Northern Counties East Football League

Northern Counties East Football League

Countries	England
Founded	1982
Divisions	Premier Division (1982–present) Division One (1982–present) Division Two (1982–91) Division Three (1985–86)
Number of teams	41 20 (Premier Division) 20 (Division One)
Levels on pyramid	9–10
Feeder to	Northern Premier League Division One North South
Domestic cup(s)	FA Cup FA Vase League: League Cup Presidents Cup Wilkinson Sword Trophy
Current champions	Farsley (Premier Division) Staveley Miners Welfare (Division One) (2010–11)
Website	Official site

The Northern Counties East Football League is an English football league that was founded in 1982 by the merger of the former Yorkshire League and Midland League. The league has two divisions at present; The Premier Division and Division One which stand at the ninth and tenth levels of the football pyramid respectively. From season 2011–12, the league is sponsored by Baris.

Promotion and relegation

The area covered by the NCEFL is coloured in light green.

The league's Premier Division is a feeder to the Northern Premier League First Division North or South, with the championship winning team being promoted. Should they not meet the ground standards to compete in the higher level, the runners-up may be granted promotion instead.

The bottom two clubs of the league's Premier Division at the end of the season are relegated into Division One, while the top two clubs of Division One are promoted to the Premier Division. In recent seasons teams have not always been relegated to a lower level as the league has been running short of maximum.

The Champion club of the Central Midlands League North Division is eligible for promotion to the Northern Counties East League, and other teams from that league and other local leagues such as the West Yorkshire League and the West Riding County Amateur League can be elected to fill any vacancies should their grounds be up to league standards. Additionally, as of the 2008–09 season, the champion of the new East Midlands Counties League is eligible for promotion to the NCEL's Premier Division, based on their location.

History

Since its founding in 1982 the league has provided some notable moments. From 1982 until 2007, the league hosted the oldest footballing rivalry in the world, between the world's two oldest clubs; Sheffield and Hallam. Hallam's ground Sandygate Road is in the Guinness Book of Records as "The Oldest Ground in the World". Another of the world's oldest teams Brigg Town, who play in Brigg near Scunthorpe, have also competed in the league.

Structure

During the league's history the structure has varied over the years, here is a complete description of the system for their respective seasons;

• 1982–84: Premier Division, Division One (North), Division One (South), Division Two (North), Division Two (South)
• 1984–85: Premier Division, Division One (North), Division One (Central), Division One (South)
• 1985–86: Premier Division, Division One, Division Two, Division Three
• 1986–91: Premier Division, Division One, Division Two
• 1991–Present: Premier Division, Division One

Champions

Season	Premier Division	Division One		Division Two
		North	South	North	South
1982–83	Shepshed Charterhouse	Scarborough Reserves	Lincoln United	Rowntree Mackintosh	Woolley Miners Welfare
1983–84	Spalding United	Pontefract Collieries	Borrowash Victoria	Harrogate Railway Athletic	Retford Town

Season	Premier Division	Division One
		Central	North	South
1984–85	Belper Town	Armthorpe Welfare	Farsley Celtic	Long Eaton United

Season	Premier Division	Division One	Division Two	Division Three
1985–86	Arnold	North Ferriby United	Lincoln United	Collingham

Season	Premier Division	Division One	Division Two
1986–87	Alfreton Town	Ossett Albion	Frecheville Community Association
1987–88	Emley	York Railway Institute	Pickering Town
1988–89	Emley	Sheffield	Ossett Town
1989–90	Bridlington Town	Rowntree Mackintosh	Winterton Rangers
1990–91	Guiseley	Sheffield	Hall Road Rangers

Season	Premier Division	Division One
1991–92	North Shields	Stocksbridge Park Steels
1992–93	Spennymoor United	Lincoln United
1993–94	Stocksbridge Park Steels	Arnold Town
1994–95	Lincoln United	Hatfield Main
1995–96	Hatfield Main	Selby Town
1996–97	Denaby United	Eccleshill United
1997–98	Hucknall Town	Garforth Town
1998–99	Ossett Albion	Harrogate Railway
1999–2000	North Ferriby United	Goole
2000–01	North Ferriby United	Borrowash Victoria
2001–02	Brigg Town	Gedling Town
2002–03	Alfreton Town	Mickleover Sports
2003–04	Bridlington Town	Shirebrook Town
2004–05	Goole	Sutton Town
2005–06	Buxton	Carlton Town
2006–07	Retford United	Parkgate
2007–08	Winterton Rangers	Dinnington Town
2008–09	Mickleover Sports	Scarborough Athletic
2009–10	Bridlington Town	Tadcaster Albion
2010–11	Farsley	Staveley Miners Welfare

Cups

The league has three cup competitions. The League Cup is contested by all the clubs in the league. The Wilkinson Sword Trophy is only contested by the Division One clubs. The Presidents Cup is contested by the top eight teams in each division from the previous season, provided they remain in the league.

Winners

Season	League Cup	Presidents Cup	Trophy
1982–83	Shepshed Charterhouse
1983–84	Ossett Albion
1984–85	Alfreton Town
1985–86	Sutton Town
1986–87	Harrogate Railway Athletic
1987–88	York Railway Institute
1988–89	Bridlington Town
1989–90	Ossett Town
1990–91	Guiseley	North Ferriby United
1991–92	North Shields	North Shields
1992–93	Spennymoor United	Maltby Miners Welfare
1993–94	Hucknall Town	Lincoln United
1994–95	Stocksbridge Park Steels	Arnold Town
1995–96	Ashfield United	Belper Town	Pontefract Collieries
1996–97	Hucknall Town	Hucknall Town	Garforth Town
1997–98	Hucknall Town	Glasshoughton Welfare	Staveley Miners Welfare
1998–99	Denaby United	North Ferriby United	Yorkshire Amateur
1999–2000	Garforth Town	North Ferriby United	Goole
2000–01	Sheffield	Selby Town	Pickering Town
2001–02	Alfreton Town	Alfreton Town	Bridlington Town
2002–03	Ossett Albion	Harrogate Railway Athletic	Mickleover Sports
2003–04	Hallam	Eastwood Town	Hall Road Rangers
2004–05	Sheffield	Buxton	Lincoln Moorlands
2005–06	Liversedge	Buxton	Retford United
2006–07	Mickleover Sports	Retford United	Parkgate
2007–08	Winterton Rangers	Liversedge	Hall Road Rangers
2008–09	Long Eaton United	Nostell	Staveley Miners Welfare
2009–10	Dinnington Town
2010–11	Farsley

External links

• Official site
• Football Club History Database