Central and South Norfolk League

Central and South Norfolk Football League
Founded 1905 (as the Norwich and District League)
Country England
Divisions 4
Number of teams 39
Level on pyramid Level 18–21
Feeder to Anglian Combination
Promotion to Anglian Combination
Division decided by Committee
League cup(s) Sound & Vision Junior League Cup
Chequered Flag Primary League Cup
Mervyn Lambert Plant Hire Pease League Cup
Birds Sport & Outdoor Benevolent Cup
Ben Smith Memorial Cup
Current champions Castle Acre Swifts
(2015–16)
Website csnleague.co.uk

The Central and South Norfolk League (currently known under the terms of a sponsorship deal as the Crown Fire Central and South Norfolk League) is a football competition based in England. It was founded in 1905 and has a total of four divisions. The top division, Division One, sits at level 18 of the English football league system. It is a feeder to the Anglian Combination.

The League provides Saturday football for the central and southern areas of Norfolk and for parts of the north Suffolk area covering some 1,500 square miles (3,900 km2) in total.[1]

The league is affiliated to the Norfolk County Football Association.

History

The League is based on the Norwich and District League which was formed just after the turn of the 20th century in 1905. The current League Championship Cup was commissioned by that League just after the end of World War I. In the years that followed, several senior clubs were in membership of the League including Bungay, Dereham, Diss, Fakenham, Holt, North Walsham, Swaffham and Wymondham. However, the emergence of the Norfolk and Suffolk League around that time led to meetings in 1935 about a possible amalgamation. In the end, the two Leagues could not agree and this led to the Norwich and District League only having five members and unable to organise a competition for season 1935/36.

The League did not reform again until after World War II when it combined with the Catton and District League to form a new Norwich and District League for season 1946/47. The new League was much stronger and started the first year of competition with 48 members. The League continued to grow in strength with four divisions and over 50 members but then started to decline in terms of members in the 1960s. The expansion of the Anglian Combination led to a further decline and by the late 1960s, the League had dropped to 3 Divisions. The 3rd Division was dropped in 1974 and, by 1976, numbers were down to less than 20. History was beginning to repeat itself.

In the following year, an Extraordinary General Meeting was held to consider what could be done to stop the rapid decline in membership. That meeting approved a change in emphasis and a new name for the League, the Norwich and South Norfolk District League. By the start of the next season, the League was down to just 12 members which marked the low point for the League. Within five years, membership was back to over 20 members and the League returned to two Divisions by 1983. During the same period, the financial strength of the League continued to grow after a period of virtual bankruptcy by the mid 1970s.

Membership continued to grow and 1993 saw the return to three Divisions with a membership of nearly 40. In 1996, discussions took place with the Dereham and District League about a possible merger and that merger took place that year in time for the 1996/97 season. The successful assimilation of the Dereham League teams led to further expansion the following season with a fourth Division being added and membership went past the 50 mark in 1998 for the first time in 40 years.

Early in 1999, the League announced a major sponsorship deal with Crown Fire Protection Ltd. of Dereham. That relationship has enabled the League to expand its activities including the launch of the innovative and popular website. The name of the company has now become synonymous with the League.

To recognise the changed geographical emphasis of the League, a Special General Meeting held in November 2001, agreed a change of name to the Central and South Norfolk League, This new name came into effect at the start of the 2002/03 season along with a new logo to depict the rural nature of the League and its association with its main sponsors.

The League now covers an area of over 1,500 square miles (3,900 km2) in central and south Norfolk and north Suffolk. Its area stretches from Melton Constable in the north to Eye in Suffolk in the south and from Methwold in the west to Acle and nearly to Beccles in the east.

During its near 110-year existence, the League has had only five secretaries. Arthur Turner was the first secretary of the League in 1905 and held that position until 1933 when he was succeeded by Mr. W. Sussams. When the League merged with the Catton and District League in 1946, Ben Smith, the secretary of the Catton League, was elected secretary and he held that position until 1959 when Don Alborough was appointed as joint secretary with him. The two held the position of joint secretaries until 1977 when John Turner was appointed secretary, a position which he still holds.

On 2 May 2005, the centenary of the founding of the Norwich and District League, the forerunner of the present League, was celebrated. As part of the celebrations of the centenary, the League played the Norfolk County F.A. Youth team at Aldiss Park, Dereham. The game ended as a 2–2 draw although the County had to rely on two late goals to peg back the League team. To mark the Centenary, every club in membership for the 2005–06 season was presented with a special commemorative set of "Centenary corner flags".

Season 2007/08 was marked by a number of important issues. At the Annual General Meeting, Hector Chambers, the League President and Chairman, was presented with a silver rose bowl to mark 50 years of service to the League. The largest number of competing clubs in the League's history (55) were constituted into four divisions with Divisions 1, 2 and 4 having a full complement of 14 in each Division. Finally, the new season marked another new development for the League in the establishment of a club support scheme. The first year's support was in the form of a new match ball for each team in membership of the League. At the end of the season, the League played its first inter-League match for many years when it entertained the North East Norfolk League and won 4–2.

In 2010, the League was recognised by the Football Association in terms of being named as runners up in the adult grass roots section of the national Respect and Fair Play awards.

Recent champions

Season Division One Champions Division Two Champions Division Three Champions Division Four Champions
1977–78 Rockland Utd. Kenninghall
1978–79 Aslacton & Gt. Moulton
1979–80 Tacolneston
1980–81 Aslacton & Gt. Moulton
1981–82 Tacolneston
1982–83 Wymondham Town A
1983–84 Lopham Utd Mulbarton Utd. Reserves
1984–85 Mulbarton Utd. Reserves Harleston Town A
1985–86 Yaxham Shropham Social Club
1986–87 Great Ellingham Athletic Toftwood Utd.
1987–88 Overland Attleborough Town A
1988–89 Dickleburgh Scole Utd. Reserves
1989–90 Overland Shropham
1990–91 Diss Town A Mulbarton Utd. A
1991–92 Diss Town A Attleborough Athletic
1992–93 Overland Ditchingham
1993–94 Watton United A Div.2A – Dereham Town A
Div.2B – Overland Reserves
1994–95 Yaxham R.L. Rangers Fakenham Town A
1995–96 Yaxham Kenninghall Swaffham Town B
1996–97 Great Ryburgh Plough and Furrow Utd. Great Ryburgh Reserves
1997–98 Yaxham Bridgham Div.3A – Hingham Athletic
Div.3B – Holy Trinity
1998–99 Yaxham Hingham Athletic West End Hepworth
1999–2000 Methwold Hythe Whissonsett Hepworth Wortham
2000–01 Hingham Athletic Ashill Morley Village Reserves Methwold Hythe Reserves
2001–02 Methwold Hythe Bircham Longham East Harling Reserves
2002–03 Yaxham Longham East Harling Redgrave Rangers
2003–04 Yaxham East Harling Redgrave Rangers Great Cressingham
2004–05 East Harling Redgrave Rangers Great Cressingham Dereham Posties
2005–06 Great Ryburgh North Elmham Dereham Posties and Shipdham Thetford Athletic
2006–07 Toftwood United Dereham Posties Thetford Athletic Cockers
2007–08 Toftwood United Thetford Athletic Bunwell Thetford Rovers Reserves
2008–09 Thetford Athletic[2] Dickleburgh Thetford Rovers Reserves Heathersett Athletic
2009–10 Dickleburgh Thetford Rovers Reserves Bradenham Wanderers Reserves Splitz United[3]
2010–11 Bridgham United Feltwell United Thurton & Ashby Diss Town 'A'
2011–12 Feltwell United Castle Acre Swifts Tugas United Litcham
2012–13 Castle Acre Swifts West End Stoke Ferry Mulbarton Wanderers 'A'
2013–14 Castle Acre Swifts Stoke Ferry North Pickenham Castle Acre Swifts Reserves
2014–15 Castle Acre Swifts Narborough Wendling Dereham Taverners
2015–16 Castle Acre Swifts Marham Wanderers Dereham Taverners Bar 33

Source:[4]

Member clubs 2015–16

Division One

  • Beetley Bees
  • Castle Acre Swifts
  • Gressenhall
  • Mulbarton Wanderers 'A'
  • Narborough
  • North Elmham
  • Shipdham
  • Tacolneston

Division Two

  • Attleborough Town 'A'
  • Bridgham United
  • Castle Acre Swifts Reserves
  • Hethersett Athletic
  • Marham Wanderers
  • Morley Village
  • Rockland United
  • Sporle
  • Tacolneston Reserves
  • Wendling

Division Three

  • Billingford
  • Colkirk
  • Dereham Taverners
  • Feltwell United Reserves
  • Longham United
  • Northwold
  • Rampant Horse
  • Swanton Morley Cockers
  • Walsingham United
  • Watton United Reserves
  • Yaxham

Division Four

  • Bar 33
  • Beetley Bees Reserves
  • Diss Greyhound
  • Gressenhall Reserves
  • Narborough Reserves
  • Necton Reserves
  • Rockland United Reserves
  • Scarning United
  • Scole United 'A'
  • Shipdham Reserves

Source:[5]

References

  1. ↑ "Crown Fire Central and South Norfolk League – Home". Central and South Norfolk League. Retrieved 2011-07-08.
  2. ↑ "Results Service – Miscellaneous Final Tables". The Non-League Paper. 31 May 2009. p. 36.
  3. ↑ "Splitz Utd – Previous League Tables". Splitz Utd. Archived from the original on 2012-03-25. Retrieved 2011-06-14.
  4. ↑ "Crown Fire Central and South Norfolk League – The Season at a glance – The Honours Board". Central and South Norfolk League. Retrieved 27 June 2016.
  5. ↑ "Crown Fire Central and South Norfolk League – Home". Central and South Norfolk League. Retrieved 2011-07-08.
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