The Nordkreis-Liga (English: Northern district league) was the highest association football league in the German Grand Duchy of Hesse and the Prussian province of Hesse-Nassau from 1909 to 1918. The league was disbanded with the introduction of the Kreisliga Nordmain, Kreisliga Südmain and Kreisliga Hessen in 1919. History The league was formed in a move to improve the organisation of football in Southern Germany in the early 1900s. Within the structure of the Southern German football championship, four regional leagues were gradually established from 1908, these being: Ostkreis-Liga, covering Bavaria Nordkreis-Liga, covering Hesse Südkreis-Liga, covering Württemberg, Baden and Alsace Westkreis-Liga, covering the Palatinate, Lorraine and the southern Rhine Province Until then, regional leagues had existed which send their champions to the Kreis finals and, from there, the winners went on to the Southern and German championships. In 1909, the Nordkreis-Liga was established, consisting of twelve clubs and playing a home-and-away season, these clubs being: Viktoria 1894 Hanau SV Wiesbaden FSV Frankfurt FC Hanau 93 Amicitia Bockenheim Kickers Frankfurt Kickers Offenbach Viktoria Frankfurt Germania Bockenheim Britannia Frankfurt Germania Bieber Fvgg Bockenheim Viktoria 1894 Hanau, the first league champion, qualified thereby for the Southern German championship, where it came last out of four clubs. In its second year, the league operated with thirteen clubs, with the Germania 94 Frankfurt joining the league. In 1911-12, the league played with twelve clubs again, Amicitia Frankfurt having been disqualified. In 1912-13, the league was reduced to eight clubs and the Nordkreis champion, for the first time since the interception of the league, didn't come last in the Southern German finals, finishing second instead. In the last pre-First World War season, 1913–14, things remained unchanged and champions Frankfurter FV finished runners-up in Southern Germany once more. The war starting in August 1914 meant an end to the league, no championship was played in 1914-15 at all. In the following three seasons, regional leagues operated, like before 1908. A Nordkreis championship as well as a Southern German one was played, but no national title games were held. With the end of the war in November 1918, football came to a halt once more. New leagues started to operate from 1919 and in the region that previously had formed the Nordkreis, the Kreisliga Nordmain, Kreisliga Südmain and Kreisliga Hessen were formed. National success The Nordkreis was one of the weaker regions as football was concerned in this era,