The Central Midlands Football League is an English football league covering the northeast-central part of England. Formed in 1971 as the South Derbyshire League, changing name initially to the Derbyshire League before taking on its current name in 1983, it covers Derbyshire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and South Yorkshire. Their current sponsor is Windsor Foodservice.
The number of divisions has varied over time as follows
- 1983–84 – three divisions: Supreme, Premier First and Premier
- 1984–85 – three divisions: Central, Premier First and Premier
- 1985–86 – two divisions: Central and Premier
- 1986–87 – three divisions: Supreme, Premier and First
- 1987–88 to 1989–90 – two divisions: Supreme and Premier
- 1990–91 – three divisions: Supreme, Premier and First
- 1991–92 – three divisions: Supreme, Premier North and Premier South
- 1992–93 to 2010–11 – two divisions: Supreme and Premier
- 2011–12 to present – two divisions: North and South
Within the English football league system, the Central Midlands League's two divisions, called the North Division and South Division, are considered part of the National League System (at Step 7), while the two reserve divisions are not. Four clubs from the previously-named Premier Division had the distinction of being the lowest-ranked clubs, and only ones outside the NLS, accepted for the 2006–07 FA Vase. For the 2008–09 season, eight of the leading sides left the Central Midlands League to join forces with eight clubs from the Leicestershire Senior League to form a new league, the East Midlands Counties League, at Step 6 of the National League System.
Champions of the North Division are eligible (if they meet ground standards) for promotion to the Northern Counties East League and champions of the South Division are eligible for promotion to the East Midlands Counties League, and some clubs have progressed from the CML to the Football Conference North and Northern Premier League. A representative side from the league takes part in the FA Inter-League Cup.
Three local leagues are below the CML on the pyramid. These are the Doncaster and District Senior League, the Lincolnshire Football League and the Midlands Regional Alliance. In most cases these have multiple divisions or feeder leagues of their own.
Read more about Central Midlands Football League: Member Clubs 2012–13, Champions
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