New-look Midlands football league is given go-ahead

The Midland Alliance joins forces with the Combination to become the Premier Division at the end of the campaign, just above the West Midlands pyramid.

The West Midlands League Premier Division, which contains second-placed Shawbury United, Wellington Amateurs, Ellesmere Rangers and Shifnal Town, currently feeds into the Alliance.

The three-tier Combination offers potential promotion to the Alliance alongside the East Midlands League, whose members can also join the Northern Counties East League.

The Combination will entirely make up a Midlands League Division One, Two and Three. The three divisions cover steps six and seven of the non-league pyramid.

But promises have been made they will be considered the same as the West Midlands League.

West Midlands League chief executive Neil Juggins said: "It's simply a merger. We have been assured that the status quo remains."

"Promotion and relegation will operate in exactly the same way that it's always operated, it will have no detrimental effect on our league.

"All we wanted from the discussions we have been involved in is assurances from the FA and that has been confirmed."

Shawbury could well be a part of the 'new' Premier Division if their aims go to plan, as they are engaged in a battle with Lye Town to be promoted out of the West Midlands League.

Manager Dave Richards said: "We got an e-mail earlier in the season telling us any teams from our league could transfer into the Combination, so we knew something was on the cards.

"It seems a little bit odd and I don't really see what they are going to gain from it. It seems a bit pointless, in my opinion."