The Central League is a football league for reserve teams, primarily from the English Football League.
The league was formed in 1911 and in its early years consisted of a mix of first teams and reserve teams from the North and the Midlands. However, when the Football League Third Division North was created in 1921, all the first teams in the Central League became founder members.
Since then, the league has been for reserve teams only, and eventually expanded to include virtually every professional team in the South, Midlands and North of England. Southern teams used to play in the Football Combination. In recent years, the Premier Reserve League was created for reserve sides of Premier League teams, and so the Central League's membership has been reduced.
From the 2006/07 English football season the FA Premier Reserve League was restricted to the reserve sides of FA Premier League clubs. This meant that the reserve sides of Championship clubs rejoined the Central League.
Teams are not promoted to the Premier Reserve League based on their final league position, but on the league position of their respective clubs' senior teams. If the senior team is promoted to the Premier League, then the reserve team is promoted to the Premier Reserve League and replaced by the reserve teams of the relegated clubs.
It was announced on 31 December 2013 that the Central League secured a sponsorship arrangement with Final Third Sports Media, and was known as the 'Final Third Development League' with immediate effect for two seasons. It was branded as the Final Third Development League until the 2015/16 season.
On 11 June 2014, it was announced that the league would expand to become a national competition by running a division in the south of the country for the 2014/15 season for the first time. The 2021–22 season was Northern only again, and only featured six teams, though the Central League Cup remained national. Wrexham joined for the 2022–23 season, despite not being in the EFL. Twelve teams entered in 2023–24, with them split into two leagues of six.
Champions 1911–2026 1911–12Lincoln City1912–13Manchester United1913–14Everton1914–15Huddersfield Town1919–20Blackpool1920–21Manchester United1921–22Sheffield United1922–23West Bromwich Albion1923–24West Bromwich Albion1924–25Huddersfield Town1925–26Huddersfield Town1926–27West Bromwich Albion1927–28Stoke City1928–29Sheffield Wednesday1929–30Aston Villa1930–31Huddersfield Town1931–32Wolverhampton Wanderers1932–33West Bromwich Albion1933–34West Bromwich Albion1934–35West Bromwich Albion1935–36Derby County1936–37Leeds United1937–38Everton1938–39Manchester United1945–46Sheffield Wednesday1946–47Manchester United1947–48Newcastle United1948–49Burnley1949–50Blackpool1950–51Wolverhampton Wanderers1951–52Wolverhampton Wanderers1952–53Wolverhampton Wanderers1953–54Everton1954–55Bolton Wanderers1955–56Manchester United1956–57Liverpool1957–58Wolverhampton Wanderers1958–59Wolverhampton Wanderers1959–60Manchester United1960–61Sheffield Wednesday1961–62Burnley1962–63Burnley1963–64Aston Villa1964–65Blackburn Rovers1965–66Sheffield United1966–67Blackburn Rovers1967–68Everton1968–69Liverpool1969–70Liverpool1970–71Liverpool1971–72Derby County1972–73Liverpool1973–74Liverpool1974–75Liverpool1975–76Liverpool1976–77Liverpool1977–78Manchester City1978–79Liverpool1979–80Liverpool1980–81Liverpool1981–82Liverpool1982–83West Bromwich Albion1983–84Liverpool1984–85Liverpool1985–86Derby County1986–87Manchester City1987–88Nottingham Forest1988–89Nottingham Forest1989–90Liverpool1990–91Sheffield Wednesday1991–92Nottingham Forest1992–93Aston Villa1993–94Manchester United1994–95Bolton Wanderers1995–96Manchester United1996–97Manchester United1997–98Leeds United1998–99Sunderland1999–00Manchester City2000–01Tranmere Rovers2001–02Preston North End2002–03Sheffield United2003–04Stoke City2004–05Hull City2005–06+Doncaster Rovers2006-07+Nottingham Forest2007-08+Manchester City2008-09^Shrewsbury Town2009-10^Wrexham2010-11^Preston North End2011-12^Middlesbrough2012-13~Shrewsbury Town2013-14~Hull City2014-15^Hull City2015–16^Notts County2016–17^Walsall2017–18^Port Vale2018–19~Milton Keynes Dons2019–20^(not completed)2020–21(not played)2021–22Preston North End2022–23Accrington Stanley2023–24~(not completed)2024–25Derby County2025–26Oxford United
+ - Three divisions, overall winner decided after a series of play-offs. ^ - Three divisions, overall winner is the team with the best points per game ratio. ~ - Two divisions, overall winner is the team with the best points per game ratio. - Four divisions, overall winner is the team with the best points per game ratio.
Championships by club PClubNumber of Wins1Liverpool162Manchester United93West Bromwich Albion74Wolverhampton Wanderers65Derby County4 Everton4 Huddersfield Town4 Manchester City4 Nottingham Forest4 Sheffield Wednesday4 11Aston Villa3 Burnley3 Hull City3 Preston North End3 Sheffield United316Blackburn Rovers2 Blackpool2 Bolton Wanderers2 Leeds United2 Stoke City2 Shrewsbury Town222Accrington Stanley1 Doncaster Rovers1 Lincoln City1 Middlesbrough1 Milton Keynes Dons1 Newcastle United1 Notts County1 Oxford United1 Port Vale1 Sunderland1 Tranmere Rovers1 Walsall1 Wrexham1
Central League Cup Since 1996 the league has also operated a cup competition – The Central League Cup.
Winners SeasonWinners1996–97Stoke City1997–98Sheffield United1998–99Tranmere Rovers1999–002000–01Sheffield United2001–02Doncaster Rovers2002–03Hull City2003–04Sheffield Wednesday2004–05Manchester United2005–06Shrewsbury Town2006–07Lincoln City2007–08Morecambe2008–09Sunderland2009–10Leicester City2010–11Sunderland2011–12 (not completed)2012–13Gateshead2013–14Wigan Athletic2014–15Middlesbrough2015–16North: Burnley South: Southend United2016–17North: Wigan AthleticSouth: Bristol City2017–18North: Mansfield TownSouth: Southend United2018–19Bournemouth2019–20 (not completed)2020–21Bournemouth2021–22 (not completed)2022–23Blackpool2023–24Burnley2024–25Mansfield Town2025–26Wigan Athletic
See also The Football Combination Premier Reserve League English Football League Youth Alliance English Football League
References
External links Official page on the English Football League website