Suffolk and Ipswich Football League

Association football league in England From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Suffolk and Ipswich Football League

The Suffolk and Ipswich Football League is a football competition based in Suffolk, England. The league has a total of eight divisions; the Senior Division and Divisions 1–3 for first teams, three divisions (Leagues A, B and C) for reserve teams, and Division 4, which is for open to both first teams and reserves and is subordinate to both Division 3 and League C. The Senior Division is at step 7 (or level 11) of the National League System. The league was founded in 1896 as the Ipswich & District League changing its name in 1978.

Quick Facts Founded, First season ...
Suffolk and Ipswich Football League
Thumb
Founded1896
First season1896–97
CountryEngland
Divisions8
Level on pyramidLevel 11 (Senior Division)
Feeder toEastern Counties League
Promotion toEastern Counties League
Division One
Domestic cup(s)Suffolk Senior Cup
Current championsHenley Athletic (Senior Division)
(2023–24)
Websitesilhq.co.uk
Close

The Senior Division champions may apply for promotion to the Eastern Counties League Division One. Clubs from the league to progress up the pyramid include Whitton United, Sudbury Town, Hadleigh United, Woodbridge Town, Needham Market, Walsham-le-Willows, and Debenham LC.

The league is affiliated to the Suffolk County Football Association.

History

Summarize
Perspective

The Ipswich and District League was established in 1896 at the initiative of Frederick Gibbons, the secretary of St Lawrence Works.[1] Gibbons placed an advert in the East Anglian Daily Times stating that he intended to launch a football league for Ipswich and the surrounding area.[2] The inaugural meeting on 10 September 1896 was attended by officials from 18 clubs including Brantham Athletic, Ipswich Town and Orwell Works. Local MP Daniel Ford Goddard, who became the league's first president, promised to provide a trophy for the league, and the league commenced in October with two divisions of eight clubs.[1] Although Ipswich Town had opted not to join, several other clubs that had not attended the initial meeting did, including Felixstowe Town, Stowmarket and Woodbridge Old St Mary's.[1]

Divisions between the Amateur Football Association (AFA) and the Football Association (which had created a split in the Suffolk County Football Association) led to a small number of clubs leaving the league (which was affiliated to the AFA) in 1910 and setting up a rival FA Ipswich & District League.[3] More clubs left the AFA version of the league in 1911, which ran with just twelve clubs across its two divisions.[3] Although 21 clubs attended the league's annual general meeting in August 1912 and it was initially agreed to have ten clubs in Division One and eleven in Division Two, seven of the clubs elected to Division One walked out of the meeting.[3] the 1912–13 season saw ten clubs compete in the AFA version of the league and 14 in the FA version, a situation that continued in 1913–14.[3] Although the dispute between the AFA and FA were resolved in 1914, resulting in rival leagues merging to form a three-division competition, the outbreak of World War I saw the league abandoned in September 1914.[3]

When the league resumed in 1919 it had grown to five divisions. Division One was renamed the Premier Division in 1950, with a new Division One created above the sectional Division Twos.[4] By 1971 the league had expanded to ten divisions.[5] In 1978 the league was renamed the Suffolk & Ipswich League and the Premier Division became the Senior Division.[6]

2022–23 members

Summarize
Perspective

Senior Division

Benhall St. Mary | Bildeston Rangers | Claydon | Coplestonians | East Bergholt United | Halesworth Town | Haughley United | Henley Athletic | Leiston St Margarets | Old Newton United | Ransomes Sports | Sporting 87 | Trimley Red Devils | Westerfield United | Wickham Market

Division One

Achilles | AFC Kesgrave | Bacton United 89 | Bramford Road Old Boys | Capel Plough | Cockfield United | Grundisburgh | Somersham | Stanton | Stowupland Falcons | Tattingstone United | Wenhaston United | Woolverstone United

Division Two

Bardwell Sport | Bramford United | Claydon Reserves | Coplestonians Reserves | Elmswell | Great Blakenham Chequers | Ipswich Athletic | Kesgrave Kestrels | Kirton Athletic | Saxmundham Sports | Sporting 87 Reserves | Stonham Aspal | Thurston

Division Three

AFC Kesgrave Reserves | Bacton United 89 Reserves | East Bergholt United Reserves | Halesworth Town Reserves | Haughley United Reserves | Ipswich Wanderers U23s | Laxfield | Needham Market Phoenix | Occold | Ransomes Sports Reserves | Trimley Red Devils Reserves | Wickham Market Reserves

Division Four

Capel Plough Reserves | Cockfield United Reserves | Coplestonians ‘A’ | Framlingham Town ‘A’ | Gipping Gnats | Grundisburgh Reserves | Hope Church | Kesgrave Kestrels Reserves | Old Newton United Reserves | Sporting 87 ‘A’ | Unity | Walsham Le Willows 'A'

Division Five

AFC Kesgrave ‘A’ | Benhall St. Mary Reserves | Bildeston Rangers Reserves | Coddenham Athletic | Debenham L.C. Reserves | East Bergholt United ‘A’ | Henley Athletic Reserves | Kirton Athletic Reserves | Leiston St Margarets Reserves | Stanton Reserves | Stowupland Falcons Reserves | Thurston Reserves | Wenhaston United Reserves | Woolverstone United Reserves

Division Six

Bacton United 89 ‘A’ | Capel Plough 'A' | Elmswell Reserves | Eye Saints Youth | Hadleigh United Brettsiders | Kesgrave Kestrels ‘A’ | Mendlesham | Samuels | Saxmundham Sports Reserves | Somersham Reserves | Stowupland Falcons ‘A’

List of divisional champions

More information Season, Division One ...
SeasonDivision OneDivision Two
1896–97StowmarketSt Matthews
1897–98StowmarketWest End Excelsiors
1898–99Woodbridge Old St MarysBrantham Athletic
1899–1900StowmarketSt Peters
1900–01LeistonSt Clements Rangers
1901–02LeistonLeiston reserves
1902–03LeistonWestgate Ward Liberals
1903–0428th RGA LandguardWoodbridge Town
1904–05Orwell WorksWestbourne Athletic
1905–06Orwell WorksWestbourne Mills
1906–07Orwell WorksStoke Athletic
1907–08StowmarketSt Clements United
1908–09Westbourne MillsWoodbridge Town
1909–10StowmarketStowmarket reserves
1910–11Felixstowe TownStowmarket reserves
1911–12Orwell WorksAll Saints United
1912–13Woodbridge Town (AFA)
Stowmarket (FA)
Hadleigh (AFA)
G Battery RHA (FA)
1913–14Walton United (AFA)
Stowmarket (FA)
Stoke Athletic and YMCA jointly (AFA)
Brantham Athletic (FA)
SeasonPremier DivisionDivision Two ADivision Two B
1919–20Bury UnitedLife Bridgade Old BoysStoke Athletic
1920–21Walton UnitedGreat Eastern RailwayStoke Guild
1921–22StowmarketSt Marys Elms Old BoysWoodbridge Comrades
1922–23Harwich & ParkestonManganese BronzeWoodbridge Comrades
1923–24RAF MartleshamBramford WorksClarkson Street Athletic
1924–25RAF FelixstoweHMS GangesLeiston St Margarets
1925–26Walton UnitedManningtreeWoodbridge Town
1926–27HMS GangesSt JohnsKingsway Athletic
1927–28HMS GangesShotley SwiftsKingsway Athletic
1928–29Lowestoft Waveney AthleticIpswich Town reservesAldeburgh Town
1929–30Newmarket TownParkeston Railway reservesStoke Institute
1930–31Stoke InstituteIpswich Town reservesOrwell Works reserves
1931–32RAF MartleshamBarham HouseIpswich Town reserves
1932–33Orwell WorksNeedham MarketIpswich Town reserves
1933–34Newmarket TownHadleigh UnitedIpswich Town reserves
1934–35Sudbury TownParkeston RailwayAtlas
1935–36Orwell WorksParkeston RailwayMelton St Andrews
1936–37Felixstowe TownManningtree RoversWickham Market
1937–38Orwell WorksManningtree RoversLeiston
1938–39Orwell WorksStoke UnitedMelton St Andrews
1945–46Achilles and HMS Ganges jointlyNo Division Two
1946–47Whitton UnitedNeedham Market
1947–48Whitton UnitedNeedham MarketBramford Road Old Boys
1948–49AchillesHadleigh & DistrictGrundisburgh
1949–50Waterside WorksGreat BlakenhamGrundisburgh
SeasonPremier Division
1950–51Waterside WorksGrundisburgh
1951–52Waterside WorksGreat Blakenham
1952–53Sudbury TownNeedham Market
1953–54Hadleigh UnitedLandseer
1954–55Waterside WorksRAF Martlesham
1955–56Waterside WorksEastern Old Boys
1956–57Hadleigh UnitedChristchurch Athletic
1957–58Felixstowe TownOrwell Works
1958–59Waterside WorksIpswich Lads Club
1959–60Electric SupplyGrundisburgh
1960–61Orwell WorksRanelagh Road Old Boys
1961–62Orwell WorksRanelagh Road Old Boys
1962–63Waterside WorksHeath Row
1963–64Waterside WorksMelton United
1964–65Felixstowe TownPriory Heath Old Boys
1965–66Whitton UnitedWesterfield United
1966–67Electric SupplyPriory Heath Old Boys
1967–68Whitton UnitedWetheringsett
1968–69Electric SupplyRushmere Athetic
1969–70ICI PaintsNicholians
1970–71Heath RowWoodbridge Town
1971–72NicholiansBull Motors
1972–73Hadleigh UnitedBull Motors
1973–74Nicholians LocomotiveAlan Road
1974–75Crane SportsStutton
1975–76NicholiansWickham Market
1976–77Hadleigh UnitedHaughley United
1977–78Bull MotorsCaribbeans
SeasonSenior DivisionDivision One
1978–79Hadleigh UnitedMurrayside
1979–80Nicholians LocomotiveCoplestonians
1980–81RansomesBramford Road Old Boys
1981–82Westerfield UnitedOld Newton United
1982–83Haughley UnitedHalesworth Town
1983–84Westerfield UnitedLeiston
1984–85Westerfield UnitedBT Research
1985–86AchillesMurrayside
1986–87RSSC RansomesWoodbridge Town
1987–88AchillesYMCA Fonnereau Athletic
1988–89Woodbridge TownHalesworth Town
1989–90GrundisburghWalsham-le-Willows
1990–91GrundisburghMelton St Audrys
1991–92Framlingham TownWesterfield United
1992–93Whitton UnitedAchilles
1993–94GrundisburghNicholians
1994–95Whitton UnitedWalsham-le-Willows
1995–96Needham Market
1996–97Haughley United
1997–98Grundisburgh
1998–99Walton United
1999–2000Grundisburgh
2000–01Grundisburgh
2001–02Walsham-le-Willows
2002–03Walsham-le-WillowsCockfield United
2003–04East Bergholt UnitedAFC Debenham
2004–05East Bergholt UnitedStonham Aspal
2005–06East Bergholt UnitedCoplestonians
2006–07GrundisburghStonham Aspal
2007–08Brantham AthleticWoodbridge Athletic
2008–09GrundisburghOld Newton United
2009–10Old Newton UnitedHaughley United
2010–11GrundisburghLeiston St Margarets
2011–12Woodbridge AthleticCoplestonians
2012–13Ipswich Valley RangersWesterfield United
2013–14AchillesBramford United
2014–15Crane SportsIpswich Athletic
2015–16Crane SportsRansomes Sports
2016–17Henley AthleticBenhall St Mary
2017–18AchillesClaydon
2018–19Crane SportsOld Newton United
2019–20League abandoned due to COVID-19 pandemic
2020–21
2021–22Henley AthleticSporting 87
2022–23Henley AthleticStowupland Falcons
2023–24Henley AthleticThurston
Close

League Cup

The league also runs a league cup, known as the Bob Coleman Cup. It has previously been known as the Omnico Cup and the McNeil League Knock–Out Cup/[2]

List of winners

References

Wikiwand - on

Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.