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.[1]
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| Founded | 1896 |
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| First season | 1896–97 |
| Country | England |
| Divisions | 8 |
| Level on pyramid | Levels 11 (Senior Division) |
| Feeder to | Eastern Counties League |
| Promotion to | Eastern Counties League Division One |
| Domestic cup(s) | Suffolk Senior Cup |
| Current champions | Crane Sports (Senior Division) (2018–19) |
| Website | suffolkandipswichleague.co.uk |
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
The league was established in 1896 at the initiative of F C H Gibbons. 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] A meeting on 10 September 1896 was attended by officials from 18 clubs:
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The league started in October that year, but without Ipswich Town.[2] The top division was known as Division One until 1950, when it became the Premier Division. It was re–named Senior Division in 1978.
Senior Division
- 1896–97 Stowmarket
- 1897–98 Stowmarket
- 1898–99 Woodbridge Association
- 1899–00 Stowmarket
- 1900–01 Leiston
- 1901–02 Leiston
- 1902–03 Leiston
- 1903–04 28th RGA Landguard
- 1904–05 Orwell Works
- 1905–06 Orwell Works
- 1906–07 Orwell Works
- 1907–08 Stowmarket
- 1908–09 Westbourne Mills
- 1909–10 Stowmarket
- 1910–11 Felixstowe Town
- 1911–12
- 1912–13 Stowmarket
- 1913–14 Stowmarket
- 1919–20
- 1920–21 Walton United
- 1921–22 Stowmarket
- 1922–23 Harwich & Parkeston
- 1923–24 RAF Martlesham
- 1924–25 RAF Felixstowe
- 1925–26 Walton United
- 1926–27 HMS Ganges
- 1927–28 HMS Ganges
- 1928–29 Lowestoft Waveney Athletic
- 1929–30 Newmarket Town
- 1930–31 Stoke Institute
- 1931–32 RAF Martlesham
- 1932–33 Orwell Works
- 1933–34 Newmarket Town
- 1934–35 Sudbury Town
- 1935–36 Orwell Works
- 1936–37 Felixstowe Town
- 1937–38 Orwell Works
- 1938–39 Orwell Works
- 1945–46 Achilles and HMS Ganges
- 1946–47 Whitton United
- 1947–48 Whitton United
- 1948–49 Achilles
- 1949–50 Waterside Works
- 1950–51 Waterside Works
- 1951–52 Waterside Works
- 1952–53 Sudbury Town
- 1953–54 Hadleigh United
- 1954–55 Waterside Works
- 1955–56 Waterside Works
- 1956–57 Hadleigh United
- 1957–58 Felixstowe Town
- 1958–59 Waterside Works
- 1959–60 Electric Supply
- 1960–61 Orwell Works
- 1961–62 Orwell Works
- 1962–63 Waterside Works
- 1963–64 Waterside Works
- 1964–65 Felixstowe Town
- 1965–66 Whitton United
- 1966–67 Electric Supply
- 1967–68 Whitton United
- 1968–69 Electric Supply
- 1969–70 ICI Paints
- 1970–71 Heath Row
- 1971–72 Nicholians
- 1972–73 Hadleigh United
- 1973–74 Nicholians Locomotive
- 1974–75 Crane Sports
- 1975–76 Nicholians
- 1976–77 Hadleigh United
- 1977–78 Bull Motors
- 1978–79 Hadleigh United
- 1979–80 Nicholians Locomotive
- 1980–81 Ransomes
- 1981–82 Westerfield United
- 1982–83 Haughley United
- 1983–84 Westerfield United
- 1984–85 Westerfield United
- 1985–86 Achilles
- 1986–87 RSSC Ransomes
- 1987–88 Achilles
- 1988–89 Woodbridge Town
- 1989–90 Grundisburgh
- 1990–91 Grundisburgh
- 1991–92 Framlingham Town
- 1992–93 Whitton United
- 1993–94 Grundisburgh
- 1994–95 Whitton United
- 1995–96 Needham Market
- 1996–97 Haughley United
- 1997–98 Grundisburgh
- 1998–99 Walton United
- 1999–00 Grundisburgh
- 2000–01 Grundisburgh
- 2001–02 Walsham-le-Willows
- 2002–03 Walsham-le-Willows
- 2003–04 East Bergholt United
- 2004–05 East Bergholt United
- 2005–06 East Bergholt United
- 2006–07 Grundisburgh
- 2007–08 Brantham Athletic
- 2008–09 Grundisburgh
- 2009–10 Old Newton United
- 2010–11 Grundisburgh
- 2011–12 Woodbridge Athletic
- 2012–13 Ipswich Valley Rangers
- 2013–14 Achilles
- 2014–15 Crane Sports
- 2015–16 Crane Sports
- 2016–17 Henley Athletic
- 2017–18 Achilles
- 2018–19 Crane Sports
2021-22 members
Senior Division
Achilles | Benhall St. Mary | Bildeston Rangers | Capel Plough | Claydon | Coplestonians | East Bergholt United | Halesworth Town | Haughley United | Henley Athletic | Ipswich Vale Exiles | Leiston St Margarets | Old Newton United | Ransomes Sports | Trimley Red Devils | Westerfield United
Division One
AFC Kesgrave | Bacton United 89 | Bramford Road Old Boys | Grundisburgh | Sporting 87 | Stanton | Stowupland Falcons | Tattingstone United | Wenhaston United | Wickham Market
Division Two
Cockfield United | Elmswell | Ipswich Athletic | Kieron Athletic | Melton United | Saxmundham Sports | Somersham | Stonham Aspal | Thurston | Ufford Sports | Witnesham Wasps | Woolverstone United
Division Three
AFC Wanderers | Bardwell Sport | Bramford United | Great Blakenham Chequers | Hope Church | Kesgrave Kestrels | Laxfield | Leiston Youth | Needham Market Phoenix | Occold | Unity
League A
(for non-first teams)
AFC Kesgrave Reserves | Achilles Reserves | Bacton United 89 Reserves | Claydon Reserves | Cockfield United Reserves | Coplestonians Reserves | East Bergholt United Reserves | Haughley United Reserves | Old Newton United Reserves | Ransomes Sports Reserves | Sporting 87 Reserves | Trimley Red Devils Reserves | Wickham Market Reserves
League B
(for non-first teams)
Benhall St. Mary Reserves | Capel Plough Reserves | Claydon ‘A’ | Coplestonians ‘A’ | East Bergholt United ‘A’ | Framlingham Town ‘A’ | Grundisburgh Reserves | Halesworth Town Reserves | Kirton Athletic Reserves | Sporting 87 ‘A’ | Stowupland Falcons Reserves | Walsham Le Willows ‘A’ | Wenhaston United Reserves
League C
(for non-first teams)
AFC Kesgrave ‘A’ | Bacton United 89 ‘A’ | Bildeston Rangers Reserves | Elmswell Reserves | Ipswich Vale Exiles Reserves | Kesgrave Kestrels Reserves | Old Newton United ‘A’ | Saxmundham Sports Reserves | Somersham Reserves | Woolverstone United Reserves
Division Four
(for first and non-first teams) – teams promoted to Division 3 or League C
Debenham L.C. Reserves | Gipping Gnats | Hadleigh United Brettsiders | Kesgrave Kestrels ‘A’ | Mendlesham | Needham Market Phoenix Reserves | Samuels | Stanton Reserves | Stowupland Falcons ‘A’ | Westerfield United Reserves
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
- 1976–77 Hadleigh United
- 1977–78 Needham Market
- 1978–79 Woodbridge Town
- 1979–80 Needham Market
- 1980–81 Hadleigh United
- 1981–82 Hadleigh United
- 1982–83 Ransomes
- 1983–84 Westerfield United
- 1984–85 Westerfield United
- 1985–86 Haughley United
- 1986–87 Hadleigh United
- 1987–88 Achilles
- 1988–89 Grundisburgh
- 1989–90 Framlingham Town
- 1990–91 Grundisburgh
- 1991–92 Framlingham Town
- 1992–93 Grundisburgh
- 1993–94 Whitton United
- 1994–95 Stanton
- 1995–96 Haughley United
- 1996–97 Brantham & Stutton United
- 1997–98 Grundisburgh
- 1998–99 Walsham-le-Willows
- 1999–00 Walsham-le-Willows
- 2000–01 Grundisburgh
- 2001–02 Walsham-le-Willows
- 2002–03 Old Newton United
- 2003–04 East Bergholt United
- 2004–05 Crane Sports
- 2005–06 Ransomes Sports
- 2006–07 Melton St Audrys
- 2007–08 Grundisburgh
- 2008–09 Ransomes Sports
- 2009–10 Ransomes Sports
- 2010–11 Crane Sports
- 2011–12 Haughley United
- 2012–13 Crane Sports
- 2013–14 Grundisburgh
- 2014–15 Ipswich Athletic
- 2015–16 Achilles F.C.
- 2016–17 Benhall St Mary
- 2017–18 Crane Sports
- 2018–19 Henley Athletic
References
- KP Wood (1996). Five Score - The SIL Football Book Of The Century, p. 184. ISBN 978-0-9526272-0-3.
- League History Suffolk & Ipswich League