Midland League Division One
Born courtesy of a high-profile merger in 2014 between the Midland Football Alliance and the Midland Football Combination, the Midland League Division One forms a significant part of the Non-League structure and encompasses clubs from Staffordshire, Warwickshire and parts of Leicestershire.
With roots that go back to 1927 through the Midlands Combination (originally as the Worcestershire Combination), the league, which is sat at Step 6 on the national football pyramid plays a crucial part in serving as bridge between the Midland Football League Premier Division at Step 5 and the lower county local football clubs in the region.
Historically, a considerable number of clubs in the league have Black Country and Birmingham origins, making for some notable derby games over the years, while there is also a wide catchment area.
The Midlands League Division One has its fair share of history. During World War I, the original Midland League was suspended, however, a ‘Midland Section’ was created by the Football League in order to allow local clubs to play regional matches, while minimising travel for players who also contributed towards the war effort.
In 1919, although hostilities had come to an end, prior to the original league structure recommencing, the “Midland Victory League” was launched as a one-off, in order to raise money for charity to support those families who were victims of World War I.
Between 1939 and 1948 (which included the World War II years), the league was suspended, though, just prior to the outbreak of the conflict, a notable event happened.
Catshill Village Hall was a dominant force in the league who famously took a number of coachloads across to Belgium to watch the club win a continental tournament.
Recent Division Winners
| Season | Winner |
|---|---|
| 2014/15 | Highgate United |
| 2015/16 | Coventry United |
| 2016/17 | Bromsgrove Sporting |
| 2017/18 | Walsall Wood |
| 2018/19 | Heather St Johns |
| 2019/20 | Season Abandoned (COVID-19) |
| 2020/21 | Season Abandoned (COVID-19) |
| 2021/22 | Atherstone Town |
| 2022/23 | Dudley Town |
| 2023/24 | Hinkley AFC |
| 2024/25 | Nuneaton Town |
Notable Alumni Over The Decades
The league also has considerable alumni, most notably Hereford FC, following the folding of Hereford United, while in the 1950s, Wolverhampton Wanderers (Wolves) entered a ‘B’ side into the league’s predecessor.
As such, future England internationals, Ron Flowers, Eddie Clamp and Norman Deeley all had apprenticeships in the league. Meanwhile, Nuneaton Town also have history in the league following their financial restructuring which saw them drop down and rise back up the pyramid.
In 1971, Alvechurch FC, while in the Midland structure, famously entered the Guinness Book of Records after taking six matches to decide an FA Cup tie against Oxford City.
The league’s own cup competition is affectionately known as the Les James Challenge Cup, which is named after a man with a 60-year affiliation with the league and was fondly nicknamed “Mr Mid Comb”.
Over the years, Midland League clubs have also been a considerable threat in the FA Vase Trophy with the likes’ of Hinkley AFC and Congleton Town, all achieving deep runs in the competition, including high-profile finals at Wembley.