The Central Midlands League is an English association football league covering the northeast_central part of England. Founded in Derbyshire, they now take in clubs from Lincolnshire, Yorkshire, and other counties in the region. As of the 2004/05 season, their principal sponsor is Abacus Lighting.

Within the English football league system, the CML's top division, called the Supreme Division, is considered part of the National League System while the lower Premier Division (at the twelfth overall tier of the pyramid) and two reserve divisions are not. Three clubs from the Premier Division have the distinction of being the lowest-ranked clubs, and only ones outside the NLS, accepted for the 2004-05 FA Vase.

Stadium Services sponsor the 22-team Supreme Division, Vipond Fire Protection the 20-team Premier Division, and "Lee's" sponsor the 16-team Premier Reserves and 15-team 1st Division Reserves.

Champions of the Supreme Division are eligible (if they meet ground standards) for promotion to the Northern Counties East League, and some clubs have progressed from the CML to the Football Conference and Northern Premier League. A representative side from the league takes part in the FA National League System Cup.

Six local leagues, often not recognized as playing senior football, are below the CML on the pyramid. These are the Midland Regional Alliance, the Humber Premier League, the Nottinghamshire Alliance, the Doncaster & District Senior League, the Sheffield County Senior League, and the Chesterfield League. In most cases these have multiple divisions or feeder leagues of their own.

External link

• Official site (http://www.centralmidlands.co.uk/)