Suffolk and Ipswich Football League

Suffolk and Ipswich Football League

Country	England
Founded	1896
First season	1896–97
Divisions	9
Number of teams	122 (including 46 reserve teams and 10 'A' teams)
Level on pyramid	Levels 11–17
Feeder to	Eastern Counties League
Promotion to	Eastern Counties League Division One
Relegation to	Lowestoft & District League St Edmundsbury League
Domestic cup(s)	Suffolk Senior Cup Winners (Whitton United)
League cup(s)	Gipping Press Cup Holders Old Newton United Reserves Bob Coleman Cup Holders Grundisburgh Club Colours Cup Holders Somersham Reserves (Division 3)
Current champions	Achilles (Senior Division) (2013–14)
Website	suffolkandipswichleague.co.uk

The Suffolk and Ipswich Football League is a football competition based in Suffolk, England. The league has a total of nine divisions; the Senior Division, divisions 1–6 and two reserve divisions. 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]

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 champion club in the St. Edmundsbury Football League is able to seek promotion to the Suffolk and Ipswich League competition but to date few clubs have taken up this opportunity.

The league is affiliated to the Suffolk County FA.

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:

Brantham Athletic Churchmans Great Eastern Railway Higher Grade School Institute Rovers

Ipswich Rugby Ipswich Town Orwell Works Prettys Athletic Primitive Methodists

St Clement St Helen St Lawrence Works St Mary Stoke

St Matthew Stoke United Trinity Old Boys West End Excelsiors

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.

List of champions

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 1924–25 RAF Felixstowe 1925–26 Walton United 1926–27 1927–28 1928–29 1929–30 Newmarket Town 1930–31 1931–32 1932–33 1933–34 Newmarket Town 1934–35 Sudbury Town 1935–36 1936–37 Felixstowe Town

1937–38 1938–39 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 Members

Senior Division

Achilles | Bramford United | Capel Plough | Claydon | Crane Sports | East Bergholt United | Felixstowe Harpers United | Grundisburgh | Haughley united | Ipswich Valley Rangers | Leiston St. Margaret's | Stanton | Wenhaston United | Westerfield United | Wickham Market

Division One

Benhall St. Mary | Coplestonians | Framlingham Town | Henley Athletic | Ipswich Athletic | Ipswich Exiles | Mendlesham | Old Newton United | Parkside United | St. John's | Somersham | Sporting | Stow United | Trimley Athletic

Division Two

Adhara | AFC Hoxne | Bacton United | Bartons | Bildeston Rangers | Boxford Rovers | Cedars Park | Ransomes Sports | Salvation Army | Saxmundham Sports | Stonham Aspal | Stowupland Falcons | Trimley Red Devils

Intermediate A

Achilles Reserves | Coplestonians Reserves | Crane Sports Reserves | East Bergholt United Reserves | Felixstowe Harpers United Reserves | Grundisburgh Reserves | Ipswich Valley Rangers Reserves | Old Newton United Resevres | Wenhaston United Reserves | Westerfield United Reserves

Intermediate B

Bramford United Reserves | Capel Plough Reserves | Claydon Reserves | Haughley United Reserves | Henley Athletic Reserves | Ipswich Exiles Reserves | Mendlesham Reserves | Ransomes Sports Reserves | Sporting Reserves | Stow United Reserves | Trimley Athletic Reserves | Wickham Market Reserves

Intermediate C

AFC Hoxne Reserves | Bacton United Reserves | Benhall St. Mary Reserves | Coplestonians 'A' | Debenham LC Reserves | Framlingham Town Reserves | Ipswich Athletic Reserves | Ipswich Exiles Reserves | Ipswich Wanderers Reserves | Saxmundham Sports Reserves | Somersham Reserves | Walsham-le-Willows 'A'

Division Three

AFC Kesgrave & Willis | Barham Athletic | Bramford Road Old Boys | Cockfield United | Elmswell | Halesworth Town | Sproughton Sports | Tacket Street Boys Brigade Old Boys | Ufford Sports | Waterside | Witnesham Wasps

Division Four

Cedars Park Reserves | Cockfield United Reserves | Coddenham Athletic | East Bergholt United 'A' | Shotley | Sproughton United | Stonham Aspal Reserves | Stowupland Falcons Reserves | Tattingstone United | Trimley Red Devils Reserves | Woolverstone United

Division Five

Bildeston Rangers Reserves | Bramford Road Old Boys Reserves | Chantry Grasshoppers | Elmswell Reserves | Felixstowe Harpers United 'A' | Halesworth Town Reserves | Kesgrave Kestrels | Old Newton United 'A' | Sizewell Associates | Stowupland Falcons 'A' | Stradbroke United | Ufford Sports Reserves

Division Six

AFC Elmsett | AFC Kesgrave & Willis Reserves | AFC Titans | Bacton United 'A' | Ipswich Valley Rangers 'A' | Kesgrave Kestrels Reserves | Salvation Army Reserves | Sporting 'A' | Sproughton Sports Reserves | Stonham Aspal 'A' | Tattingstone United Reserves | Witnesham Wasps Reserves

League Cup

The league also runs a league cup, known since 1997 as the Omnico Cup for sponsorship purposes. Between 1976 and 1997 it was known as the McNeil League Knock–Out Cup, and is now known as the Bob Coleman 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

References

External links

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