Western Football League
 | |
| Founded | 1892 |
|---|---|
| Country | England |
| Other club(s) from | Wales |
| Divisions | Premier Division Division One |
| Number of teams | 40 18 (Premier Division) 22 (Division One) |
| Level on pyramid | Levels 9–10 |
| Feeder to | Southern League Division One South |
| Relegation to | Dorset Premier League Gloucestershire County League Somerset County League Wiltshire League South West Peninsula League* *Only relegated from & promoted to Premier Division |
| Domestic cup(s) | Les Phillips Cup |
| Current champions | Helston Athletic (Premier Division) Portishead Town (Division One) (2023–24) |
| Website | Official |
| Current: 2023–24 season | |
The Western Football League is a football league in South West England, covering Bristol, Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, western Dorset, parts of Gloucestershire and Wiltshire. The league's current main sponsor is Toolstation, so it is also known as the Toolstation League for sponsorship reasons.
Recent restructuring of the English football league system has placed the two divisions, known as the Premier Division and Division One (each a maximum of twenty-two clubs) at the ninth and tenth tiers overall, known as Step 5 and Step 6 of the National League System.
The champion club get promoted to a Step 4 league, which in practice will almost certainly be the Southern League Division One South. Below the Western League are four local leagues covering smaller areas, the Gloucestershire County League, the Somerset County League, the Dorset Premier League and the Wiltshire League.[1] The South West Peninsula League Premier Divisions East and West are also feeders to the Western League but due to having Step 6 status (the same level as the Western League Division One), they feed directly into the Western League Premier Division.
List of 2023–24 member clubs[edit]
 |
Premier Division[edit]
| Club | Home ground |
|---|---|
| Barnstaple Town | Mill Road |
| Bridgwater United | Fairfax Park |
| Brixham | Wall Park |
| Buckland Athletic | Homers Heath |
| Clevedon Town | Hand Stadium |
| Falmouth Town | Bickland Park |
| Helston Athletic | Kellaway Park |
| Ilfracombe Town | Marlborough Park |
| Lymington Town | The Sports Ground |
| Mangotsfield United | Cossham Street |
| Millbrook | Jenkins Park |
| Nailsea & Tickenham | Fryth Way |
| Oldland Abbotonians | Aitchison Playing Field |
| Saltash United | Kimberley Stadium |
| Shepton Mallet | The Playing Fields |
| St Blazey | Blaise Park |
| Street | The Tannery |
| Torpoint Athletic | The Mill |
| Wellington | The Playing Field |
| Welton Rovers | West Clewes |
Division One[edit]
| Club | Home ground |
|---|---|
| AEK Boco | Greenbank Road Playing Fields |
| Bishop Sutton | Lakeview |
| Bitton | Recreation Ground |
| Bradford Town | Trowbridge Road |
| Brislington | Brislington Stadium |
| Bristol Telephones | Stockwood Lane |
| Cadbury Heath | Springfield |
| Cheddar | Bowdens Park |
| Cribbs Reserves | The Lawns |
| Gillingham Town | Woodwater Lane |
| Hallen | The Hallen Centre |
| Hengrove Athletic | Norton Lane |
| Keynsham Town | Crown Field |
| Longwell Green Sports | Longwell Green Community Stadium |
| Middlezoy Rovers | The Aerodrome |
| Odd Down | Lew Hill Memorial Ground |
| Portishead Town | Bristol Road |
| Radstock Town | The Southfields Recreation Ground |
| Shirehampton | Penpole Lane |
| Warminster Town | Weymouth Street |
| Wells City | The Athletic Ground |
| Wincanton Town | Wincanton Sports Ground |
History[edit]
The league was formed in 1892 as the Bristol & District League, and became the Western League in 1895.[2] Another Bristol & District League was later formed, which remains active at a much lower level than the Western League. In the years before World War II, many teams played in both the Southern and Western Leagues; the Western League was considered as secondary to the Southern League.
On four occasions, member clubs have lifted the FA Vase, Tiverton Town twice, Taunton Town once and most recently Truro City, who beat A.F.C. Totton in 2007[3] at the first final to be held at the new Wembley Stadium before a competition record crowd of 27,754. Truro City were the only one of the three to win the FA Vase while in Division One, while none are current members of the Western League, as all three have since progressed to the Southern League.
Founder members[edit]
- Bedminster (later merged with Bristol South End to form Bristol City)
- Clevedon (later Clevedon Town)
- Clifton Association
- Eastville Rovers (later Bristol Rovers)
- Mangotsfield
- St. George (later merged with Roman Glass F.C. to form Roman Glass St George)
- Trowbridge Town
- Warmley
- Wells
List of champions[edit]
Bristol & District League[edit]
| Season | Division One champions (number of titles) | Division Two champions (number of titles) |
|---|---|---|
| 1892–93 | Warmley (1) | Division Two not active |
| 1893–94 | Warmley (2) | Warmley Bristol Reserves (1) |
| 1894–95 | Hereford Thistle (1) | Warmley Bristol Reserves (2) |
Western Football League[edit]
| Season | Division One champions (number of titles) | Division Two champions (number of titles) |
|---|---|---|
| 1895–96 | Warmley (3) | Barton Hill (1) |
| 1896–97 | Warmley (4) | Eastville Wanderers (1) |
| Season | Professional Section champions (number of titles) | Amateur Division One champions (number of titles) | Amateur Division Two champions (number of titles) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1897–98 | Bristol City (1) | Bedminster (1) | Hanham (1) |
Teams promoted to Southern League (since 1946)[edit]
| Year | Team | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1949 | Weymouth | 3rd |
| 1957 | Poole Town | 1st |
| 1958 | Trowbridge Town | 5th |
| 1968 | Salisbury | 2nd |
| 1971 | Andover | 2nd |
| 1972 | Bideford | 1st |
| 1972 | Minehead | 2nd |
| 1972 | Dorchester Town | 7th |
| 1977 | Taunton Town | 9th |
| 1982 | Bridgwater Town | 3rd |
| 1992 | Weston-super-Mare | 1st |
| 1993 | Clevedon Town | 1st |
| 1999 | Tiverton Town | 2nd |
| 2000 | Mangotsfield United | 2nd |
| 2001 | Chippenham Town | 2nd |
| 2002 | Taunton Town | 2nd |
| 2003 | Team Bath | 1st |
| 2004 | Paulton Rovers | 2nd |
| 2007 | Bridgwater Town | 2nd |
| 2008 | Truro City | 1st |
| 2009 | Frome Town | 2nd |
| 2010 | Bideford | 1st |
| 2012 | Merthyr Town | 1st |
| 2014 | Larkhall Athletic | 1st |
| 2015 | Slimbridge | 3rd |
| 2016 | Barnstaple Town | 2nd |
| 2017 | Bristol Manor Farm | 1st |
| 2018 | Street | 1st |
| 2018 | Melksham Town | 2nd |
| 2019 | Willand Rovers | 1st |
| 2021 | Plymouth Parkway | 1st |
| 2022 | Tavistock | 1st |
| 2022 | Exmouth Town | 2nd |
| 2023 | Mousehole | 1st |
References[edit]
- ^ Houlihan, Owen (24 May 2013). "FOOTBALL: Chippenham Park to join Toolstation League". Gazette and Herald. Wiltshire. Archived from the original on 28 June 2013. Retrieved 31 July 2013.
- ^ Bristol and District Football League (1892). Bristol & District Football League, Established 1892. [Rules, with Fixtures and List of Clubs.].
- ^ "Truro storm back to lift FA Vase". 13 May 2007. Retrieved 30 June 2022.
External links[edit]
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