Western Football League
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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| Countries |  England |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1892 |
| Divisions | Premier Division Division One |
| Feeder to | Southern League |
| Levels on pyramid | Level 9-10 |
| Domestic cup(s) | Les Phillips Cup |
| Current champions | Bitton (Premier Division) Larkhall Athletic (Division One) |
| Website | Official |
The Western Football League is a football league in the south west of England. The league's current main sponsor is Toolstation, so it is also known as the Toolstation League.
Recent restructuring of the English football league system has placed the two divisions, known as the Premier Division and Division One (which each consist 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 may apply for promotion to a Step 4 league, which in practice will almost certainly be the Southern League Division One South and West. Below the Western League are four local leagues covering smaller areas, the Somerset Senior League, the Wiltshire League, Gloucestershire County League and the South West Peninsula League Premier Division, which feeds directly into the Western League Premier Division.
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[edit] List of current clubs
- Premier Division:
Barnstaple Town | Bideford | Bishop Sutton | Bitton | Brislington | Bristol Manor Farm | Calne Town | Corsham Town | Dawlish Town | Hallen | Ilfracombe Town | Larkhall Athletic | Longwell Green Sports | Melksham Town | Radstock Town | Sherborne Town | Street | Wellington | Welton Rovers | Willand Rovers |
- First Division:
Almondsbury | Bradford Town | Bridport | Cadbury Heath | Chard Town | Clevedon United | Devizes Town | Elmore | Gillingham Town | Hengrove Athletic | Keynsham Town | Minehead | Odd Down | Oldland Abbotonians | Portishead Town | Roman Glass St George | Shepton Mallet | Shrewton United | Wells City | Westbury United |
[edit] History
The league was formed in 1892 as the Bristol & District League, and became the Western League in 1895. (There is also a Bristol & District League today, but this is a feeder league to the Gloucestershire County 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 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. Neither of the former clubs are current members of the Western League, as both have since progressed to the Southern League.
[edit] Founder members
Bedminster | Clevedon (later Clevedon Town) | Clifton Association | Eastville Rovers (later Bristol Rovers) | Mangotsfield | St. George | Trowbridge Town | Warmley | Wells
[edit] List of champions
[edit] 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 | 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 |
| 2008 | Truro City | 1st |
| 2009 | Frome Town | 2nd |
[edit] External links
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Western League Premier Division 2009-10
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Barnstaple Town | Bideford | Bishop Sutton | Bitton | Brislington | Bristol Manor Farm | Calne Town | Corsham Town | Dawlish Town | Hallen | Ilfracombe Town | Larkhall Athletic | Longwell Green Sports | Melksham Town | Radstock Town | Sherborne Town | Street | Wellington | Welton Rovers | Willand Rovers |
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Western League Division One 2009-10
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Almondsbury | Bradford Town | Bridport | Cadbury Heath | Chard Town | Clevedon United | Devizes Town | Elmore | Gillingham Town | Hengrove Athletic | Keynsham Town | Minehead | Odd Down | Oldland Abbotonians | Portishead Town | Roman Glass St George | Shepton Mallet | Shrewton United | Wells City | Westbury United |
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