East Midlands 1

East Midlands 1 was a tier 9 English Rugby Union league with teams from Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire and parts of Cambridgeshire taking part. Promoted teams moved up to Midlands 4 East (North) (formerly Midlands East 2) and relegated teams dropped to East Midlands 2. Originally a feeder league for East Midlands/Leicestershire, it ran for three spells between 1987–1992, 1996–1998 (as East Midlands) and 2000–2004.

East Midlands 1
Current season or competition:
2003–04 East Midlands 1
SportRugby union
Instituted1987 (1987)
Ceased2004 (2004)
Number of teams9
Country England
HoldersBiggleswade (3rd title) (2003–04)
(promoted to Midlands 4 East (South))
Most titlesBiggleswade (3 titles)
WebsiteEast Midlands RFU

At the end of the 2003–04 season the East Midlands leagues were restructured and the majority of teams in East Midlands 1 were transferred into the new East Midlands/South Leicestershire 1 division.

Original teams

When league rugby began in 1987, this division contained the following teams:

East Midlands 1 honours

East Midlands 1 (1987–1992)

The original East Midlands 1 was a tier 8 league. Promotion was to East Midlands/Leicestershire and relegation to East Midlands 2. At the end of the 1991–92 season all of the East Midlands and Leicestershire leagues were merged and most sides in East Midlands 1 transferred to the new East Midlands/Leicestershire 2.[lower-alpha 2]

East Midlands 1
Season No of teams Champions Runners–up Relegated teams Reference
1987–8811WellingboroughSt NeotsDunstablians, Wellingborough Old Grammarians[2]
1988–8911BiggleswadeAmpthillSt Neots[3]
1989–9011AmpthillNorthampton Men's OwnCorby[4]
1990–9111Northampton BBOBBrackleyOld Northamptonians, Daventry, Rushden & Higham[5]
1991–9211Long Buckby[lower-alpha 3]St Neots[lower-alpha 4]No relegation[lower-alpha 5][6]
Green backgrounds are promotion places.

East Midlands (1996-1998)

After an absence of four seasons the division was reintroduced, this time as East Midlands, sitting at tier 10 of the league system. Promotion was to East Midlands/Leicestershire 1 and there was no relegation. Remerging of all the East Midlands and Leicestershire leagues meant that East Midlands was cancelled at the end of the 1997–98 season and the majority of teams transferred into East Midlands/Leicestershire 2.

East Midlands 1
Season No of teams Champions Runners–up Relegated teams Reference
1996–9710DeepingsNorthampton CasualsNo relegation[7]
1997–9810Northampton CasualsOundle[lower-alpha 6]No relegation[8]
Green backgrounds are the promotion places.

East Midlands 1 (2000–2004)

An East Midlands division returned for the third time, this time renamed back to East Midlands 1 and rising to become a tier 9 league following the cancellation of the East Midlands/Leicestershire leagues at the end of the 1999–00 season.[lower-alpha 7] Promotion was to the newly introduced Midlands 4 East (South) and relegation to East Midlands 2. East Midlands 1 was cancelled at the end of the 2003–04 season and most teams transferred into the new East Midlands/South Leicestershire 1.

East Midlands 1
Season No of teams Champions Runners–up Relegated teams Reference
2000–0111BiggleswadeBugbrookeBedford Swifts[9]
2001–0210Northampton BBOBRushden & HighamDeepings, St Ives[10]
2002–039DaventryBiddenhamBedford Queens, Kempston[11]
2003–049BiggleswadeVauxhall Motors[lower-alpha 8]No relegation[lower-alpha 9][12]
Green backgrounds are the promotion places.

Number of league titles

Notes
  1. Old Boys side of Wellingborough Grammar School.[1]
  2. East Midlands/Leicestershire 2 was mostly formed of teams from East Midlands 1 and Leicestershire 1
  3. Restructuring of the Midlands leagues saw champions Long Buckby promoted two levels up into the newly introduced Midlands East 2.
  4. Restructuring saw clubs ranked 2nd to 7th, including St Neots, Brackley, Northampton Men's Own, Northampton Old Scouts, Huntingdon & District and St Ives, promoted up into the newlook East Midlands/Leicestershire 1. All other clubs would be transferred into the newly introduced East Midlands/Leicestershire 2.
  5. The merging of the East Midlands and Leicestershire leagues meant there was no relegation.
  6. All teams other than the champions Northampton Casuals were transferred into East Midlands/Leicestershire 2.
  7. Restructuring at the end of the 1999–00 season would see the merger of the Leicestershire and Notts, Lincs & Derbyshire divisions and the East Midlands sides reforming their own leagues. This meant that East Midlands/Leicestershire 1, East Midlands/Leicestershire 2 and East Midlands/Leicestershire 3 were cancelled.
  8. Restructuring meant that the top two clubs were promoted into Midlands 4 East (South), while clubs ranked 3rd to 8th, including Northampton BBOB, Bugbrooke, Wellingborough Old Grammarians, Brackley, Bedford Swifts and St Ives were transferred into the new East Midlands/South Leicestershire 1.
  9. Although there was no relegation due to the cancellation of East Midlands 1, bottom club Peterborough Lions were transferred into the new East Midlands/South Leicestershire 2.
  10. Deepings title was when league was known as East Midlands.
  11. Northampton Casuals title was when league was known as East Midlands.

See also

References
  1. "Old Grammarians, Wellingborough". What Pub?. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  2. Jones, Stephen; Griffiths, John (1988). Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1988-89. Queen Anne Press. pp. 130–134. ISBN 0-356-15884-5.
  3. Jones, Stephen; Griffiths, John (1989). Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1989-90. Queen Anne Press. pp. 136–139. ISBN 0-356-17862-5.
  4. Jones, Stephen; Griffiths, John (1990). Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1990-91. Queen Anne Press. pp. 140–143. ISBN 0-356-19162-1.
  5. Jones, Stephen; Griffiths, John (1991). Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1991-92. Queen Anne Press. pp. 161–164. ISBN 0-356-20249-6.
  6. Jones, Stephen; Griffiths, John (1992). Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1992-93. Headline. pp. 183–185. ISBN 0-7472-7907-1.
  7. Cleary, Mick; Griffiths, John (1997). Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1997-98. Headline. pp. 156–159. ISBN 0-7472-7771-0.
  8. Cleary, Mick; Griffiths, John (1998). Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1998-99. Headline. pp. 90–93. ISBN 0-7472-7653-6.
  9. "2000-2001 Midlands Division". England Rugby. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  10. "2001-2002 Midlands Division". England Rugby. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  11. "2002-2003 Midlands Division". England Rugby. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  12. "2003-2004 Midlands Division". England Rugby. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
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