Central League (England)

For other uses, see Central League (disambiguation).

The Central League is a football league for reserve teams, primarily from the English Football League. For sponsorship purposes, it was branded as the Final Third Development League until the 2015/16 season.

The Central League

Founded	1911
Country	England Wales
Divisions	1
Number of teams	12
Current champions	Accrington Stanley (2022–23)

The league was formed in 1911 and in its early years consisted of a mix of first teams and reserve teams. 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 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.

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

1911–2024

1911–12 Lincoln City 1912–13 Manchester United 1913–14 Everton 1914–15 Huddersfield Town 1919–20 Blackpool 1920–21 Manchester United 1921–22 Sheffield United 1922–23 West Bromwich Albion 1923–24 West Bromwich Albion 1924–25 Huddersfield Town 1925–26 Huddersfield Town 1926–27 West Bromwich Albion 1927–28 Stoke City 1928–29 Sheffield Wednesday 1929–30 Aston Villa 1930–31 Huddersfield Town 1931–32 Wolverhampton Wanderers 1932–33 West Bromwich Albion 1933–34 West Bromwich Albion 1934–35 West Bromwich Albion 1935–36 Derby County 1936–37 Leeds United 1937–38 Everton 1938–39 Manchester United 1945–46 Sheffield Wednesday 1946–47 Manchester United 1947–48 Newcastle United 1948–49 Burnley 1949–50 Blackpool 1950–51 Wolverhampton Wanderers 1951–52 Wolverhampton Wanderers 1952–53 Wolverhampton Wanderers 1953–54 Everton 1954–55 Bolton Wanderers

1955–56 Manchester United 1956–57 Liverpool 1957–58 Wolverhampton Wanderers 1958–59 Wolverhampton Wanderers 1959–60 Manchester United 1960–61 Sheffield Wednesday 1961–62 Burnley 1962–63 Burnley 1963–64 Aston Villa 1964–65 Blackburn Rovers 1965–66 Sheffield United 1966–67 Blackburn Rovers 1967–68 Everton 1968–69 Liverpool 1969–70 Liverpool 1970–71 Liverpool 1971–72 Derby County 1972–73 Liverpool 1973–74 Liverpool 1974–75 Liverpool 1975–76 Liverpool 1976–77 Liverpool 1977–78 Manchester City 1978–79 Liverpool 1979–80 Liverpool 1980–81 Liverpool 1981–82 Liverpool 1982–83 West Bromwich Albion 1983–84 Liverpool 1984–85 Liverpool 1985–86 Derby County 1986–87 Manchester City 1987–88 Nottingham Forest 1988–89 Nottingham Forest

1989–90 Liverpool 1990–91 Sheffield Wednesday 1991–92 Nottingham Forest 1992–93 Aston Villa 1993–94 Manchester United 1994–95 Bolton Wanderers 1995–96 Manchester United 1996–97 Manchester United 1997–98 Leeds United 1998–99 Sunderland 1999–00 Manchester City 2000–01 Tranmere Rovers 2001–02 Preston North End 2002–03 Sheffield United 2003–04 Stoke City 2004–05 Hull City 2005–06+ Doncaster Rovers 2006-07+ Nottingham Forest 2007-08+ Manchester City 2008-09^ Shrewsbury Town 2009-10^ Wrexham 2010-11^ Preston North End 2011-12^ Middlesbrough 2012-13~ Shrewsbury Town 2013-14~ Hull City 2014-15^ Hull City 2015–16^ Notts County 2016–17^ Walsall 2017–18^ Port Vale 2018–19~ Milton Keynes Dons 2019–20^ (not completed) 2020–21 (not played) 2021–22 Preston North End 2022–23 Accrington Stanley 2023–24~ (not completed)

+ - 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

P	Club	Number of Wins
1	Liverpool	16
2	Manchester United	9
3	West Bromwich Albion	7
4	Wolverhampton Wanderers	6
5	Derby County	4
	Everton	4
	Huddersfield Town	4
	Manchester City	4
	Nottingham Forest	4
	Sheffield Wednesday	4
11	Aston Villa	3
	Burnley	3
	Hull City	3
	Preston North End	3
	Sheffield United	3
16	Blackburn Rovers	2
	Blackpool	2
	Bolton Wanderers	2
	Leeds United	2
	Stoke City	2
	Shrewsbury Town	2
22	Accrington Stanley	1
	Doncaster Rovers	1
	Lincoln City	1
	Middlesbrough	1
	Milton Keynes Dons	1
	Newcastle United	1
	Notts County	1
	Port Vale	1
	Sunderland	1
	Tranmere Rovers	1
	Walsall	1
	Wrexham	1

Central League Cup

Since 1996 the league has also operated a cup competition – The Central League Cup.

Winners

Season	Winners
1996–97	Stoke City
1997–98	Sheffield United
1998–99	Tranmere Rovers
1999–00
2000–01	Sheffield United
2001–02	Doncaster Rovers
2002–03	Hull City
2003–04	Sheffield Wednesday
2004–05	Manchester United
2005–06	Shrewsbury Town
2006–07	Lincoln City
2007–08	Morecambe
2008–09	Sunderland
2009–10	Leicester City
2010–11	Sunderland
2011–12	(not completed)
2012–13	Gateshead
2013–14	Wigan Athletic
2014–15	Middlesbrough
2015–16	North: Burnley South: Southend United
2016–17	North: Wigan Athletic South: Bristol City
2017–18	North: Mansfield Town South: Southend United
2018–19	Bournemouth
2019–20	(not completed)
2020–21	Bournemouth
2021–22	(not completed)
2022–23	Blackpool
2023–24	Burnley

See also

• The Football Combination
• Premier Reserve League
• English Football League Youth Alliance
• English Football League

External links

• Official page on the English Football League website