St John's | |
| 1966–67 | Gresley Rovers | Meadows Old Boys | |
| 1967–68 | Derby Roe Farm Athletic | ||
| 1968–69 | Littleover Old Boys | St Helens United | |
| 1969–70 | Radcliffe Olympic | Clifton All Whites Reserves | |
| 1970–71 | Graham Street Prims | Hucknall Miners Association | |
| 1971–72 | Heage United | ||
| 1972–73 | Hucknall Miners Association | Greenwood | |
| 1973–74 | Derby Roe Farm Athletic Reserves | Ruddington Village | |
| 1974–75 | Fairham | New Villa | |
| 1975–76 | Attenborough | Birnam Sports | |
| 1976–77 | |||
| 1977–78 | Derby Carriage & Wagon | ||
| 1978–79 | |||
| 1979–80 | Priory | ||
| 1980–81 | Radcliffe Olympic | ||
| 1981–82 | Slack & Parr | ||
| 1982–83 | |||
| 1983–84 | |||
| 1984–85 | |||
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d The Central Alliance 1911–1925 Non-League Matters
- ^ a b c d The Central Alliance 1947–1962 Non-League Matters
- ^ a b The Central Alliance 1962–1976 Non-League Matters