Thursday 6 July 2017

Football Alliance 2017 - 18: Fourth Division Clubs and Colours


Concluding our preview of the clubs constituting the revamped national Football Alliance for 2017-18, today features the new Fourth Division of a further sixteen teams.
Of these, three have joined from the Scottish Championship - Dynamo Dundee, East Fife and Solway Star - and five, in the form of Atletico Espanol, Bishop Auckland, once champions Blackburn Rovers, re-formed after most recently being members of the Alliance as the 'BR' in the merged Nelson CBR, Pegasus and Rochdale - now known as 'Red Flag' have rejoined the national structure.
The other half of the division is comprised of Welsh League runners-up CPD Porthmadog, another three prominent clubs from the north west Crumpsall/Harpurhey (the original Alliance members Harpurhey Borough relocated some years ago to become Manchester Newton Heath), Mersey Ironworks and Sporting Skelmersdale, and clubs representing various of the ethnic communities, the workers of Hapoel and the Czech, French and Polish 'Red Stars'.  


Atletico Espanol
red and white stripes, red trim/blue/red, white tops
sky blue with red trim/white/blue, red tops
Bishop Auckland
blue and yellow halves/black/blue, yellow tops
white with blue and yellow central vertical stripe/white/black
Blackburn Rovers
blue and white halves, red trim/white/blue, red tops
amber with blue trim/blue/red, blue tops
Červená Hvězda
red with blue LH stripe and red star on white circle/white/blue
white with red and blue LH stripe/blue/white
Crumpsall/Harpurhey
red and black quarters/black/black, red tops
white with red and black chequered LH stripe/white/red, black tops
Czerwona Gwiazda
white with red sash and red star/red/red
red with white sash and red star/white/white
Dynamo Dundee
tangerine and dark blue halves/dark blue/dark blue, tangerine tops
white with tangerine and dark blue chest band/white/tangerine
East Fife
amber and black stripes/white/black, amber tops
white with amber and black sash/black/amber, black tops
Étoile Rouge
blue with white and red chest band and red star/white/red
white with blue chest band and red star/blue/white
Hapoel
sky blue and white stripes/white/navy blue, sky blue tops
red/navy blue/red
Mersey Ironworks
blue with red sash/white/blue, red blue tops
white with blue and red sash/blue/white, blue and red tops
Pegasus
light blue and dark blue halves/dark blue/dark blue, light blue tops
gold with light blue trim/light blue/light blue, dark blue tops
CPD Porthmadog
red and black stripes/black/black, red tops
white with red and black LH stripe/white/red, black tops
Red Flag Rochdale
blue with white sleeves/white/blue, white tops
amber with blue sleeves/blue/amber, blue tops
Solway Star
amber and black hoops/white/black, amber tops
white with amber and black chest band/black/amber, black tops
Sporting Skelmersdale
green, red LH stripe and trim/white/green, red tops
red with green LH stripe and trim/green/red, green tops

Wednesday 5 July 2017

Football Alliance 2017 - 18: Third Division Clubs and Colours


The expanded Third Division for the new season will feature three clubs from the Scottish Championship - Arbroath, Partick Thistle and Stenhousemuir - and Welsh champions SG Caernarfon in addition to Merthyr Tydfil and Wimbledon Tooting & Mitcham, relegated from the Second Division, eight members of the previous third tier and newcomers Locomotive York and Oxford Albania, replacing the bottom two Liverpool Hibernian and Tadcaster Albion who have returned to the regional leagues rather than take up places in the new Fourth Division. Of the existing Third Division clubs, Urmston Villa have reverted to an Italian nomenclature and will be known as Inter-Stella Rossa, the Anglo-Scots Newcastle Caledonia Thistle have ceased to be as such and reborn under the historical name of Newcastle United, the original incarnation of which were twice Football Alliance champions in the early years of this millenium, and Sunderland Automotive have dropped that suffix and will be known as their pre-merger and reconstitution 'Red Star' once more.  

Arbroath
maroon with white collar/white/maroon
sky blue with black collar/black/sky blue
SG Caernarfon
yellow with red star, green trim/green/red
green with red star/red/green
Everton Stanley
blue and salmon pink halves/white/blue, salmon pink tops
yellow/navy blue/navy blue
Inter-Stella Rossa
blue and black stripes with red star/black/black, blue tops
white with blue and black chest band/white/blue, black tops
Locomotive York
amber with claret ‘Y’/navy blue/claret, amber tops
navy blue with amber ‘Y’/claret/navy blue, claret tops     
Manchester Newton Heath
dark blue and dark red halves/black/dark blue, dark red tops
amber and green halves/white/green, amber tops
Merthyr Tydfil
green and black stripes/black/black, red tops
red with green chest band and trim/white/green
Nelson Proletariat
blue and black halves/white/black, blue tops
yellow with blue trim/black/blue
Newcastle United
black and white stripes/black/black, white tops
amber with blue chest band/white/amber
Oxford Albania
red shirts with black trim/black/black, red tops
white with red and black chest band/white/red
Partick Thistle
red and yellow hoops/black/red, yellow tops
green and black hoops/white/black, red tops
Red Star Bootle
dark red with navy LH stripe/navy/navy, dark red tops
white with dark red LH stripe/white/white
Red Star Sunderland
red and white stripes/black/red, white tops
green/white/black, red tops
Stenhousemuir
claret and black hoops/black/black, claret tops
white with claret and black chest band/white/claret, black tops
White Star Waterloo
royal blue and navy halves/white/navy, royal blue tops
yellow and amber halves, royal blue trim/navy blue/amber
Wimbledon Tooting & Mitcham
blue and red stripes with black trim/black/black, blue and red tops
green with white trim/white/green, white tops

Tuesday 4 July 2017

Football Alliance 2017 - 18: Second Division Clubs and Colours


The expanded Second Division for 2017-18 features the top four Scottish clubs to join the Football Alliance - Cowdenbeath, Hibernian, St Johnstone and Orkney's Stromness Celtic, who will of course be the league's most northerly outpost - in addition to Crewe Alexandra - who have reverted to their original name after incorporating 'Locomotive' into their title in recent seasons - and Marxist Polytechnic, relegated from the Championship, and the promoted Gateshead Trinity and Matlock Town

Audenshaw Ajax
green and white checks/white/green, white tops
white with broad vertical red central stripe/black/black, green tops
Bradford Comrades
claret and amber stripes/black/claret, amber tops
white with claret and amber chest band/white/black, claret tops
Cowdenbeath
blue with white sleeves and collar/white/blue and red hoops
yellow with blue trim/blue/yellow
Crewe Alexandra
red with white sleeves/white/red
green with black sleeves/black/green
Crystal Palace
blue and red checks/white/blue and red hoops
white with LH blue and red checked stripe/blue/white
Gateshead Trinity
green and black halves, red trim/white/black, red tops
red with green and black central stripe/black/green, red tops
Hartlepool Petrochemical
light blue and white halves/white/navy blue, red tops
red/navy blue/red
Hendon Hotspur
purple with green sash/white/green
white with purple and green sash/black/purple
Hibernian
green with white sleeves and collar/white/green, white tops
amber with green trim/green/amber
Marxist Polytechnic
red and white halves/white/navy blue, red tops
yellow/dark blue/red
Matlock Town
blue with amber chest band/blue/blue, amber tops
amber with blue chest band/white/amber, blue tops
Newcastle Blue Star
blue and black halves/black/black, blue tops
white with blue and black chest band/white/blue
Prescot Cables
amber and black halves/black/amber and black hoops
white with amber and black chest band/white/amber, black tops
St Johnstone
blue and white halves/white/red
white with blue and red sash/blue/white
Sheffield Wednesday
blue and white stripes/black/blue, white tops
amber with blue trim/blue/red, blue tops
Stromness Celtic
green and white hoops/black/green                          
red with yellow-bordered blue cross off-centred to right/white/red

Monday 3 July 2017

Football Alliance 2017 - 18: Championship Clubs and Colours


Following the recent confirmation that the ten member clubs of the Scottish Championship will be joining the Football Alliance from the beginning of the coming 2017 - 18 season, today we begin a series of posts detailing the constituent clubs of each of the four divisions of the re-organised format and the 'home' and second-choice colours they will sport, kicking-off with the Championship.

Blyth Spartans        
green & white stripes/black/green
red/white/red
Bohemians
green with red sash, white trim/white/green, red tops
red with green sash/black/red, green tops
Dynamo Burnley
claret with sky blue trim/white/sky blue
sky blue with claret trim/claret or sky blue/claret
Excelsior Marlow
blue and red quarters/white/blue, red tops
white with central blue and red stripe/dark blue/white
Gainsborough Trinity
navy blue and dark red hoops/white/navy blue and dark red hoops
amber with navy blue and dark red chest band/navy blue/amber
Hungaria
cherry red with green chest band/white/green
white with red and green chest band/black/black, red and green tops
Liverpool St Helens
red with blue sash/white/blue, red tops
yellow with red and blue sash/dark blue/yellow, blue and red tops
Manchester Central
sky blue with red and navy blue sash/white/navy blue, red tops
navy blue with red trim/navy blue/sky blue, red tops
Marine
sky blue and navy blue hoops/white/navy blue, sky blue tops
white with sky blue and dark blue chest band/dark blue/white
Northwich Victoria
green and white halves/white/green and white hoops
purple and black hoops/black/black, green tops
Red Star Mossley
green with LH red and black checked stripe/black/red
red with LH green and black checked stripe/white/green
Red Star Wrexham
red with LH green stripe/white/green, red tops
green with LH red stripe/black/red, green tops
South Liverpool
red and black stripes/black/black, red tops
white with LH red and black checked band/white/red
Spartak-Slavia
red and dark red halves/white/navy blue, red tops
green and navy blue halves/navy blue/green, navy blue tops
Stalybridge Celtic
amber with LH dark red stripe/navy blue/dark red
navy blue with LH dark red stripe/dark red/navy blue or amber
Torpedo Tranmere
white with royal blue sash/white/navy blue, royal blue tops
pink with navy blue sash/navy blue/pink