 | |
| Founded | 1896 |
|---|---|
| First season | 1896–97 |
| Country | England |
| Divisions | Premier Championship Division 2-5 |
| Level on pyramid | Level 11 (Senior Division) |
| Feeder to | Eastern Counties League |
| Promotion to | Eastern Counties League Division One |
| Domestic cup(s) | Suffolk Senior Cup Suffolk Senior Reserve Cup Suffolk Junior Cup Suffolk Primary Cup |
| League cup(s) | Morrison Freight Cup Divisional Cup Reserve Cup |
| Current champions | Old Newton United(Senior Division) Somersham(Division One) (2025–26) |
| Website | silhq.co.uk |
TheSuffolk and Ipswich Football League is afootball competition based inSuffolk,England. The league has a total of six divisions; the Premier Division, Championship and Division 2-5. Only first teams of member clubs are permitted to play in the Premier Division and Championship. Divisions 2-5 contains teams, Reserve and 'A' teams of member clubs. Reserve teams must have one full division separating them and their first team counterpart; Reserve and 'A' teams may not be in the same division but do not require separation. Teams are arranged in to their divisions at the Annual General Meeting
The Senior Division is at step 7 (or level 11) of theNational League System. The league was founded in 1896 as the Ipswich & District League changing its name in 1978.
The Senior Division champions may apply for promotion to theEastern Counties League Division One. Clubs from the league to progress up the pyramid includeWhitton United,Sudbury Town,Hadleigh United,Woodbridge Town,Needham Market,Walsham-le-Willows,Debenham LC, andHalesworth Town.
The league is affiliated to theSuffolk County Football Association.
The Ipswich and District League was established in 1896 at the initiative of Frederick Gibbons, the secretary of St Lawrence Works.[1] Gibbons placed an advert in theEast Anglian Daily Times stating that he intended to launch a football league for Ipswich and the surrounding area.[2] The inaugural meeting on 10 September 1896 was attended by officials from 18 clubs includingBrantham Athletic,Ipswich Town andOrwell Works. Local MPDaniel Ford Goddard, who became the league's first president, promised to provide a trophy for the league, and the league commenced in October with two divisions of eight clubs.[1] Although Ipswich Town had opted not to join, several other clubs that had not attended the initial meeting did, includingFelixstowe Town,Stowmarket andWoodbridge Old St Mary's.[1]
Divisions between theAmateur Football Association (AFA) andthe Football Association (which had created a split in theSuffolk County Football Association) led to a small number of clubs leaving the league (which was affiliated to the AFA) in 1910 and setting up a rival FA Ipswich & District League.[3] More clubs left the AFA version of the league in 1911, which ran with just twelve clubs across its two divisions.[3] Although 21 clubs attended the league's annual general meeting in August 1912 and it was initially agreed to have ten clubs in Division One and eleven in Division Two, seven of the clubs elected to Division One walked out of the meeting.[3] the 1912–13 season saw ten clubs compete in the AFA version of the league and 14 in the FA version, a situation that continued in 1913–14.[3] Although the dispute between the AFA and FA were resolved in 1914, resulting in rival leagues merging to form a three-division competition, the outbreak ofWorld War I saw the league abandoned in September 1914.[3]
When the league resumed in 1919 it had grown to five divisions. Division One was renamed the Premier Division in 1950, with a new Division One created above the sectional Division Twos.[4] By 1971 the league had expanded to ten divisions.[5] In 1978 the league was renamed the Suffolk & Ipswich League and the Premier Division became the Senior Division.[6]
For the 2025-26 season, the Senior Division was renamed Premier Division and Division 1 was renamed to Championship.[7]
AFC Kesgrave | Bacton United 89 | Coplestonians |Debenham L.C. | East Bergholt United | Grundisburgh | Haughley United | Henley Athletic | Leiston St Margarets | Old Newton United | Saxmundham Sports | Sporting 87 | Stowupland Falcons | Tattingstone United | Trimley Red Devils |Whitton United | Wickham Market
Achilles |Capel Plough | Claydon | Cockfield United | Coddenham Athletic | Gipping Gnats | Kesgrave Kestrels | Kirton Athletic | Ransomes Sports | Stanton Community | Thurston | Witnesham Wasps | Woolverstone United
Bacton United 89 Reserves | Coplestonians Reserves | East Bergholt United Reserves | Elmswell Community | Framlingham Town 'A' | Halesworth Town Development | Haughley United Reserves | Henley Athletic Reserves | Occold | Samuels | Sporting 87 Reserves | Stonham Aspal | Trimley Red Devils Reserves | Wenhaston United
AFC Kesgrave Reserves | Benhall St Mary | Grundisburgh Reserves | Hadleigh United Brettsiders | Hope Church | Ipswich Exiles | Laxfield | Old Newton United | Ransomes Sports Reserves | Sporting 87 'A' | Stowupland Falcons Reserves | Whitton United Reserves
AFC Kesgrave 'A' | Bramford United | Brooks Hall Rovers | Capel Plough Reserves | Cockfield United Reserves | Coplestonians Development | Elmswell Community Reserves | Kesgrave Kestrels Reserves | Kirton Athletic Reserves | Redgrave Rangers Reserves | Saxmundham Sports Reserves | Woolverstone United Reserves
Achilles Reserves | Bacton United 89 ‘A’ | Benhall St Mary Reserves | Brooks Hall Rovers Reserves | Claydon Reserves | Coldham Hall | Kesgrave Kestrels ‘Development’ | Mendlesham | Thurston Reserves | Witnesham Wasps Reserves
| Season | Division One | Division Two | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1896–97 | Stowmarket | St Matthews | |
| 1897–98 | Stowmarket | West End Excelsiors | |
| 1898–99 | Woodbridge Old St Marys | Brantham Athletic | |
| 1899–1900 | Stowmarket | St Peters | |
| 1900–01 | Leiston | St Clements Rangers | |
| 1901–02 | Leiston | Leiston reserves | |
| 1902–03 | Leiston | Westgate Ward Liberals | |
| 1903–04 | 28th RGA Landguard | Woodbridge Town | |
| 1904–05 | Orwell Works | Westbourne Athletic | |
| 1905–06 | Orwell Works | Westbourne Mills | |
| 1906–07 | Orwell Works | Stoke Athletic | |
| 1907–08 | Stowmarket | St Clements United | |
| 1908–09 | Westbourne Mills | Woodbridge Town | |
| 1909–10 | Stowmarket | Stowmarket reserves | |
| 1910–11 | Felixstowe Town | Stowmarket reserves | |
| 1911–12 | Orwell Works | All Saints United | |
| 1912–13 | Woodbridge Town (AFA) Stowmarket (FA) | Hadleigh (AFA) G Battery RHA (FA) | |
| 1913–14 | Walton United (AFA) Stowmarket (FA) | Stoke Athletic and YMCA jointly (AFA) Brantham Athletic (FA) | |
| Season | Premier Division | Division Two A | Division Two B |
| 1919–20 | Bury United | Life Bridgade Old Boys | Stoke Athletic |
| 1920–21 | Walton United | Great Eastern Railway | Stoke Guild |
| 1921–22 | Stowmarket | St Marys Elms Old Boys | Woodbridge Comrades |
| 1922–23 | Harwich & Parkeston | Manganese Bronze | Woodbridge Comrades |
| 1923–24 | RAF Martlesham | Bramford Works | Clarkson Street Athletic |
| 1924–25 | RAF Felixstowe | HMS Ganges | Leiston St Margarets |
| 1925–26 | Walton United | Manningtree | Woodbridge Town |
| 1926–27 | HMS Ganges | St Johns | Kingsway Athletic |
| 1927–28 | HMS Ganges | Shotley Swifts | Kingsway Athletic |
| 1928–29 | Lowestoft Waveney Athletic | Ipswich Town reserves | Aldeburgh Town |
| 1929–30 | Newmarket Town | Parkeston Railway reserves | Stoke Institute |
| 1930–31 | Stoke Institute | Ipswich Town reserves | Orwell Works reserves |
| 1931–32 | RAF Martlesham | Barham House | Ipswich Town reserves |
| 1932–33 | Orwell Works | Needham Market | Ipswich Town reserves |
| 1933–34 | Newmarket Town | Hadleigh United | Ipswich Town reserves |
| 1934–35 | Sudbury Town | Parkeston Railway | Atlas |
| 1935–36 | Orwell Works | Parkeston Railway | Melton St Andrews |
| 1936–37 | Felixstowe Town | Manningtree Rovers | Wickham Market |
| 1937–38 | Orwell Works | Manningtree Rovers | Leiston |
| 1938–39 | Orwell Works | Stoke United | Melton St Andrews |
| 1945–46 | Achilles andHMS Ganges jointly | No Division Two | |
| 1946–47 | Whitton United | Needham Market | |
| 1947–48 | Whitton United | Needham Market | Bramford Road Old Boys |
| 1948–49 | Achilles | Hadleigh & District | Grundisburgh |
| 1949–50 | Waterside Works | Great Blakenham | Grundisburgh |
| Season | Premier Division | ||
| 1950–51 | Waterside Works | Grundisburgh | |
| 1951–52 | Waterside Works | Great Blakenham | |
| 1952–53 | Sudbury Town | Needham Market | |
| 1953–54 | Hadleigh United | Landseer | |
| 1954–55 | Waterside Works | RAF Martlesham | |
| 1955–56 | Waterside Works | Eastern Old Boys | |
| 1956–57 | Hadleigh United | Christchurch Athletic | |
| 1957–58 | Felixstowe Town | Orwell Works | |
| 1958–59 | Waterside Works | Ipswich Lads Club | |
| 1959–60 | Electric Supply | Grundisburgh | |
| 1960–61 | Orwell Works | Ranelagh Road Old Boys | |
| 1961–62 | Orwell Works | Ranelagh Road Old Boys | |
| 1962–63 | Waterside Works | Heath Row | |
| 1963–64 | Waterside Works | Melton United | |
| 1964–65 | Felixstowe Town | Priory Heath Old Boys | |
| 1965–66 | Whitton United | Westerfield United | |
| 1966–67 | Electric Supply | Priory Heath Old Boys | |
| 1967–68 | Whitton United | Wetheringsett | |
| 1968–69 | Electric Supply | Rushmere Athetic | |
| 1969–70 | ICI Paints | Nicholians | |
| 1970–71 | Heath Row | Woodbridge Town | |
| 1971–72 | Nicholians | Bull Motors | |
| 1972–73 | Hadleigh United | Bull Motors | |
| 1973–74 | Nicholians Locomotive | Alan Road | |
| 1974–75 | Crane Sports | Stutton | |
| 1975–76 | Nicholians | Wickham Market | |
| 1976–77 | Hadleigh United | Haughley United | |
| 1977–78 | Bull Motors | Caribbeans | |
| Season | Senior Division | Division One | |
| 1978–79 | Hadleigh United | Murrayside | |
| 1979–80 | Nicholians Locomotive | Coplestonians | |
| 1980–81 | Ransomes | Bramford Road Old Boys | |
| 1981–82 | Westerfield United | Old Newton United | |
| 1982–83 | Haughley United | Halesworth Town | |
| 1983–84 | Westerfield United | Leiston | |
| 1984–85 | Westerfield United | BT Research | |
| 1985–86 | Achilles | Murrayside | |
| 1986–87 | RSSC Ransomes | Woodbridge Town | |
| 1987–88 | Achilles | YMCA Fonnereau Athletic | |
| 1988–89 | Woodbridge Town | Halesworth Town | |
| 1989–90 | Grundisburgh | Walsham-le-Willows | |
| 1990–91 | Grundisburgh | Melton St Audrys | |
| 1991–92 | Framlingham Town | Westerfield United | |
| 1992–93 | Whitton United | Achilles | |
| 1993–94 | Grundisburgh | Nicholians | |
| 1994–95 | Whitton United | Walsham-le-Willows | |
| 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 | Cockfield United | |
| 2003–04 | East Bergholt United | AFC Debenham | |
| 2004–05 | East Bergholt United | Stonham Aspal | |
| 2005–06 | East Bergholt United | Coplestonians | |
| 2006–07 | Grundisburgh | Stonham Aspal | |
| 2007–08 | Brantham Athletic | Woodbridge Athletic | |
| 2008–09 | Grundisburgh | Old Newton United | |
| 2009–10 | Old Newton United | Haughley United | |
| 2010–11 | Grundisburgh | Leiston St Margarets | |
| 2011–12 | Woodbridge Athletic | Coplestonians | |
| 2012–13 | Ipswich Valley Rangers | Westerfield United | |
| 2013–14 | Achilles | Bramford United | |
| 2014–15 | Crane Sports | Ipswich Athletic | |
| 2015–16 | Crane Sports | Ransomes Sports | |
| 2016–17 | Henley Athletic | Benhall St Mary | |
| 2017–18 | Achilles | Claydon | |
| 2018–19 | Crane Sports | Old Newton United | |
| 2019–20 | League abandoned due to COVID-19 pandemic | ||
| 2020–21 | |||
| 2021–22 | Henley Athletic | Sporting 87 | |
| 2022–23 | Henley Athletic | Stowupland Falcons | |
| 2023–24 | Henley Athletic | Thurston | |
| 2024-25 | Old Newton United | Somersham | |
Teams from the league are entered into 4 of the County's 5 County Cup competitions.[8]
They compete against other sides that are affiliated to Suffolk FA but play in other leagues. These leagues include Cambridgeshire County, Anglian Combination, Essex & Suffolk Border, Lowerstoft & District1 and Central & South Norfolk1.
1No teams from this league enter the Senior Cup
The league also runs a league cup, known as theMorrison Freight sponsored Bob Coleman Cup (or the Morrison Freight Cup). It has previously been known as theOmnico Cup and theMcNeil League Knock–Out Cup[2]
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