'Home' and Change Colours 2015-16 #31: South Liverpool Red Star

Known as Red Star from the beginning of last season, South Liverpool were founder members of the Football Alliance First Division (second level) in 1980-81, winning promotion to the Championship that season with a final second-placed finish, although their stay in the top flight was brief, for what has proved the one and only season in their history to date, as they suffered an immediate relegation, thereafter spending their time shuttling between the second and fourth tiers.

'Home' and Change Colours 2015-16 #30: Sheffield Wednesday

Sheffield Wednesday were original members of the Football Alliance in 1980, inaugural winners of the Second Division (third level) and rising to the Championship in 1987.
In 1989, they were crowned champions, following this honour with further league titles in 1995 and 2006 - only four clubs have won more.
Wednesday were relegated from the top flight at the conclusion of 2011-12, and have finished 6th, 4th and 4th in the second tier since, narrowly missing out on a return in each of the last two seasons in particular, when, in each case, the three teams above them have been promoted. Could 2015-16 finally be their year?

'Home' and Change Colours 2015-16 #29: Newcastle-Gateshead Dynamo

Formed during this summer from a merger between Gateshead Dynamo and Newcastle United, the latter of whom were relegated from the Second Division at the end of last season, having been controversially elected, as a then fourth tier club, to the new two-division national league structure.

Newcastle United and Gateshead United were both original members of the Football Alliance, in the Championship and First Division respectively.

Relegated from the top flight at the end of the second season, 1981-82, Newcastle United spent 20 years out of the Championship before returning in 2002, going on to win the league in 2004 and retain their championship the following season, one of only four clubs to have successfully defended their title in the Alliance's history to date. After this period of success, they were relegated from the Championship in 2010 and the First Division in 2012.

Gateshead United, who became Dynamo for last season, had a less prominent league career, but spent a total of 8 seasons in two spells in the Championship, most notably a six-term stay from 1999 to 2005, otherwise spending their time at the second and third level.



'Home' and Change Colours 2015-16 #28: Newcastle Blue Star

Original members of the Football Alliance Second Division (third tier) in 1980-81, Newcastle Blue Star have mostly been a solid second and third level club throughout their league history, although they did achieve Championship status by winning the First Division in style in 1997-98, and followed this with a runners-up finish in their debut season in the top flight, the high point of their history. Subsequently relegated the season after, Blue Star returned to the Championship in 2006, enjoying a four-season stay on this occasion before suffering relegation, along with Newcastle United, in 2010.
Relegated again in 2012-13, Blue Star were elected to take up a place in last season's restructured Second Division despite finishing 2013-14 only a point and a place above demotion to the fourth tier, at least justifying the decision with a mid-table final position, whereas United, who were similarly the beneficiaries of this election system after having ended 2013-14 in a third tier relegation berth, finished bottom and lost their national league place.

'Home' and Change Colours 2015-16 #27: Merthyr Tydfil

 

Founder members of the Football Alliance First Division, Merthyr Tydfil finished bottom of the table at the end of that inaugural 1980-81 season and were relegated to the third tier, but subsequently revived to become the first team from Wales to achieve promotion to the Championship in 1992.

Although their stay was brief, suffering instant demotion back to the second level in 1993, and not having returned to the top flight since, Merthyr Tydfil remain one of only three Welsh clubs, with first Caernarfon Town and then Wrexham, to have played at Championship level.

Despite a ninth-placed finish in the third tier in 2013-14, Merthyr Tydfil were elected to take up a place in last season's reformed Football Alliance Second Division, finishing 15th, a mere place and point from relegation.





'Home' and Change Colours 2015-16 #26: Marxist Polytechnic

 

Newly-elected to the Football Alliance, Marxist Polytechnic are another Manchester-based club and sure to bring a philosophical dimension to the league.



'Home' and Change Colours 2015-16 #25: Manchester Newton Heath

 

Known as Harpurhey Borough until 2002, when two successive relegations had seen them decline from their league high point of six seasons' membership of the First Division (the then second tier), the club then relocated the mile or so east across Manchester to Newton Heath, by which name they subsequently became known, to begin life in the old Third Division.

Promoted as champions in 2004, Manchester Newton Heath suffered an immediate return the following season before repeating their division-winning feat in 2007-08, then climbing again to the First Division in 2011. Two top-five finishes have been followed by a couple of seasons spent struggling in the lower regions of the second level, and it will be interesting to observe whether the team can buck this most recent trend in 2015-16.