The Somerset County Football Association, also known as the Somerset FA, is the governing body of

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

in the county of Somerset. The association was formed in 1885.

History

The Somerset County Football Association was formed in 1885. There was a very small number of clubs at that time and no mandatory requirement to be affiliated. It is very different from today where there are in excess of 800 clubs which equates to probably more than 2,000 teams. The first Secretary was a Mr H J Ker Thompson of Burnham-on-Sea who resigned in 1896. At the time there was no appointed Chairman, one would be co-opted on the night of Council Meetings. Regular meeting venues were the Hare & Hounds – Shepton Mallet, The Swan Hotel –

Wells Wells most commonly refers to: * Wells, Somerset, a cathedral city in Somerset, England * Well, an excavation or structure created in the ground * Wells (name) Wells may also refer to: Places Canada *Wells, British Columbia England * Wells ...

, The Commercial Hotel –

Midsomer Norton Midsomer Norton is a town near the Mendip Hills in Bath and North East Somerset, England, south-west of Bath, north-east of Wells, north-west of Frome, west of Trowbridge and south-east of Bristol. It has a population of around 13,000. ...

, Waldegrave Arms –

Radstock Radstock is a town and civil parish on the northern slope of the Mendip Hills in Somerset, England, about south-west of Bath and north-west of Frome. It is within the area of the unitary authority of Bath and North East Somerset. The Radstoc ...

, Star Hotel – Wells and

Wells Town Hall Wells Town Hall is a municipal building in the Market Place in Wells, Somerset, England. The building, which is the headquarters of Wells City Council, is a Grade II listed building. History The first civic building in the market place, a mark ...

. An average attendance was fifteen with the bulk of clubs coming from the old mining area of North Somerset. In 1904 the then Secretary/Treasurer became the first paid official with a salary of £25.00 per annum. Charles J Lewin, who joined Council in July 1896 was appointed the Association's first Chairman in June 1904. He was a Radstock Headmaster and was also elected Somerset’s first ever member to the full Council of the

English FA The Football Association (also known as The FA) is the Sports governing body, governing body of association football in England and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Bailiwick of Guernsey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. Formed in 1863, it is the ...

and retained both positions over the period of two world-wars. As a result of age and infirmity he resigned on 6 June 1945 ending a remarkable record of service to Somerset football, covering 49 years and was awarded a gold medal in recognition of his service. A list of the County FA's key officials is provided below:

Presidents (year took office)

*H E Murray Anderson (1896) *W J Bown (1946) *Alderman E Sheldon (1949) *Rt. Hon. Viscount Alexander of Hillsborough (1950) *H M Scott MBE JP (1952) *E J King (1977) *H Angell (1977) *F P Hillier MBE JP (1997 )

Chairmen (year took office)

*C J Lewin (1904) *W J Bown (1945) *F S Carpenter (1949) *D G Cummins (1966) *A J Hobbs (1984)

Secretary (year took office)

*H J Ken Thompson (resigned 1886) *H A Sheldon (1886) *H J Cockram (1898) *Messrs Bown & Holloway (1919) *F Holloway (1945) *C A Webb (1950) *L J Webb (1964) *Mrs H Marchment (1991) *J Pike (2007)

Affiliated Leagues

Men's Saturday Leagues

* Somerset County Football League (1890) *

Bath and District Football League The Bath and North Somerset District Football League was a football competition based in England. Its single division sat at level 14 of the English football league system. It was a feeder to the Somerset County Football League and was affiliat ...

(1901) *Bristol and Avon Football League (1910) * Mid-Somerset Football League (1950) * Perry Street and District Football League (1903) *Weston-Super-Mare and District Football League (1903) *

Yeovil and District Football League The Yeovil and District Football League is a football competition based in England. It has a total of three divisions including the Yeovil and District League Premier Division which sits at level 14 of the English football league system. It i ...

(1903)

Men's Sunday Leagues

*Blackmore Vale Football League (1914) – Sunday *Bridgwater & District Sunday Football League (1966) *Frome & District Sunday Football League (1968) *Taunton & District Sunday Football League *Weston-Super-Mare Sunday Football League *Yeovil Sunday Football League (1975)

Youth Leagues

*Somerset Floodlight Youth Football League *Midsomer Norton & District Youth Football League *Taunton Youth Football League *Woodspring Junior Football League *Yeovil and District Youth Football League

Ladies Leagues

*Somerset County Women’s Football League *Somerset Girls' Football League

Affiliated Member Clubs

Among the notable clubs that are affiliated to the Somerset County FA are: * Bath City *

Bishop Sutton Bishop Sutton () is a village on the northern slopes of the Mendip Hills, within the affluent Chew Valley in Somerset. It lies east of Chew Valley Lake and north east of the Mendip Hills, approximately ten miles south of Bristol on the A368, We ...

* Brislington * Bridgwater Town *

Bristol City Bristol City Football Club is a professional football club based in Bristol, England, which compete in the , the second tier of English football. They have played their home games at Ashton Gate since moving from St John's Lane in 1904. The ...

* Bristol Manor Farm *

Chard Town Chard Town Football Club is a football club based in Chard, Somerset, England. Affiliated to the Somerset County FA, they are currently members of the and play at Dening Sports Fields. History The club was established in 1920. They became mem ...

* Clevedon Town * Glastonbury Town * Frome Town * Hengrove Athletic * Keynsham Town *

Larkhall Athletic Larkhall ( sco, Larkhauch, gd, Taigh na h-Uiseig) is a town in South Lanarkshire, Scotland, around southeast of Glasgow. It is twinned with Seclin in northern France. Larkhall sits on high ground between the River Clyde to the East and the ...

Minehead Minehead is a coastal town and civil parish in Somerset, England. It lies on the south bank of the Bristol Channel, north-west of the county town of Taunton, from the boundary with the county of Devon and in proximity of the Exmoor National P ...

Odd Down Odd Down is an area of the city of Bath, Somerset, England. A suburb of the city, Odd Down is located west and south of the city centre. The city ward population taken at the 2011 census was 5,681. A section of the Wansdyke medieval earthwork ...

* Oldland Abbotonians *

Paulton Rovers Paulton Rovers Football Club is an English football club based at the First 4 Pools Stadium on Winterfield Road in the growing village of Paulton near Bristol. They were established in 1881 and currently play in the Southern Football League Div ...

* Portishead Town * Radstock Town *

Shepton Mallet Shepton Mallet is a market town and civil parish in the Mendip District of Somerset, England, some south-west of Bath, south of Bristol and east of Wells. It had an estimated population of 10,810 in 2019. Mendip District Council is based t ...

Street A street is a public thoroughfare in a built environment. It is a public parcel of land adjoining buildings in an urban context, on which people may freely assemble, interact, and move about. A street can be as simple as a level patch of dirt, ...

* Taunton Town * Wellington * Wells City *

Welton Rovers Welton Rovers Football Club is an English, Somerset County FA non-league football club in the Western Football League Premier Division. They are currently members of the and play at West Clewes. Founded in 1887, Welton Rovers provided the opport ...

* Weston-super-Mare * Wincanton Town * Yeovil Town

County Cup Winners

References

External links

* {{County Football Association County football associations Football in Somerset Sports organizations established in 1885