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West Midlands (Regional) League

October 30, 2023

The West Midlands (Regional) League is an English association football competition for semi-professional and amateur teams based in the West Midlands county, Shropshire, Worcestershire, southern Staffordshire and northern Herefordshire. It has two divisions, the highest of which is Division One, a regional feeder for the National League System (NLS) at the eleventh level of the overall English football league system.

West Midlands (Regional) League
Founded1889
CountryEngland
DivisionsDivision One
Division Two
Number of teams30
Level on pyramidLevel 11 (Division One)
Level 12 (Division Two)
Feeder toMidland League Division One
Relegation to
Domestic cup(s)Division One League Cup
Division Two League Cup
Current championsn/a
(2020–21 season abandoned)

The league was formed in 1889 as the Birmingham & District League to cater for teams in Birmingham and the surrounding area, but soon became established as one of the strongest leagues outside the Football League itself, with teams from as far afield as Bristol and Wales taking part. After the Second World War it absorbed the rival Birmingham Combination to become firmly established as the leading league in the area, but a gradual decline in its status began in the late 1950s and it now operates at a much lower level than in its heyday. The league acts as a feeder to the Midland Football League Division One, to which one team may be promoted each season, while new members regularly join from a number of lower, more local leagues.

History Edit

Early years Edit

In the late 1880s, Birmingham and the surrounding region boasted many of the country's strongest football teams. Six of the region's leading clubs joined the first two national leagues set up in England, the Football League and the Football Alliance, but there were still many teams in the area keen to participate in league play. On 31 May 1889 a meeting took place at Birmingham's Grand Hotel with the view to forming a Birmingham & District League. A total of 17 clubs were invited but only 13 attended, of which 12 were selected to form the new league, to commence play in the 1889–90 season. The one club which sent a representative to the meeting but was not invited to take part in the league, for unknown reasons, was Worcester Rovers.[1]

The 12 clubs competing in the league's inaugural season were Aston Victoria, Great Bridge Unity, Hednesford Town, Ironbridge, Kidderminster Harriers, Kidderminster Olympic, Langley Green Victoria, Oldbury Town, Smethwick Carriage Works, Unity Gas Department, Wellington St George's, and Willenhall Pickwick. Although Kidderminster Olympic topped the final table, no championship was awarded as a number of fixtures had not been completed.[2] This situation was to be repeated in each of the subsequent two seasons, in both of which Brierley Hill Alliance, who had joined the league for its second season, topped the table but did not win the title.[2] The early years of the league also saw new teams joining and existing ones dropping out almost every season,[3] but once the league's structure settled down, it came to be regarded as one of the strongest leagues outside the Football League itself, rivalled only by the Southern League and the Midland League.[1]

Despite the league's name, in the years prior to the First World War it came to include teams from as far afield as Bristol, Wrexham and Crewe, as well as including the reserve teams of local Football League clubs. A number of clubs which had enjoyed success in the Birmingham Combination also joined the league, which was seen as a step up to a better standard of football.[3] The league's large coverage area began to create problems in the 1930s, however, as many clubs found the long and costly journeys to away matches difficult, and began to drop out in favour of playing in leagues which covered smaller areas. In 1938, Bangor City, Worcester City, Wellington Town and the reserve teams of Cardiff City and Wrexham all resigned from the league,[3] reducing the numbers so much that instead of the usual format the organising committee decided to run two separate competitions each lasting for half of the 1938–39 season, the first named the Keys Cup and the second the League Cup.[4] By the time competitive football was abandoned in 1939 due to the outbreak of the Second World War, the rival Birmingham Combination, which had not chosen to accept teams from such a wide area, had consolidated and come to be regarded as the region's top league.[5]

Post-war years Edit

Although the league lost further clubs to the Combination, which was quicker to restart after the war, within a few years the League had regained its position of pre-eminence in the region, increasing to almost twice its pre-war size.[1] During the 1952–53 season the League's committee proposed a merger of the two competitions, but the Combination rejected the idea, whereupon the Combination's six best teams all resigned and joined the League.[5] The Combination's committee then attempted to re-open the merger talks but, having just bolstered its ranks with six new members, the League was not interested.[5] A year later, all of the Combination's 14 remaining clubs, with the exception of West Bromwich Albion's 'A' (third) team, left to join the League, which effectively absorbed its former rival.[6] The 40 member clubs were split into Northern and Southern divisions, which a year later were re-arranged into Divisions One and Two, with promotion and relegation taking place between the two.[7]

At the end of the 1957–58 season, Burton Albion and Nuneaton Borough left to join an expanding Southern League, followed a year later by Hinckley Athletic.[8] In an attempt to consolidate the league decided to expel all remaining reserve teams, reducing to a single division of 22 clubs.[9] Four years later it changed its name to the West Midlands (Regional) League to more accurately reflect its catchment area, which now included very few teams from Birmingham or its immediate environs.[10] For the 1965–66 season the league was able to revert to a two-division structure when it rebranded its existing single division the Premier Division and added a new Division One.[9] By 1976, a steady flow of teams joining from smaller regional leagues led to Division One being split into Divisions One (A) and One (B), revised a year later to Divisions One and Two.[11]

Modern era Edit

 
WMRL action from 2006, as the now defunct Wyrley Rangers take on Gornal Athletic.

The Alliance Premier League was formed in 1979, pushing the Regional League further down the English football league system. Successful Regional League clubs such as Bilston Town, Hednesford Town and Halesowen Town began applying to, and being accepted into, the Southern League, reducing the Regional League to the status of a feeder league,[12] although their departures continued to be offset by a flow of new members from lower-level leagues. Reflecting the demographics of the West Midlands area, a number of British Asian teams joined the league,[13] including Sikh Hunters, England's first ever all-Sikh team.[14] At the same time the catchment areas of the Regional League and the Midland Football Combination were increasingly converging, and by the early 1990s the standard of play and geographical coverage of the two competitions were considered to be almost identical. A new competition was formed in 1994 to cater for the best clubs previously split across the two leagues, and thus the Regional League lost ten of its member clubs to the Midland Football Alliance, further reducing its own status.[15]

The reduction in numbers forced the league to revert to a two-division structure, but within two seasons numbers had grown again to the extent that Division One was split into Divisions One (North) and One (South) for the 1996–97 season,[16] a format retained until 2004 when the two Division Ones were re-organised into Division One and Division Two.[17] As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic in England, both the 2019–20 and 2020–21 seasons were abandoned, with all 2020 results being expunged, and no promotion or relegation taking place to, from, or within the competition.[18][19] However, the scheduled restructuring of non-League football took place at the end of the 2020–21 season, with a new division added to the Northern Premier League at Step 4 for 2021–22,[20] which resulted in most of the WMRL's Step 6 clubs being reallocated to other divisions within that step.

Structure Edit

The league currently has no title sponsor. Previously it has been sponsored by Sport Italia,[21] the Wolverhampton-based Express & Star newspaper,[22] and Black Country brewery Banks's.[23] Some of the teams in the lower two divisions are reserve teams of clubs playing at a higher level.[24][25][26] Each division is contested on a double round-robin basis, with each team playing each of the other teams in the division once at home and once away. Three points are awarded for a win (increased from two with effect from the 1988–89 season),[12] one for a draw and zero for a defeat. Goal difference is used to separate teams on the same points, having replaced goal average at the start of the 1978–79 season.[27]

From the 1994–95 to 2013–14 seasons the Regional League, along with the Midland Football Combination, served as one of the two official feeders to the Midland Football Alliance. The highest-placed team which met the Alliance's entry requirements was promoted to the Alliance, and one or more teams were relegated into the Regional League from the Alliance depending on the number of clubs remaining in each league.[15] In 2014 the Alliance and Combination merged to form the Midland League,[28] and the Regional League now acts as a feeder to the top division of that league. Prior to the 2006–07 season, the Regional League's top division was defined as a step 7 league within the National League System (NLS),[29] even though it fed into the Alliance, which was graded as step 5.[30] In 2006 the Regional League was re-graded by the Football Association as a step 6 league.[31] Teams in the top two divisions are eligible to take part in the FA Cup and FA Vase as long as their grounds meet the required standards.[32]

Since re-organisation in 1994, the Regional League has accepted applications for membership from successful teams in smaller local leagues within its catchment area. Leagues whose clubs joined the Regional League include the Shropshire County League, the Herefordshire League, the Wolverhampton Combination, and the Kidderminster & District League. Several ambitious local Sunday league teams also switched to Saturday play and entered the league.[33] Bewdley Town, Bromyard Town and Ellesmere Rangers all joined from county leagues since 1994 and subsequently gone on to gain promotion to the Premier Division.[33] Regional League teams could also theoretically be relegated to the local leagues but in practice this almost never happens. The only teams in recent history to drop down to a county league have been Leominster Town, Kington Town and Hinton, who dropped down to the Herefordshire League in 2004, 2006 and 2007 respectively, although all three clubs resigned voluntarily in favour of playing in a more local league as opposed to being relegated due to finishing at the bottom of the table.[2][34] Owing to most of the league's Premier Division clubs' promotions to Step 5 leagues or transfers to other Step 6 divisions as part of restructuring the NLS ahead of the 2021–22 season,[35] the WMRL was reduced to two divisions and lost its place at Step 6, becoming a new NLS regional feeder.

Attendance Edit

At one time the league attracted large crowds for matches, with 3,000 spectators watching a match between Coventry City and Shrewsbury Town in 1899.[36] By the early 1960s, despite the league's decline in status, Kidderminster Harriers were still able to attract crowds of around 1,000 fans for home matches.[37] In the modern era, however, crowds are much smaller. In the 1993–94 season Rocester averaged around 100 fans for home games, and several of the team's away matches drew crowds of less than 40.[38] Attendance figures are not currently published for league fixtures, but in the FA Vase in the 2005–06 season home attendances for Regional League teams averaged around 50, with only Wellington's match against Alvechurch of the then-existent Midland Alliance drawing over 100 spectators.[39]

Current members Edit

The member clubs of the league for the 2022–23 season are as follows:

League champions Edit

Birmingham & District League Edit

Initially the league consisted of a single division

Season Champions[40]
1889–90 no championship awarded
1890–91 no championship awarded
1891–92 no championship awarded
1892–93 Wolverhampton Wanderers Reserves
1893–94 Old Hill Wanderers
1894–95 Aston Villa Reserves
1895–96 Aston Villa Reserves
1896–97 Hereford Thistle
1897–98 Wolverhampton Wanderers Reserves
1898–99 Wolverhampton Wanderers Reserves
1899–1900 Aston Villa Reserves
1900–01 Wolverhampton Wanderers Reserves
1901–02 West Bromwich Albion Reserves
1902–03 Aston Villa Reserves
1903–04 Aston Villa Reserves
1904–05 Aston Villa Reserves
1905–06 Aston Villa Reserves
1906–07 Aston Villa Reserves
1907–08 Aston Villa Reserves
1908–09 Aston Villa Reserves
1909–10 Aston Villa Reserves
1910–11 Stoke
1911–12 Aston Villa Reserves
1912–13 West Bromwich Albion Reserves
1913–14 Worcester City
1914–15 Birmingham Reserves

Between 1915 and 1919 the competition was suspended due to the First World War.

Season Champions[40]
1919–20 West Bromwich Albion Reserves
1920–21 Wellington Town
1921–22 Willenhall
1922–23 Shrewsbury Town
1923–24 Stourbridge
1924–25 Worcester City
1925–26 Cradley Heath
1926–27 Stafford Rangers
1927–28 Burton Town
1928–29 Worcester City
1929–30 Worcester City
1930–31 Cradley Heath
1931–32 Cradley Heath
1932–33 Wrexham Reserves
1933–34 Wrexham Reserves
1934–35 Wellington Town
1935–36 Wellington Town
1936–37 Bristol Rovers
1937–38 Kidderminster Harriers

Due to the number of teams having dropped dramatically, the 1938–39 season consisted of two separate "half-season" leagues. The Keys Cup was contested until Christmas and the League Cup for the remainder of the season.[41]

Season Keys Cup League Cup
1938–39 Kidderminster Harriers Kidderminster Harriers

The 1939–40 season was abandoned due to the outbreak of the Second World War and the league did not resume operations until 1946.

Season Champions[42]
1946–47 Halesowen Town
1947–48 Kettering Town
1948–49 Worcester City Reserves
1949–50 Hereford United Reserves
1950–51 Brierley Hill Alliance
1951–52 Brierley Hill Alliance
1952–53 Oswestry Town
1953–54 Wolverhampton Wanderers 'A'

For the 1954–55 season the league was split into two regional sections.[7]

Season Northern Section Southern Section
1954–55 Nuneaton Borough Redditch United

For the 1955–56 season the league was re-organised into Division One and Division Two.

Season Division One[43] Division Two[43]
1955–56 Nuneaton Borough Tamworth
1956–57 Walsall Reserves Bilston
1957–58 Wolverhampton Wanderers 'A' Oswestry Town
1958–59 Wolverhampton Wanderers 'A' Birmingham City 'A'
1959–60 Bromsgrove Rovers Aston Villa 'A'

The league reverted to a single-division format for the 1960–61 season.

Season Champions[44]
1960–61 Bilston
1961–62 Lockheed Leamington

West Midlands (Regional) League Edit

For the 1965–66 season the league reverted to a two-division format, now comprising the Premier Division and Division One.

For the 1976–77 season Division One was split into 'A' and 'B' sections.[46]

Season Premier Division Division One (A) Division One (B)
1976–77 Alvechurch Wednesfield Social Wolverhampton United

For the 1977–78 season Division One (A) and Division One (B) were re-organised into Division One and Division Two.

Season Premier Division[47] Division One[47] Division Two[47]
1977–78 Hednesford Town Chasetown Worcester City Reserves
1978–79 Willenhall Town Shifnal Town Ludlow Town
1979–80 Sutton Coldfield Town Rushall Olympic Brewood
1980–81 Shifnal Town Oldswinford Bromsgrove Rovers Reserves
1981–82 Shifnal Town Atherstone United GKN Sankey
1982–83 Halesowen Town Brewood Great Wyrley
1983–84 Halesowen Town Tipton Town Halesowen Town Reserves
1984–85 Halesowen Town Harrisons Halesowen Harriers
1985–86 Halesowen Town Halesowen Harriers Springvale-Tranco
1986–87 Atherstone United Westfields Donnington Wood
1987–88 Tamworth Rocester Hinton
1988–89 Blakenall Newport Town Broseley Athletic
1989–90 Hinckley Town Darlaston Hill Top Rangers
1990–91 Gresley Rovers Cradley Town Clancey Dudley
1991–92 Gresley Rovers Ilkeston Town K Chell
1992–93 Oldbury United Knypersley Victoria Rushall Olympic Reserves

For the 1993–94 season Division Two was discontinued.

For the 1996–97 season Division One was split into two regional sections.

For the 2004–05 season Division One (North) and Division One (South) were re-organised back into Division One and Division Two.

Season Premier Division Division One Division Two
2004–05[17] Tipton Town Great Wyrley Parkfields Leisure
2005–06 Market Drayton Town Ellesmere Rangers AFC Wulfrunians
2006–07 Shifnal Town Darlaston Town Heath Town Rangers
2007–08 Bridgnorth Town Birchills United Wellington Amateurs
2008–09 AFC Wulfrunians Wellington Amateurs Hanwood United
2009–10 Ellesmere Rangers Wellington Amateurs Black Country Rangers
2010–11 Tividale Black Country Rangers Malvern Rangers
2011–12 Gornal Athletic Wellington Amateurs Haughmond
2012–13 AFC Wulfrunians AFC Smethwick Gornal Athletic Reserves
2013–14 Lye Town AFC Bridgnorth AFC Ludlow
2014–15 Sporting Khalsa Bromyard Town Kington Town
2015–16 Shawbury United Shifnal Town Newport Town
2016–17 Haughmond Hereford Lads Club Telford Juniors
2017–18 Wolverhampton Sporting Community Wem Town Sikh Hunters
2018–19 Tividale Worcester Raiders Gornal Colts
2019–20 No champions; season abandoned due to coronavirus pandemic
2020–21

For the 2021–22 season the league was reduced to two divisions and lost its Premier Division.

Season Division One Division Two
2021–22 Droitwich Spa Warstones Wanderers
2022–23 Allscott Heath Pelsall Villa Colts

References Edit

  1. ^ a b c Robinson, Michael (2005). Non-League Football Tables 1889–2005. Soccer Books Limited. p. 88. ISBN 1-86223-125-7.
  2. ^ a b c Robinson, Michael. Non-League Football Tables 1889–2005. p. 96.
  3. ^ a b c Robinson, Michael. Non-League Football Tables 1889–2005. p. 89.
  4. ^ Robinson, Michael. Non-League Football Tables 1889–2005. p. 90.
  5. ^ a b c Robinson, Michael. Non-League Football Tables 1889–2005. p. 78.
  6. ^ Robinson, Michael. Non-League Football Tables 1889–2005. p. 80.
  7. ^ a b Robinson, Michael. Non-League Football Tables 1889–2005. p. 103.
  8. ^ Robinson, Michael. Non-League Football Tables 1889–2005. p. 16.
  9. ^ a b Robinson, Michael. Non-League Football Tables 1889–2005. p. 91.
  10. ^ Robinson, Michael. Non-League Football Tables 1889–2005. p. 101.
  11. ^ Robinson, Michael. Non-League Football Tables 1889–2005. pp. 109–110.
  12. ^ a b Robinson, Michael. Non-League Football Tables 1889–2005. p. 93.
  13. ^ Robinson, Michael. Non-League Football Tables 1889–2005. p. 94.
  14. ^ Matthews, Tony (2006). Football Firsts. Capella. p. 121. ISBN 1-84193-451-8.
  15. ^ a b Robinson, Michael. Non-League Football Tables 1889–2005. p. 123.
  16. ^ Robinson, Michael. Non-League Football Tables 1889–2005. p. 118.
  17. ^ a b c d e Robinson, Michael. Non-League Football Tables 1889–2005. p. 122.
  18. ^ "Coronavirus: All football below National League to end". BBC Sport. 26 March 2020. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
  19. ^ "FA Update On Steps 3-6". 24 February 2021. Retrieved 20 May 2021.
  20. ^ "EXPLAINED: The 2021-22 Non-League restructure". The Non-League Paper. 12 April 2021. Retrieved 20 May 2021.
  21. ^ "West Midlands Regional League". Express & Star. 4 December 2007. Retrieved 25 August 2010.
  22. ^ "8/9/01 – Weakened side still earns win". The Ledbury Reporter. 14 September 2001. Retrieved 30 June 2008.
  23. ^ Bateson, Bill; Sewell, Albert. News of the World Football Annual 1986–87. Invincible Press. p. 121. ISBN 0-85543-076-1.
  24. ^ . The Football Association. Archived from the original on 24 February 2012. Retrieved 30 June 2008.
  25. ^ . The Football Association. Archived from the original on 24 February 2012. Retrieved 30 June 2008.
  26. ^ . The Football Association. Archived from the original on 24 February 2012. Retrieved 30 June 2008.
  27. ^ Robinson, Michael. Non-League Football Tables 1889–2005. p. 92.
  28. ^ "Midlands 'Super League' Set For Next Season". The Non League Football Paper. 24 April 2014.
  29. ^ Williams, Mike; Tony Williams (2007). Non-League Club Directory 2007. Tony Williams Publications Ltd. p. 599. ISBN 978-1-869833-55-8.
  30. ^ Williams, Mike; Tony Williams (2007). Non-League Club Directory 2007. Tony Williams Publications Ltd. p. 833. ISBN 978-1-869833-55-8.
  31. ^ "National League System" (PDF). The Football Association. Retrieved 7 April 2012.
  32. ^ "FA Competition Administration". The Football Association. Retrieved 19 September 2010.
  33. ^ a b Robinson, Michael. Non-League Football Tables 1889–2005. pp. 94–96.
  34. ^ "Kington Town". The Football Club History Database. Retrieved 8 July 2008.
  35. ^ "REVEALED: National League System club allocations 2021-22". The Non-League Paper. 18 May 2021. Retrieved 20 May 2021.
  36. ^ Phil Shaw (30 April 2005). "Football: A new stadium has Sky Blues looking upwards". The Independent. Retrieved 30 June 2008.
  37. ^ "Kidderminster Harriers Results 1966–1967". Kidderminster Harriers F.C. Retrieved 30 June 2008.
  38. ^ "West Midlands (Regional) League – Premier Division: 1993–94 Season". Rocester F.C. Retrieved 30 June 2008.[permanent dead link]
  39. ^ Williams, Mike; Tony Williams. Non-League Club Directory 2007. pp. 938–972.
  40. ^ a b Robinson, Michael. Non-League Football Tables 1889–2005. pp. 96–102.
  41. ^ Robinson, Michael. Non-League Football Tables 1889–2005. p. 102.
  42. ^ Robinson, Michael. Non-League Football Tables 1889–2005. pp. 102–103.
  43. ^ a b Robinson, Michael. Non-League Football Tables 1889–2005. pp. 103–105.
  44. ^ a b Robinson, Michael. Non-League Football Tables 1889–2005. pp. 105–106.
  45. ^ a b Robinson, Michael. Non-League Football Tables 1889–2005. pp. 106–109.
  46. ^ Robinson, Michael. Non-League Football Tables 1889–2005. p. 109.
  47. ^ a b c Robinson, Michael. Non-League Football Tables 1889–2005. pp. 109–117.
  48. ^ a b Robinson, Michael. Non-League Football Tables 1889–2005. pp. 117–118.

External links Edit

  • FA Full Time page

October 30, 2023
west, midlands, regional, league, english, association, football, competition, semi, professional, amateur, teams, based, west, midlands, county, shropshire, worcestershire, southern, staffordshire, northern, herefordshire, divisions, highest, which, division,. The West Midlands Regional League is an English association football competition for semi professional and amateur teams based in the West Midlands county Shropshire Worcestershire southern Staffordshire and northern Herefordshire It has two divisions the highest of which is Division One a regional feeder for the National League System NLS at the eleventh level of the overall English football league system West Midlands Regional LeagueFounded1889CountryEnglandDivisionsDivision OneDivision TwoNumber of teams30Level on pyramidLevel 11 Division One Level 12 Division Two Feeder toMidland League Division OneRelegation toShropshire County LeagueHerefordshire Football LeagueDomestic cup s Division One League CupDivision Two League CupCurrent championsn a 2020 21 season abandoned The league was formed in 1889 as the Birmingham amp District League to cater for teams in Birmingham and the surrounding area but soon became established as one of the strongest leagues outside the Football League itself with teams from as far afield as Bristol and Wales taking part After the Second World War it absorbed the rival Birmingham Combination to become firmly established as the leading league in the area but a gradual decline in its status began in the late 1950s and it now operates at a much lower level than in its heyday The league acts as a feeder to the Midland Football League Division One to which one team may be promoted each season while new members regularly join from a number of lower more local leagues Contents 1 History 1 1 Early years 1 2 Post war years 1 3 Modern era 2 Structure 3 Attendance 4 Current members 4 1 Division One 4 2 Division Two 5 League champions 5 1 Birmingham amp District League 5 2 West Midlands Regional League 6 References 7 External linksHistory EditEarly years Edit In the late 1880s Birmingham and the surrounding region boasted many of the country s strongest football teams Six of the region s leading clubs joined the first two national leagues set up in England the Football League and the Football Alliance but there were still many teams in the area keen to participate in league play On 31 May 1889 a meeting took place at Birmingham s Grand Hotel with the view to forming a Birmingham amp District League A total of 17 clubs were invited but only 13 attended of which 12 were selected to form the new league to commence play in the 1889 90 season The one club which sent a representative to the meeting but was not invited to take part in the league for unknown reasons was Worcester Rovers 1 The 12 clubs competing in the league s inaugural season were Aston Victoria Great Bridge Unity Hednesford Town Ironbridge Kidderminster Harriers Kidderminster Olympic Langley Green Victoria Oldbury Town Smethwick Carriage Works Unity Gas Department Wellington St George s and Willenhall Pickwick Although Kidderminster Olympic topped the final table no championship was awarded as a number of fixtures had not been completed 2 This situation was to be repeated in each of the subsequent two seasons in both of which Brierley Hill Alliance who had joined the league for its second season topped the table but did not win the title 2 The early years of the league also saw new teams joining and existing ones dropping out almost every season 3 but once the league s structure settled down it came to be regarded as one of the strongest leagues outside the Football League itself rivalled only by the Southern League and the Midland League 1 Despite the league s name in the years prior to the First World War it came to include teams from as far afield as Bristol Wrexham and Crewe as well as including the reserve teams of local Football League clubs A number of clubs which had enjoyed success in the Birmingham Combination also joined the league which was seen as a step up to a better standard of football 3 The league s large coverage area began to create problems in the 1930s however as many clubs found the long and costly journeys to away matches difficult and began to drop out in favour of playing in leagues which covered smaller areas In 1938 Bangor City Worcester City Wellington Town and the reserve teams of Cardiff City and Wrexham all resigned from the league 3 reducing the numbers so much that instead of the usual format the organising committee decided to run two separate competitions each lasting for half of the 1938 39 season the first named the Keys Cup and the second the League Cup 4 By the time competitive football was abandoned in 1939 due to the outbreak of the Second World War the rival Birmingham Combination which had not chosen to accept teams from such a wide area had consolidated and come to be regarded as the region s top league 5 Post war years Edit Although the league lost further clubs to the Combination which was quicker to restart after the war within a few years the League had regained its position of pre eminence in the region increasing to almost twice its pre war size 1 During the 1952 53 season the League s committee proposed a merger of the two competitions but the Combination rejected the idea whereupon the Combination s six best teams all resigned and joined the League 5 The Combination s committee then attempted to re open the merger talks but having just bolstered its ranks with six new members the League was not interested 5 A year later all of the Combination s 14 remaining clubs with the exception of West Bromwich Albion s A third team left to join the League which effectively absorbed its former rival 6 The 40 member clubs were split into Northern and Southern divisions which a year later were re arranged into Divisions One and Two with promotion and relegation taking place between the two 7 At the end of the 1957 58 season Burton Albion and Nuneaton Borough left to join an expanding Southern League followed a year later by Hinckley Athletic 8 In an attempt to consolidate the league decided to expel all remaining reserve teams reducing to a single division of 22 clubs 9 Four years later it changed its name to the West Midlands Regional League to more accurately reflect its catchment area which now included very few teams from Birmingham or its immediate environs 10 For the 1965 66 season the league was able to revert to a two division structure when it rebranded its existing single division the Premier Division and added a new Division One 9 By 1976 a steady flow of teams joining from smaller regional leagues led to Division One being split into Divisions One A and One B revised a year later to Divisions One and Two 11 Modern era Edit nbsp WMRL action from 2006 as the now defunct Wyrley Rangers take on Gornal Athletic The Alliance Premier League was formed in 1979 pushing the Regional League further down the English football league system Successful Regional League clubs such as Bilston Town Hednesford Town and Halesowen Town began applying to and being accepted into the Southern League reducing the Regional League to the status of a feeder league 12 although their departures continued to be offset by a flow of new members from lower level leagues Reflecting the demographics of the West Midlands area a number of British Asian teams joined the league 13 including Sikh Hunters England s first ever all Sikh team 14 At the same time the catchment areas of the Regional League and the Midland Football Combination were increasingly converging and by the early 1990s the standard of play and geographical coverage of the two competitions were considered to be almost identical A new competition was formed in 1994 to cater for the best clubs previously split across the two leagues and thus the Regional League lost ten of its member clubs to the Midland Football Alliance further reducing its own status 15 The reduction in numbers forced the league to revert to a two division structure but within two seasons numbers had grown again to the extent that Division One was split into Divisions One North and One South for the 1996 97 season 16 a format retained until 2004 when the two Division Ones were re organised into Division One and Division Two 17 As a result of the COVID 19 pandemic in England both the 2019 20 and 2020 21 seasons were abandoned with all 2020 results being expunged and no promotion or relegation taking place to from or within the competition 18 19 However the scheduled restructuring of non League football took place at the end of the 2020 21 season with a new division added to the Northern Premier League at Step 4 for 2021 22 20 which resulted in most of the WMRL s Step 6 clubs being reallocated to other divisions within that step Structure EditThe league currently has no title sponsor Previously it has been sponsored by Sport Italia 21 the Wolverhampton based Express amp Star newspaper 22 and Black Country brewery Banks s 23 Some of the teams in the lower two divisions are reserve teams of clubs playing at a higher level 24 25 26 Each division is contested on a double round robin basis with each team playing each of the other teams in the division once at home and once away Three points are awarded for a win increased from two with effect from the 1988 89 season 12 one for a draw and zero for a defeat Goal difference is used to separate teams on the same points having replaced goal average at the start of the 1978 79 season 27 From the 1994 95 to 2013 14 seasons the Regional League along with the Midland Football Combination served as one of the two official feeders to the Midland Football Alliance The highest placed team which met the Alliance s entry requirements was promoted to the Alliance and one or more teams were relegated into the Regional League from the Alliance depending on the number of clubs remaining in each league 15 In 2014 the Alliance and Combination merged to form the Midland League 28 and the Regional League now acts as a feeder to the top division of that league Prior to the 2006 07 season the Regional League s top division was defined as a step 7 league within the National League System NLS 29 even though it fed into the Alliance which was graded as step 5 30 In 2006 the Regional League was re graded by the Football Association as a step 6 league 31 Teams in the top two divisions are eligible to take part in the FA Cup and FA Vase as long as their grounds meet the required standards 32 Since re organisation in 1994 the Regional League has accepted applications for membership from successful teams in smaller local leagues within its catchment area Leagues whose clubs joined the Regional League include the Shropshire County League the Herefordshire League the Wolverhampton Combination and the Kidderminster amp District League Several ambitious local Sunday league teams also switched to Saturday play and entered the league 33 Bewdley Town Bromyard Town and Ellesmere Rangers all joined from county leagues since 1994 and subsequently gone on to gain promotion to the Premier Division 33 Regional League teams could also theoretically be relegated to the local leagues but in practice this almost never happens The only teams in recent history to drop down to a county league have been Leominster Town Kington Town and Hinton who dropped down to the Herefordshire League in 2004 2006 and 2007 respectively although all three clubs resigned voluntarily in favour of playing in a more local league as opposed to being relegated due to finishing at the bottom of the table 2 34 Owing to most of the league s Premier Division clubs promotions to Step 5 leagues or transfers to other Step 6 divisions as part of restructuring the NLS ahead of the 2021 22 season 35 the WMRL was reduced to two divisions and lost its place at Step 6 becoming a new NLS regional feeder Attendance EditAt one time the league attracted large crowds for matches with 3 000 spectators watching a match between Coventry City and Shrewsbury Town in 1899 36 By the early 1960s despite the league s decline in status Kidderminster Harriers were still able to attract crowds of around 1 000 fans for home matches 37 In the modern era however crowds are much smaller In the 1993 94 season Rocester averaged around 100 fans for home games and several of the team s away matches drew crowds of less than 40 38 Attendance figures are not currently published for league fixtures but in the FA Vase in the 2005 06 season home attendances for Regional League teams averaged around 50 with only Wellington s match against Alvechurch of the then existent Midland Alliance drawing over 100 spectators 39 Current members EditThe member clubs of the league for the 2022 23 season are as follows Division One Edit Allscott Heath Bromyard Town Bustleholme Dudley Athletic Dudley Sports FC Darlaston Gornal Athletic Gornal Colts Kidderminster Harriers academy Saltley Stallions Sikh Hunters Tipton Town Warstones Wanderers Wellington Amateurs Wrens Nest Wyrley United Division Two Edit AFC Bentley Bewdley Town reserves Bilston Town reserves Edgbaston Spartans FC Premier 2008 Kidderminster Harriers reserves Oldbury United PS Olympic Pelsall Villa Colts Punjab United Redditch United academy Stourbridge Standard Stourport Swifts reserves Wombourne AllstarsLeague champions EditBirmingham amp District League Edit Initially the league consisted of a single division Season Champions 40 1889 90 no championship awarded1890 91 no championship awarded1891 92 no championship awarded1892 93 Wolverhampton Wanderers Reserves1893 94 Old Hill Wanderers1894 95 Aston Villa Reserves1895 96 Aston Villa Reserves1896 97 Hereford Thistle1897 98 Wolverhampton Wanderers Reserves1898 99 Wolverhampton Wanderers Reserves1899 1900 Aston Villa Reserves1900 01 Wolverhampton Wanderers Reserves1901 02 West Bromwich Albion Reserves1902 03 Aston Villa Reserves1903 04 Aston Villa Reserves1904 05 Aston Villa Reserves1905 06 Aston Villa Reserves1906 07 Aston Villa Reserves1907 08 Aston Villa Reserves1908 09 Aston Villa Reserves1909 10 Aston Villa Reserves1910 11 Stoke1911 12 Aston Villa Reserves1912 13 West Bromwich Albion Reserves1913 14 Worcester City1914 15 Birmingham ReservesBetween 1915 and 1919 the competition was suspended due to the First World War Season Champions 40 1919 20 West Bromwich Albion Reserves1920 21 Wellington Town1921 22 Willenhall1922 23 Shrewsbury Town1923 24 Stourbridge1924 25 Worcester City1925 26 Cradley Heath1926 27 Stafford Rangers1927 28 Burton Town1928 29 Worcester City1929 30 Worcester City1930 31 Cradley Heath1931 32 Cradley Heath1932 33 Wrexham Reserves1933 34 Wrexham Reserves1934 35 Wellington Town1935 36 Wellington Town1936 37 Bristol Rovers1937 38 Kidderminster HarriersDue to the number of teams having dropped dramatically the 1938 39 season consisted of two separate half season leagues The Keys Cup was contested until Christmas and the League Cup for the remainder of the season 41 Season Keys Cup League Cup1938 39 Kidderminster Harriers Kidderminster HarriersThe 1939 40 season was abandoned due to the outbreak of the Second World War and the league did not resume operations until 1946 Season Champions 42 1946 47 Halesowen Town1947 48 Kettering Town1948 49 Worcester City Reserves1949 50 Hereford United Reserves1950 51 Brierley Hill Alliance1951 52 Brierley Hill Alliance1952 53 Oswestry Town1953 54 Wolverhampton Wanderers A For the 1954 55 season the league was split into two regional sections 7 Season Northern Section Southern Section1954 55 Nuneaton Borough Redditch UnitedFor the 1955 56 season the league was re organised into Division One and Division Two Season Division One 43 Division Two 43 1955 56 Nuneaton Borough Tamworth1956 57 Walsall Reserves Bilston1957 58 Wolverhampton Wanderers A Oswestry Town1958 59 Wolverhampton Wanderers A Birmingham City A 1959 60 Bromsgrove Rovers Aston Villa A The league reverted to a single division format for the 1960 61 season Season Champions 44 1960 61 Bilston1961 62 Lockheed LeamingtonWest Midlands Regional League Edit Season Champions 44 1962 63 Lockheed Leamington1963 64 Tamworth1964 65 Kidderminster HarriersFor the 1965 66 season the league reverted to a two division format now comprising the Premier Division and Division One Season Premier Division 45 Division One 45 1965 66 Tamworth Wrockwardine Wood1966 67 Boston United Tamworth Reserves1967 68 Boston United Warley1968 69 Kidderminster Harriers Wrockwardine Wood1969 70 Kidderminster Harriers Warley County Borough1970 71 Kidderminster Harriers Brereton Social1971 72 Tamworth Warley County Borough1972 73 Bilston Tividale1973 74 Alvechurch Armitage1974 75 Alvechurch Staffordshire Police1975 76 Alvechurch Willenhall TownFor the 1976 77 season Division One was split into A and B sections 46 Season Premier Division Division One A Division One B 1976 77 Alvechurch Wednesfield Social Wolverhampton UnitedFor the 1977 78 season Division One A and Division One B were re organised into Division One and Division Two Season Premier Division 47 Division One 47 Division Two 47 1977 78 Hednesford Town Chasetown Worcester City Reserves1978 79 Willenhall Town Shifnal Town Ludlow Town1979 80 Sutton Coldfield Town Rushall Olympic Brewood1980 81 Shifnal Town Oldswinford Bromsgrove Rovers Reserves1981 82 Shifnal Town Atherstone United GKN Sankey1982 83 Halesowen Town Brewood Great Wyrley1983 84 Halesowen Town Tipton Town Halesowen Town Reserves1984 85 Halesowen Town Harrisons Halesowen Harriers1985 86 Halesowen Town Halesowen Harriers Springvale Tranco1986 87 Atherstone United Westfields Donnington Wood1987 88 Tamworth Rocester Hinton1988 89 Blakenall Newport Town Broseley Athletic1989 90 Hinckley Town Darlaston Hill Top Rangers1990 91 Gresley Rovers Cradley Town Clancey Dudley1991 92 Gresley Rovers Ilkeston Town K Chell1992 93 Oldbury United Knypersley Victoria Rushall Olympic ReservesFor the 1993 94 season Division Two was discontinued Season Premier Division 48 Division One 48 1993 94 Ilkeston Town Stafford Town1994 95 Pelsall Villa Wolverhampton Casuals1995 96 Wednesfield GoodyearFor the 1996 97 season Division One was split into two regional sections Season Premier Division 17 Division One North 17 Division One South 17 1996 97 Wednesfield Great Wyrley Kington Town1997 98 Lye Town Bandon Smethwick Rangers1998 99 Kington Town Heath Hayes Wellington1999 2000 Stafford Town Shawbury United Bromyard Town2000 01 Ludlow Town Wolverhampton United Ledbury Town2001 02 Causeway United Ounsdale Sedgley White Lions2002 03 Westfields Newport Town Bewdley Town2003 04 Malvern Town Goodrich Gornal AthleticFor the 2004 05 season Division One North and Division One South were re organised back into Division One and Division Two Season Premier Division Division One Division Two2004 05 17 Tipton Town Great Wyrley Parkfields Leisure2005 06 Market Drayton Town Ellesmere Rangers AFC Wulfrunians2006 07 Shifnal Town Darlaston Town Heath Town Rangers2007 08 Bridgnorth Town Birchills United Wellington Amateurs2008 09 AFC Wulfrunians Wellington Amateurs Hanwood United2009 10 Ellesmere Rangers Wellington Amateurs Black Country Rangers2010 11 Tividale Black Country Rangers Malvern Rangers2011 12 Gornal Athletic Wellington Amateurs Haughmond2012 13 AFC Wulfrunians AFC Smethwick Gornal Athletic Reserves2013 14 Lye Town AFC Bridgnorth AFC Ludlow2014 15 Sporting Khalsa Bromyard Town Kington Town2015 16 Shawbury United Shifnal Town Newport Town2016 17 Haughmond Hereford Lads Club Telford Juniors2017 18 Wolverhampton Sporting Community Wem Town Sikh Hunters2018 19 Tividale Worcester Raiders Gornal Colts2019 20 No champions season abandoned due to coronavirus pandemic2020 21For the 2021 22 season the league was reduced to two divisions and lost its Premier Division Season Division One Division Two2021 22 Droitwich Spa Warstones Wanderers2022 23 Allscott Heath Pelsall Villa ColtsReferences Edit a b c Robinson Michael 2005 Non League Football Tables 1889 2005 Soccer Books Limited p 88 ISBN 1 86223 125 7 a b c Robinson Michael Non League Football Tables 1889 2005 p 96 a b c Robinson Michael Non League Football Tables 1889 2005 p 89 Robinson Michael Non League Football Tables 1889 2005 p 90 a b c Robinson Michael Non League Football Tables 1889 2005 p 78 Robinson Michael Non League Football Tables 1889 2005 p 80 a b Robinson Michael Non League Football Tables 1889 2005 p 103 Robinson Michael Non League Football Tables 1889 2005 p 16 a b Robinson Michael Non League Football Tables 1889 2005 p 91 Robinson Michael Non League Football Tables 1889 2005 p 101 Robinson Michael Non League Football Tables 1889 2005 pp 109 110 a b Robinson Michael Non League Football Tables 1889 2005 p 93 Robinson Michael Non League Football Tables 1889 2005 p 94 Matthews Tony 2006 Football Firsts Capella p 121 ISBN 1 84193 451 8 a b Robinson Michael Non League Football Tables 1889 2005 p 123 Robinson Michael Non League Football Tables 1889 2005 p 118 a b c d e Robinson Michael Non League Football Tables 1889 2005 p 122 Coronavirus All football below National League to end BBC Sport 26 March 2020 Retrieved 28 March 2020 FA Update On Steps 3 6 24 February 2021 Retrieved 20 May 2021 EXPLAINED The 2021 22 Non League restructure The Non League Paper 12 April 2021 Retrieved 20 May 2021 West Midlands Regional League Express amp Star 4 December 2007 Retrieved 25 August 2010 8 9 01 Weakened side still earns win The Ledbury Reporter 14 September 2001 Retrieved 30 June 2008 Bateson Bill Sewell Albert News of the World Football Annual 1986 87 Invincible Press p 121 ISBN 0 85543 076 1 West Midlands Regional League The Football Association Archived from the original on 24 February 2012 Retrieved 30 June 2008 West Midlands Regional League The Football Association Archived from the original on 24 February 2012 Retrieved 30 June 2008 West Midlands Regional League The Football Association Archived from the original on 24 February 2012 Retrieved 30 June 2008 Robinson Michael Non League Football Tables 1889 2005 p 92 Midlands Super League Set For Next Season The Non League Football Paper 24 April 2014 Williams Mike Tony Williams 2007 Non League Club Directory 2007 Tony Williams Publications Ltd p 599 ISBN 978 1 869833 55 8 Williams Mike Tony Williams 2007 Non League Club Directory 2007 Tony Williams Publications Ltd p 833 ISBN 978 1 869833 55 8 National League System PDF The Football Association Retrieved 7 April 2012 FA Competition Administration The Football Association Retrieved 19 September 2010 a b Robinson Michael Non League Football Tables 1889 2005 pp 94 96 Kington Town The Football Club History Database Retrieved 8 July 2008 REVEALED National League System club allocations 2021 22 The Non League Paper 18 May 2021 Retrieved 20 May 2021 Phil Shaw 30 April 2005 Football A new stadium has Sky Blues looking upwards The Independent Retrieved 30 June 2008 Kidderminster Harriers Results 1966 1967 Kidderminster Harriers F C Retrieved 30 June 2008 West Midlands Regional League Premier Division 1993 94 Season Rocester F C Retrieved 30 June 2008 permanent dead link Williams Mike Tony Williams Non League Club Directory 2007 pp 938 972 a b Robinson Michael Non League Football Tables 1889 2005 pp 96 102 Robinson Michael Non League Football Tables 1889 2005 p 102 Robinson Michael Non League Football Tables 1889 2005 pp 102 103 a b Robinson Michael Non League Football Tables 1889 2005 pp 103 105 a b Robinson Michael Non League Football Tables 1889 2005 pp 105 106 a b Robinson Michael Non League Football Tables 1889 2005 pp 106 109 Robinson Michael Non League Football Tables 1889 2005 p 109 a b c Robinson Michael Non League Football Tables 1889 2005 pp 109 117 a b Robinson Michael Non League Football Tables 1889 2005 pp 117 118 External links EditFA Full Time page Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title West Midlands Regional League amp oldid 1177036389, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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