The Central League is a football league for reserve teams, primarily from the English Football League.
The league was formed in 1911 and in its early years consisted of a mix of first teams and reserve teams from the North and the Midlands. 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 English football 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
1911–2025
{|
|valign="top"|
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|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
|}
|valign="top"|
{| class="wikitable"
|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
|}
|valign="top"|
{| class="wikitable"
|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)
|-
|2024–25
|Derby County
|}
|}
+ - 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
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: right;"
!P
!Club
!Number of Wins
|-
|1||align=left|Liverpool||16
|-
|2||align=left|Manchester United||9
|-
|3||align=left|West Bromwich Albion||7
|-
|4||align=left|Wolverhampton Wanderers||6
|-
|5||align=left|Derby County||4
|-
| ||align=left|Everton||4
|-
| ||align=left|Huddersfield Town||4
|-
| ||align=left|Manchester City||4
|-
| ||align=left|Nottingham Forest||4
|-
| ||align=left|Sheffield Wednesday||4
|-
|11||align=left|Aston Villa||3
|-
| ||align=left|Burnley||3
|-
| ||align=left|Hull City||3
|-
| ||align=left|Preston North End||3
|-
| ||align=left|Sheffield United||3
|-
|16||align=left|Blackburn Rovers||2
|-
| ||align=left|Blackpool||2
|-
| ||align=left|Bolton Wanderers||2
|-
| ||align=left|Leeds United||2
|-
|-
| ||align=left|Stoke City||2
|-
| ||align=left|Shrewsbury Town||2
|-
|22||align=left|Accrington Stanley||1
|-
| ||align=left|Doncaster Rovers||1
|-
| ||align=left|Lincoln City||1
|-
| ||align=left|Middlesbrough||1
|-
| ||align=left|Milton Keynes Dons||1
|-
| ||align=left|Newcastle United||1
|-
| ||align=left|Notts County||1
|-
| ||align=left|Port Vale||1
|-
| ||align=left|Sunderland||1
|-
| ||align=left|Tranmere Rovers||1
|-
| ||align=left|Walsall||1
|-
| ||align=left|Wrexham||1
|}
Central League Cup
Since 1996 the league has also operated a cup competition – The Central League Cup.
Winners
{| class="wikitable"
!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 <br />South: Southend United
|-
|2016–17
|North: Wigan Athletic<br />South: Bristol City
|-
|2017–18
|North: Mansfield Town<br />South: Southend United
|-
|2018–19
|Bournemouth
|-
|2019–20
| (not completed)
|-
|2020–21
|Bournemouth
|-
|2021–22
| (not completed)
|-
|2022–23
|Blackpool
|-
|2023–24
|Burnley
|-
|2024–25
|Mansfield Town
|-
|}
See also
- The Football Combination
- Premier Reserve League
- English Football League Youth Alliance
- English Football League