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Northern Counties East Football League
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Northern Counties East Football League |
|---|
| Founded |
| 1982 |
| Nation |
 England |
| Feeder To |
| Northern Premier League Division One North or South |
| Divisions |
| Premier Division (1982-present) Division One (1982-present) Division Two (1982-1991) Division Three (1985-86) |
| Number of Teams |
| 37 20 (Premier Division) 17 (Division One) |
| Levels on Pyramid |
| 9th (Premier Division) 10th (Division One) |
| Cups |
| League Cup Presidents Cup Wilkinson Sword Trophy |
| Current Champions (2006-07) |
| Retford United (Premier Division) Parkgate (Division One) |
| Website |
| Official site |
The Northern Counties East Football League is an English association 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.
Contents |
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 Supreme 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.
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 has gained fame from the Guinness Book of Records as "The Oldest Ground in the World". Another of the world's oldest teams Brigg Town have also competed in the league.
During the early to mid 2000s the league gained attention because of Garforth Town. The club had been taken over by Simon Clifford who has been credited with bringing the Brazilian Futebol de Salão style to the United Kingdom. Clifford used his contacts in the Brazilian footballing world to bring former World Cup playing internationals Careca and Sócrates for brief spells at the club. Former England and Manchester United player Lee Sharpe also spent some time there.
During the league's history the structure has varied over the years, here is a complete description of the system for their respective seasons;
- 1982-1984: Premier Division, Division One (North), Division One (South), Division Two (North), Division Two (South)
- 1984-1985: Premier Division, Division One (North), Division One (Central), Division One (South)
- 1985-1986: Premier Division, Division One, Division Two, Division Three
- 1986-1991: Premier Division, Division One, Division Two
- 1991-Present: Premier Division, Division One