This arrangement lasted until the 1901–02 season, when the top clubs from each league resigned and formed a single new competition.

Clubs played all the teams in their own county on a home-and-away basis, results counting towards the re-formed Yorkshire and Lancashire Leagues.

They also organised inter-county fixtures on an individual basis; all results were collated into a single table for the Championship.

This lasted only two years, and in the 1964–65 season they returned to one large division subdivided into county leagues.

The play-offs were expanded to the top 16 teams and the Harry Sunderland Trophy was introduced as the man-of-the-match award for the decider.