 | |
| Founded | 1896 |
|---|---|
| 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 | Henley Athletic (Senior Division) (2022–23) |
| Website | suffolkandipswichleague.co.uk |
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]
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:
- 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
- 1899–1900 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
- 1999–2000 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 Henley Athletic
- 2022–23 Henley Athletic
2022–23 members
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’
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
- 1999–2000 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