Western Football League
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.
 | |
| 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 | Mousehole (Premier Division) Brislington (Division One) (2022–23) |
| Website | Official |
| Current: 2023–24 season | |
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
Premier Division
| 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
| 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
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
- 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
Bristol & District League
| Season | Division One | Division Two |
|---|---|---|
| 1892–93 | Warmley | |
| 1893–94 | Warmley | Warmley Reserves |
| 1894–95 | Hereford Thistle | Warmley Reserves |
Western Football League
| Season | Division One | Division Two |
|---|---|---|
| 1895–96 | Warmley | Barton Hill |
| 1896–97 | Warmley | Eastville Wanderers |
| Season | Professional Section | Amateur Division One | Amateur Division Two |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1897–98 | Bristol City | Bedminster | Hanham |
| Season | Division One | Division Two |
|---|---|---|
| 1898–99 | Swindon Town | Staple Hill |
| 1899–1900 | Bristol Rovers | Bristol East |
| 1900–01 | Portsmouth | Bristol East |
| 1901–02 | Portsmouth | Bristol East |
| 1902–03 | Portsmouth | Bristol Rovers Reserves |
| 1903–04 | Tottenham Hotspur | Bristol City Reserves |
| 1904–05 | Plymouth Argyle | Bristol Rovers Reserves |
| 1905–06 | Queens Park Rangers | Bristol Rovers Reserves |
| 1906–07 | West Ham United | Staple Hill |
| 1907–08 | Millwall | Bristol City Reserves |
| 1908–09 | Millwall | Bristol City Reserves |
| Season | Champions |
|---|---|
| 1909–10 | Treharris |
| 1910–11 | Bristol City Reserves |
| 1911–12 | Welton Rovers |
| 1912–13 | Bristol Rovers Reserves |
| 1913–14 | Cardiff City Reserves |
| Season | Division One | Division Two |
|---|---|---|
| 1915–19 | No competition due to World War I | |
| 1919–20 | Douglas | Frome Town |
| 1920–21 | Bristol City Reserves | Peasedown St John |
| 1921–22 | Yeovil and Petters United | Clandown |
| Season | Champions |
|---|---|
| 1922–23 | Weymouth |
| 1923–24 | Lovells Athletic |
| 1924–25 | Yeovil and Petters United |
| Season | Division One | Division Two |
|---|---|---|
| 1925–26 | Bristol City Reserves | Poole |
| 1926–27 | Bristol City Reserves | Poole Reserves |
| 1927–28 | Plymouth Argyle Reserves | Trowbridge Town |
| 1928–29 | Bristol Rovers Reserves | Bath City Reserves |
| 1929–30 | Yeovil and Petters United | Trowbridge Town |
| 1930–31 | Exeter City Reserves | Portland United |
| 1931–32 | Plymouth Argyle Reserves | Portland United |
| 1932–33 | Exeter City Reserves | Swindon Town Reserves |
| 1933–34 | Bath City | Weymouth |
| 1934–35 | Yeovil and Petters United | Swindon Town Reserves |
| 1935–36 | Bristol Rovers Reserves | Swindon Town Reserves |
| 1936–37 | Bristol Rovers Reserves | Weymouth |
| 1937–38 | Bristol City Reserves | Weymouth |
| 1938–39 | Lovells Athletic | Trowbridge Town |
| Season | Champions |
|---|---|
| 1939–40 | Trowbridge Town |
| 1941–45 | No competition due to World War II |
| 1945–46 | Bristol Rovers Reserves |
| Season | Division One | Division Two |
|---|---|---|
| 1946–47 | Trowbridge Town | Clandown |
| 1947–48 | Trowbridge Town | Salisbury |
| 1948–49 | Glastonbury | Chippenham United |
| Season | Division One | Division Two | Division Three |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1949–50 | Wells City | Barnstaple Town | Bideford Town |
| Season | Division One | Division Two |
|---|---|---|
| 1950–51 | Glastonbury | Stonehouse |
| 1951–52 | Chippenham Town | Bideford Town |
| 1952–53 | Barnstaple Town | Chippenham Town Reserves |
| 1953–54 | Weymouth Reserves | Bristol Rovers Colts |
| 1954–55 | Dorchester Town | Yeovil Town Reserves |
| 1955–56 | Trowbridge Town | Torquay United Reserves |
| 1956–57 | Poole Town | Cinderford Town |
| 1957–58 | Salisbury | Poole Town Reserves |
| 1958–59 | Yeovil Town Reserves | Bath City Reserves |
| 1959–60 | Torquay United Reserves | Welton Rovers |
Teams promoted to Southern League (since 1946)
| 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
- "FOOTBALL: Chippenham Park to join Toolstation League". Gazette and Herald. Wiltshire. 24 May 2013. 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.