 | |
| Founded | 1982 |
|---|---|
| Country | England |
| Number of clubs | 42 20(Premier Division) 22(Division One) |
| Level on pyramid | 9 and 10 |
| Promotion to | Level 8 Northern Premier League Division One East |
| Relegation to | Level 10 United Counties League Division One Level 11 Central Midlands League North Division Humber Premier League Premier Division Lincolnshire League Sheffield & Hallamshire County Senior League Premier Division West Yorkshire League Premier Division York League Premier Division Yorkshire Amateur League Supreme Division |
| Domestic cup(s) | National FA Cup FA Vase League League Cup |
| Current champions | Silsden(Premier Division) Horbury Town(Division One) (2024–25) |
| Website | ncefl |
| Current:2025–26 season | |
TheNorthern Counties East Football League is a semi-professional Englishfootball league. It has two divisions – Premier Division and Division One – which stand at the ninth and tenth levels of theEnglish football pyramid respectively.
The league was formed in 1982 following the merger of theYorkshire League andMidland League.[1] For itsinaugural season, the league consisted of five divisions. Since then, the league has undergone several changes to the point where since 2018 it has two divisions of 20 teams.
The league has maintained promotion and relegation between its divisions since its beginning. In 2015 a series of play-offs were introduced for the first time to determine a third promotee from Division One.[2]
The competition has several feeder leagues at level 11 of thepyramid, which may provide new member clubs each year:
Clubs are also liable to be transferred to other leagues if the FA deems it geographically suitable to do so.
Since the league's formation in 1982, the following clubs have won promotion to higher levels of theEnglish football league system – normally to the Northern Premier League –
| Season | Club | Position | Promoted to |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982–83 | Shepshed Charterhouse | 1st | Southern League Midland Division |
| 1986–87 | Alfreton Town Farsley Celtic Sutton Town Harrogate Town Eastwood Town | 1st 2nd 5th 9th 13th | Northern Premier League Division One Northern Premier League Division One Northern Premier League Division One Northern Premier League Division One Northern Premier League Division One |
| 1988–89 | Emley | 1st | Northern Premier League Division One |
| 1989–90 | Bridlington Town | 1st | Northern Premier League Division One |
| 1990–91 | Guiseley | 1st | Northern Premier League Division One |
| 1992–93 | Spennymoor United | 1st | Northern Premier League Division One |
| 1994–95 | Lincoln United | 1st | Northern Premier League Division One |
| 1995–96 | Stocksbridge Park Steels | 2nd | Northern Premier League Division One |
| 1996–97 | Belper Town | 2nd | Northern Premier League Division One |
| 1997–98 | Hucknall Town | 1st | Northern Premier League Division One |
| 1998–99 | Ossett Town | 2nd | Northern Premier League Division One |
| 1999–2000 | North Ferriby United | 1st | Northern Premier League Division One |
| 2000–01 | Ossett Albion | 2nd | Northern Premier League Division One |
| 2001–02 | Alfreton Town | 1st | Northern Premier League Division One |
| 2003–04 | Ossett Albion | 1st | Northern Premier League Division One |
| 2004–05 | Goole | 1st | Northern Premier League Division One |
| 2005–06 | Buxton Harrogate Railway Athletic | 1st 3rd | Northern Premier League Division One Northern Premier League Division One |
| 2006–07 | Retford United Sheffield Carlton Town Garforth Town | 1st 2nd 3rd 4th | Northern Premier League Division One South Northern Premier League Division One South Northern Premier League Division One South Northern Premier League Division One North |
| 2007–08 | Glapwell | 2nd | Northern Premier League Division One South |
| 2008–09 | Mickleover Sports | 1st | Northern Premier League Division One South |
| 2009–10 | Rainworth Miners Welfare | 2nd | Northern Premier League Division One South |
| 2010–11 | Farsley | 1st | Northern Premier League Division One North |
| 2012–13 | Scarborough Athletic | 1st | Northern Premier League Division One South |
| 2013–14 | Brighouse Town | 1st | Northern Premier League Division One North |
| 2014–15 | Shaw Lane Aquaforce | 1st | Northern Premier League Division One South |
| 2015–16 | Tadcaster Albion | 1st | Northern Premier League Division One North |
| 2016–17 | Cleethorpes Town | 1st | Northern Premier League Division One South |
| 2017–18 | Pontefract Collieries Pickering Town AFC Mansfield | 1st 2nd 3rd | Northern Premier League Division One East Northern Premier League Division One East Northern Premier League Division One East |
| 2018–19 | Worksop Town | 1st | Northern Premier League Division One South-East |
| 2019–20 | No promotions | ||
| 2020–21 | Bridlington Town Liversedge Yorkshire Amateur | Top 3 [a] | Northern Premier League Division One East |
| 2021–22 | Grimsby Borough | 1st | Northern Premier League Division One East |
| 2022–23 | North Ferriby Winterton Rangers | 1st 2nd | Northern Premier League Division One East Northern Premier League Division One East |
| 2023–24 | Emley Garforth Town | 1st 2nd | Northern Premier League Division One East Northern Premier League Division One East |
| 2024–25 | Silsden Hallam | 1st 2nd | TBC TBC |
The league currently has one cup competition, the League Cup, which is contested by every club in the league.
In the past the league has had additional cup competitions. The Trophy was contested by the Division One clubs and the President's Cup which featured the top eight teams in each division from the previous season, provided they remain in the league.
| Season | President's Cup | Trophy |
|---|---|---|
| 1990–91 | North Ferriby United | |
| 1991–92 | North Shields | |
| 1992–93 | Maltby Miners Welfare | |
| 1993–94 | Lincoln United | |
| 1994–95 | Arnold Town | |
| 1995–96 | Belper Town | Pontefract Collieries |
| 1996–97 | Hucknall Town | Garforth Town |
| 1997–98 | Glasshoughton Welfare | Staveley Miners Welfare |
| 1998–99 | North Ferriby United | Yorkshire Amateur |
| 1999–00 | North Ferriby United | Goole |
| 2000–01 | Selby Town | Pickering Town |
| 2001–02 | Alfreton Town | Bridlington Town |
| 2002–03 | Harrogate Railway Athletic | Mickleover Sports |
| 2003–04 | Eastwood Town | Hall Road Rangers |
| 2004–05 | Buxton | Lincoln Moorlands |
| 2005–06 | Buxton | Retford United |
| 2006–07 | Retford United | Parkgate |
| 2007–08 | Liversedge | Hall Road Rangers |
| 2008–09 | Nostell | Staveley Miners Welfare |
| 2009–10 | Winterton Rangers | Staveley Miners Welfare |
| 2010–11 | Tadcaster Albion | Glasshoughton Welfare |
| 2011–12 | Handsworth | Grimsby Borough |
The following NCEL clubs have reached the First Round proper of theFA Cup –
| Season | NCEL Club | Round | Venue | Result | Opponents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982–83 | Shepshed Charterhouse | 1st | Away | Lost 1–5 | Preston North End |
| 1990–91 | Spennymoor United | 1st | Away | Lost 2–3 | Chesterfield |
| 2001–02 | Brigg Town | 1st | Away | Lost 1–4 | Tranmere Rovers |
| 2002–03 | Harrogate Railway Athletic | 1st 2nd | Away Home | Won 2–1 Lost 1–3 | Slough Town Bristol City |
The following NCEL clubs have reached the Final of theFA Vase –
| Season | NCEL Club | Result | Opponents |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987–88 | Emley | Lost 0–1 | Colne Dynamoes |
| 1989–90 | Bridlington Town | Lost 0–1 | Yeading |
| 1990–91 | Guiseley | Won 3–1 | Gresley Rovers |
| 1995–96 | Brigg Town | Won 3–0 | Clitheroe |
| 1996–97 | North Ferriby United | Lost 0–3 | Whitby Town |
| 2002–03 | Brigg Town | Won 2–1 | AFC Sudbury |
| 2016–17 | Cleethorpes Town | Lost 0–4 | South Shields |
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