The Suffolk and Ipswich Football League is a

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 ...

competition based in

Suffolk Suffolk () is a ceremonial county of England in East Anglia. It borders Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south; the North Sea lies to the east. The county town is Ipswich; other important towns include Lowes ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

. 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 National League System comprises the six levels of the English football league system immediately below the level of the English Football League. It comes under the jurisdiction of The Football Association. The National League System has a h ...

. The league was founded in 1896 as the Ipswich & District League changing its name in 1978.KP Wood (1996). ''Five Score - The SIL Football Book Of The Century'', p. 184. . The Senior Division champions may apply for promotion to the

Eastern Counties League The Eastern Counties Football League, currently known as the Thurlow Nunn League for sponsorship purposes, is an English football league at levels 9 and 10 of the English football league system. It currently contains clubs from Norfolk, Suff ...

Division One. Clubs from the league to progress up the pyramid include Whitton United, Sudbury Town, Hadleigh United, Woodbridge Town,

Needham Market Needham Market is a town in Suffolk, England. The town of Needham, Massachusetts, was named after Needham Market. History It initially grew around the wool combing industry, until the onset of the plague, which swept the town from 1663 to 1665. ...

Walsham-le-Willows Walsham le Willows is a village and civil parish in the Mid Suffolk district, in Suffolk, England, located around 3 miles (4 km) south-east of Stanton. Queen Elizabeth I granted Walsham le Willows to Nicholas Bacon, Lord Keeper of the Great ...

, and Debenham LC. The league is affiliated to the

Suffolk County Football Association The Suffolk County Football Association is the governing body for football in the county of Suffolk, England. Football in Suffolk before formation Before the formation of the Suffolk County football Association, the county lacked both a footbal ...

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 The ''East Anglian Daily Times'' is a British local newspaper for Suffolk and Essex, based in Ipswich. History The newspaper began publication on 13 October 1874, incorporating the ''Ipswich Express'', which had been published since 13 August ...

stating that he intended to launch a Football League for Ipswich and the surrounding area.League History
Suffolk & Ipswich League 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 Ipswich Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in Ipswich, Suffolk, England. They play in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. The club was founded in 1878 but did not turn profession ...

* 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

. 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 Stowmarket ( ) is a market town in Suffolk, England,OS Explorer map 211: Bury St.Edmunds and Stowmarket Scale: 1:25 000. Publisher:Ordnance Survey – Southampton A2 edition. Publishing Date:2008. on the busy A14 road (Great Britain), A14 trunk ...

*1897–98

*1898–99 Woodbridge Association *1899–00

*1900–01

Leiston Leiston ( ) is an English town in the East Suffolk non-metropolitan district of Suffolk, near Saxmundham and Aldeburgh, about from the North Sea coast, north-east of Ipswich and north-east of London. The town had a population of 5,508 at the ...

*1901–02

*1902–03

*1903–04 28th RGA Landguard *1904–05 Orwell Works *1905–06 Orwell Works *1906–07 Orwell Works *1907–08

*1908–09 Westbourne Mills *1909–10

*1910–11 Felixstowe Town *1911–12 *1912–13

*1913–14

*1919–20 *1920–21 Walton United *1921–22

*1922–23 Harwich & Parkeston *1923–24 RAF Martlesham *1924–25 RAF Felixstowe *1925–26 Walton United *1926–27 HMS Ganges *1927–28 HMS Ganges * *1929–30

Newmarket Town Newmarket Town Football Club is a football club based in Newmarket, Suffolk, England. Affiliated to the Suffolk County FA, they are currently members of the and play at Cricket Field Road. History The club was formed at a meeting at the Star ...

*1930–31 Stoke Institute *1931–32 RAF Martlesham *1932–33 Orwell Works *1933–34

*1934–35 Sudbury Town *1935–36 Orwell Works *1936–37 Felixstowe Town *1937–38 Orwell Works *1938–39 Orwell Works *1945–46

Achilles In Greek mythology, Achilles ( ) or Achilleus ( grc-gre, Ἀχιλλεύς) was a hero of the Trojan War, the greatest of all the Greek warriors, and the central character of Homer's ''Iliad''. He was the son of the Nereid Thetis and Peleus, k ...

and

HMS Ganges Two ships and a shore establishment of the Royal Navy have been named HMS ''Ganges'' after the river Ganges in India. * was a 74-gun third-rate ship of the line launched in 1782 and broken up in 1816. * was an 84-gun second rate launched in 18 ...

*1946–47 Whitton United *1947–48 Whitton United *1948–49

*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 Ransomes is the common name for the Ransomes, Sims & Jefferies an engineering business of Orwell Works, Ipswich.It may also refer to several other associated organisations or locations: *Ransome & Marles, Newark-on-Trent and their brass band *Ransom ...

*1981–82 Westerfield United *1982–83 Haughley United *1983–84 Westerfield United *1984–85 Westerfield United *1985–86

*1986–87 RSSC Ransomes *1987–88

*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

*1996–97 Haughley United *1997–98 Grundisburgh *1998–99 Walton United *1999–00 Grundisburgh *2000–01 Grundisburgh *2001–02

*2002–03

*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

*2014–15 Crane Sports *2015–16 Crane Sports *2016–17 Henley Athletic *2017–18

*2018–19 Crane Sports

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

, 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 , Claydon ‘A’ , 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' , Westerfield United Reserves

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’ , Bramford United Reserves , 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/

List of winners

*1976–77 Hadleigh United *1977–78

*1978–79 Woodbridge Town *1979–80

*1980–81 Hadleigh United *1981–82 Hadleigh United *1982–83

*1983–84 Westerfield United *1984–85 Westerfield United *1985–86 Haughley United *1986–87 Hadleigh United *1987–88

*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

*1999–00

*2000–01 Grundisburgh *2001–02

*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

References

External links

Official website
{{Men's football in England Football in Suffolk 1896 establishments in England Football leagues in England Sports leagues established in 1896