Last updated : Tuesday, 02 July 2024
The Alliance Football League - Sponsored by Industrial Laundry Equipment
The Alliance Football League (AFL) is an amateur football league in England. It is the ninth tier of the English football league system and is sponsored by Industrial Laundry Equipment.
History
The AFL was founded in 1987 as the Northern Premier League. It was renamed the Alliance Premier League in 1992 and the Alliance Football League in 2004.
The league has been sponsored by Industrial Laundry Equipment since 2020.
Structure
The AFL consists of two divisions, the Premier Division and Division Two. The Premier Division has 22 teams and Division Two has 20 teams.
The teams in each division play each other twice, once at home and once away. The top two teams in the Premier Division are promoted to the National League North, while the bottom two teams are relegated to Division Two.
The top four teams in Division Two compete in a promotion play-off, with the winner being promoted to the Premier Division. The bottom two teams in Division Two are relegated to the Northern Counties East Football League.
Recent seasons
- In the 2021-22 season, the Premier Division was won by Chorley, who were promoted to the National League North.
- The runners-up were Farsley Celtic, while the bottom two teams were relegated to Division Two.
- In Division Two, the champions were Warrington Town, who were promoted to the Premier Division.
- The runners-up were Spennymoor Town, while the bottom two teams were relegated to the Northern Counties East Football League.