Staffordshire County Senior League Premier Division

Founded in 2005, as a result of a merger between the Staffordshire Senior League and the Midlands League, the motive behind the creation of the Staffordshire County Senior league Premier Division was to create a more competitive and organised top tier for Staffordshire, while reducing the geographical fragmentation between North Staffordshire and the Black Country.

The league has historically had a significant presence of players based in the six towns that make up the city of Stoke-On-Trent, that include Hanley, Burslem, Longton, Tunstall, Stoke, and Fenton; all of these having deep industrial roots, influenced by “The Potteries”. The league represents the highest level of amateur football in the county.

Furthermore, the league has a reputation for being notoriously tight and competitive, with the league title often decided on the last day of the season, reflecting the high standard of football that the league represents.

Notable Alumni And Clubs

One of the most recent success stories is that of Foley Meir, which has reflected the league’s ability to prepare a club for the rigours of semi-professional football in the North West Counties League.

Meanwhile, Ball Haye Green is one of the most historic clubs in the league, situated in Leek, with a significant reputation for being hard to beat at home. There is also Walstanton United that time and again proves to be one of the ‘gold standard’ clubs for consistently demonstrating excellence and quality facilities.

Furthermore, Newcastle Town (Newcastle-Under-Lyme), have a number of development sides that have used the SCSL as a platform for quality young talent that has eventually made the leap to Step 4 or Step 3 football.

Local Business Partnerships

Without a doubt, one of the most important features of the league is its relationship with local businesses in the area that have played a major part in helping clubs with key administrative and operational costs.

Leek Building Society has certainly played its part in this over the years, even sponsoring cup competitions, while, as with many regional leagues, the SCSL shares a key partnership with Macron who help with kits and equipment, offering this at a discounted rate.

In addition, the league is governed by the Staffordshire County FA, which is based in Stafford, with the organisation being pioneers in “Ground Grading workshops”, which help village clubs better understand the requirements needed to make the grade in order to progress to the next level. This includes everything from how to install floodlights and the type of stands that are needed.

Associated Cup Competitions

There are also a number of cup competitions that are connected to the league, with the flagship being the FA Vase, which often produces high drama finals, while there is also The League Challenge Cup, which is the primary knockout competition at this level.