| Countries | England |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1910 (as the Bristol Church of England League) |
| Divisions | 2 |
| Number of teams | 20 |
| Levels on pyramid | Levels 21 & 22 |
| Feeder to | Bristol and District League |
| Promotion to | Bristol and District League Division decided by Committee |
| League cup(s) | Temple Colston League Cup Jack Jenkins Memorial Trophy |
| Current champions | FC Bristol (2010-11) |
| Website | Official Website - football.mitoo Official Website - TheFA.com |
The Bristol and Avon League is a football competition based in England. In July 2011 the league expanded to two divisions, the Premier Division and Division One.[1] It sits at levels 21 and 22 of the English football league system, making it one of the lowest level leagues in the football pyramid. It is a feeder to the Bristol and District League and is affiliated to the Somerset County FA and Gloucestershire FA. In the 2010-11 season, FC Bristol were the league champions and have been promoted to Division 3 of the Bristol and District League.
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The competition was launched as the Bristol Church of England Association Football League in the 1910/11 season when Simons were the Division 1 champions, St Werburghs topped Division 2 and St Marks took the Division 3 title.[2]
The halcyon days of the league took place during the 1960s when the competition was expanded to five senior divisions and three junior sections, with Bristol City and Bristol Rovers youth teams regularly among the honours.[3] The league obviously comprised many clubs from the city of Bristol itself but there was also solid representation from North Somerset with clubs such as Norton Hill Rangers, Harptree United, Blagdon, Dundry Athletic and Congresbury. There were also a few clubs from South Gloucestershire such as Henfield Youth and Pilning Athletic.
Many clubs used the Church of England League as a spring-board to move to higher levels. Clubs who later moved on included Made For Ever, Nailsea United, Totterdown United, Lockleaze CA and Shaftesbury Crusade.
The name was changed to the Bristol & Avon League in 1973 and among the teams who have since progressed to higher levels through the pyramid system are Stockwood Green, Brislington Cricketers, Hartcliffe and CTK Southside.[4]
A careful appraisal of the league records indicates that no less than one former and three current Western Football League sides at one time played in the Bristol Church of England League / Bristol & Avon League, namely:
In addition the reserve side of Longwell Green Sports F.C. played in the Bristol & Avon League.
Many local referees started their careers in the league, including Steve Dunn, who went on to officiate in the Premiership and was in charge of an FA Cup final at the Millennium Stadium.[5]
The league used to hold their meetings in the old Temple Colston School in the centre of Bristol. The meetings were presided over by the late Jack Jenkins, a charismatic and forceful Chairman. Their names live on in the form of the league's cup competitions - the Jack Jenkins Memorial Cup and the Temple Colston Cup.[6]
The league's centenary dinner was held on 29 October 2010 at which Norman Hunter was the guest speaker.[7]
Premier Division
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Division One
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Source:[8]
The early 1960s represented a period of growth for the Bristol Church of England League with the league reaching its zenith in the 1965/66 season when the League Handbook indicates that there were 79 teams in the 5 senior divisions and 32 teams in the 3 youth divisions. The league would never again have as many as 111 teams and by the 1966/67 season the competition had already lost one of its youth divisions as the popularity of Sunday football began to increase.
The full constitution for the league, as detailed in the 1965/66 League Handbook, was as follows:
Avon Athletic |Blagdon |B.R.S.A. |Castle Green |Congresbury |Dundry Athletic |Fishponds "A" |Hanham Forest |Harptree United |Henfield Youth |Kenegal United |Lakeside Sports |Lockleaze C.A. |N.D.L.B. |Norton Hill Rangers |St. Paul's
Badminton Road Methodist |Filwood Park |Hanham Mills |Henbury O.B. |Lockleaze C.A. Reserves |Mardon's Stoke Rangers |Nicholas Wanderers Reserves |Oldbury Court |Pilning Athletic |Redcliffe Bay |Russell Town |St. Gregory's Youth |St James |Staple Hill |Totterdown Y.M.C.A. |Waring United
Argyle United |Arnside |Brentry Lodge |Bristol Corinthians |Downend Athletic |Eagle House |John Harveys |Knowle Methodist Y.C. |Maywood Athletic |Olveston United |Ridgeway Rovers |R.W.P. |St Bedes United |St Stephen's Youth Club |Southcliffe United |Wyndham United
Athletico |Clevedon Sports |Kingswood Rangers |Kingswood Y.C. |Made for Ever |Nicholas Wanderers Youth |Oldbury Court Reserves |Pilning Y.C. |Ridgeway Rovers Reserves |St. Ambrose Colts |Shaftesbury Crusade |Somerdale Y.C. |Southmead Spartans |20th Century Y.C. |Warmley Tower Methodist Y.C.
Bedminster Road |Bristol Corinthians Reserves |Bristol Spartak |Broomhill Y.C. |Gardiners |Goodneston Sports |Nailsea United "A" |Patchway Youth Club |Russell Town Reserves |St Andrew's |St James |St Mary's Stanton Drew Reserves |St Stephen's Soundwell |Stockwood Y.C. |Totterdown United |Woodcliffe Athletic
Badminton Road Methodist Y.C. |Bitton |Bristol North |Bristol Rovers Juniors |Court Rangers |Globetrotters United |Henbury O.B. |Somerdale Y.C. |Stapleton |Yate Y.M.C.A. Boys Club
Ashton Athletic |Avonmouth |Avon Villa |Clifton St. Vincent's |Hartcliffe Methodist |Henbury O.B. |Holy Cross Catholic |Holy Cross United |Knowle Teenagers |St George |St Mark's |Sneyd Park Juniors | Wrington
Avonmouth |Bristol North |Coombe Dingle |Henbury O.B. |Henfield Colts |Nailsea United |Northville Rovers |Oldbury Court |Patchway Youth Club[9]
| Season | Premier Division |
|---|---|
| 2003–04 | C.T.K. Southside |
| 2004–05 | Patchway United 'A' |
| 2005–06 | Backwell United Colts |
| 2006–07 | Broad Walk |
| 2007–08 | Eagle House Elite |
| 2008–09 | Broad Walk Reserves[10] |
| 2009–10 | De-Veys Reserves |
| 2010–11 | FC Bristol |
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