Great Yarmouth and District Football League

Great Yarmouth and District
Football League
Country England
Founded 1907
Number of teams 11
League cup(s) Wiltshire Cup
Great Yarmouth & District League Cup
Burgess Cup
Current champions Catfield
(2015–16)
Website Official Website

The Great Yarmouth and District Football League is a football competition based around Great Yarmouth in England. It was founded in 1907 and has just one division at present. The league is not part of the English football league system as it is not a feeder league within the football pyramid, but generally feeds into the bottom division of the Anglian Combination.

The league is affiliated to the Norfolk County Football Association.

History

The League was established in 1907 and has competed without a break, with the exception of the two World Wars. The heyday of the League was in the late 60's and early 70's when the League capitalised on the success of the World Cup winning England national side with five divisions and fifty teams. In contrast there are now 2 divisions with 19 teams.

You have to go back to 1907 when the first ever League competition under the auspices of the Great Yarmouth & District Football League kicked-off. Before 1907 Junior Football in Great Yarmouth was catered for by the Aldred League which was formed in 1895. It comprised ten clubs who competed for a trophy given by Mr D.Aldred. First move towards expanding the league began in July 1907, when it was proposed to form a Yarmouth and Gorleston Junior League as a second division to the Aldred League. A month later, however, it was decided to rename the Aldred League, the Yarmouth and District League. It was the grandfather of a former MP for Yarmouth Mr Anthony Fell, who donated a cup for the champions of Division One. The cup donated by Mr Aldred was given to the second division winners.[1]

The teams who took part in the very first season in Division One were: YMCA, IOGT, 2nd BNR, Tramways, Royal Naval Hospital, Teachers, Gorleston, and Yarmouth United. Division Two: Trumpeters, Albion, Empire, South Yarmouth, Pioneers, Southtown, Gorleston St. Andrews, and Post Office.[2]

The first champions of Division One were Gorleston with a 100% record and a goal average of 78–6. The following season they joined the Norfolk & Suffolk League. The Gorleston Reserve side playing as Gorleston St. Andrews won the second division title. The military and local company connections with the League are mirrored in some of the early winners – Royal Naval Hospital, Royal Artillery, Royal Garrison Athletic and the likes of Wenns, Yare Barrell Factory, Jewsons and Grouts. The new League made steady progress until the 1911/12 season, when support waned. Division One had only five teams and Division Two had eight. Efforts in 1912 however to revive interest in the game began to pay dividends and the first division membership rose to eight with nine in the second division. The First World War caused a temporary suspension of the league but it was partially revived in 1917 by the Comrades League.[3]

The league has been dominated during the course of its history by a few clubs, with first Jewsons winning three consecutive titles in the 1920s, followed by Caledonians with six titles in the 1930s. Freethorpe won the first title after the Second World War and after Caister's one and only title in 1947/48, Freethorpe won the next five championships. Gorleston United then equalled Freethorpe five successive titles in the 1950s and won their ninth and final to date in 1963/64 having won their first title in 1927/28. Reedham were the team of the 1970s with again five successive titles, but the dominant team from 1983/84 to date has been Cobholm. They had only won two successive titles but on three occasions including season 1999/2000 record breaking tenth title achieved with a 100% record emulating Gorleston's first ever title in 1907/08. However, Cobholm made it four in a row and twelve in total when they again won the title but unfortunately this was their last success as the team has folded in the close season. have the most consecutive title wins with 7 titles in a row and did so without losing a league fixture for seven seasons starting in the 2005/06 season [4]

Member clubs 2016–17

The league's current member clubs are as follows:

Source[5]

Divisional champions

SeasonDivision One ChampionsDivision Two ChampionsDivision Three ChampionsDivision Four Champions
1907–08Gorleston Gorleston St. Andrew
1908–09Royal Naval Hospital Empire United
1909–10Royal Naval Hospital Lichfield United
1910–11Gorleston Reserves Yare Barrel Factory
1911–12Royal Artillery St James
1912–13Yare Barrel Factory St. Peters
1913–14Yare Barrel Factory St. Georges
1914–19No competition due to World War I
1919–20Wenns
1920–21Great Eastern Railway North End United
1921–22Royal Garrison Artillery Southtown United
1922–23Yarmouth Athletic St. Pauls
1923–24St. Georges Great Yarmouth Town 'A'
1924–25Jewsons Gorleston 'A'
1925–26Jewsons Grouts
1926–27Jewsons Jewsons Reserves
1927–28Gorleston United Wenns
1928–29Falcons Grouts Athletic
1929–30Caledonians Bradwell
1930–31Caledonians 4th Norfolks
1931–32Caledonians Grouts
1932–33Gorleston Reserves Gorleston Juniors
1933–34Gorleston United Burgh Castle
1934–35Caledonians Millers Norton Athletic
1935–36Caledonians Great Yarmouth Town 'A' Miller Reserves
1936–37Caledonians St. Georges Freethorpe Reserves
1937–38Millers Halvergate Shipping Company
1938–39Millers Electricity Belton
1939–46No competition due to World War II
1946–47Freethorpe Greenacre Old Boys Halvergate Reserves
1947–48Caister Potter Heigham Rollesby
1948–49Freethorpe Ravens Fleggburgh Old Priorians
1949–50Freethorpe Wanderers Upton Shrublands
1950–51Freethorpe Upton Belton Erie Resistor
1951–52Freethorpe Rollesby Cobholm Hopton
1952–53Freethorpe Gorleston 'A' Martham Matthes
1953–54Ravens Gorleston United Acle Reserves South Walsham
1954–55Gorleston United Falcons Catfield Burgh Castle
1955–56Gorleston United Burgh Castle Belton
1956–57Gorleston United Belton
1957–58Gorleston United Hopton
1958–59Gorleston United Town Hall Greenacre Old Boys
1959–60Acle Ormesby Erie Resistor
1960–61Acle Beighton United
1961–62Gorleston United Gorleston Rangers Bradwell United
1962–63Acle Birds Eye Southtown United
1963–64Gorleston United Norton Upton
1964–65Greenacre Old Boys Freethorpe Hopton
1965–66Greenacre Old Boys Bradwell Academicals
1966–67Gorleston Rangers Martham Gorleston Rangers Reserves
1967–68Potter Heigham Gorleston Rangers Reserves Jucar Youth Wanderers
1968–69Potter Heigham Burgh Castle Yarmouth Wanderers Burgh Castle Reserves
1969–70Town Hall Yarmouth Wanderers Hemsby Jucar Reserves
1970–71Reedham Ormesby Catfield Beighton
1971–72Town Hall Halvergate Beighton Gorleston 'A'
1972–73Yarmouth Wanderers Burgh Castle THOSA Youth Power Station
1973–74Burgh Castle Power Station Great Yarmouth Youth & Adult Centre
1974–75Burgh Castle Hemsby Great Yarmouth Youth & Adult Centre Whitbreads
1975–76Reedham Jucar Whitbreads Shrublands Youth & Adult Centre
1976–77Reedham Whitbreads AFC Red Star Catfield Reserves
1977–78Reedham Hemsby Gorleston Grammar School Hermits
1978–79Reedham Norfolk Colts Beighton United
1979–80Reedham AFC Red Star Beighton United Potter Heigham Reserves
1980–81AFC Red Star Beighton Potter Heigham Reserves Cobholm
1981–82Power Station Development Cobholm Earl Beaconsfield
1982–83Birds Eye Cobholm Wanderers Parkside
1983–84Cobholm Rollesby Parkside SM Rangers
1984–85Cobholm Parkside ABFC Freethorpe Reserves
1985–86Parkside ABFC Magnum Owls MK United
1986–87Cobholm THOSA Scripts '84 Fleggburgh
1987–88Cobholm Scripts '84 Mautby Kennels Frans Maas
1988–89THOSA Bradwell Frans Maas Caister North End Reserves
1989–90THOSA Gallon Pot Salisbury Arms Cyprus
1990–91THOSA Southtown Wanderers Anson Tigers Great Yarmouth Cargo Handling
1991–92Cobholm Caister Athletic Hickling Gorleston 'A'
1992–93Halvergate United Martham GC Tigers Reserves Two Bears
1993–94Cobholm GC Tigers Frans Maas '92
1994–95Cobholm Ormesby First & Last Two Bears Cobholm Reserves
1995–96THOSA Frans Maas '92 Shrublands Ormesby Grange
1996–97Cobholm Cobholm Reserves Crown Yarmouth Wanderers
1997–98Ormesby Crown Veterans Yarmouth Wanderers Caister United 'B'
1998–99Cobholm Yarmouth Wanderers Catfield Fastolfe Arms
1999–2000Cobholm California Tavern Fastolfe Arms Schlumberger
2000–01Cobholm Sports United Town Hall Grampian Freight
2001–02Cobholm Camden Tavern Prince
2002–03MK United Prince Arches
2003–04MK United Arches Gorleston Albion Rovers
2004–05Freethorpe Bohemians Gorleston Rangers
2005–06Catfield MK United Reserves Archers
2006–07 Catfield North Albert Tavern

South MK United Reserves

2007–08Catfield Great Yarmouth International
2008–09Catfield Albion (Great Yarmouth)
2009–10Catfield Bohemians
2010–11Catfield Belton
2011–12Catfield Haven Bridge United
2012–13Haven Bridge United Wanderers
2013–14Catfield Prostar Windows
2014–15Catfield
2015–16Catfield

Source[6][7]

References

  1. ↑ "Great Yarmouth and District Football League – History". Retrieved 2011-07-05.
  2. ↑ "Great Yarmouth and District Football League – History". Retrieved 2011-07-05.
  3. ↑ "Great Yarmouth and District Football League – History". Retrieved 2011-07-05.
  4. ↑ "Great Yarmouth and District Football League – History". Retrieved 2011-07-05.
  5. ↑ "Great Yarmouth and District Football League – Full-Time Website". Retrieved 27 June 2016.
  6. ↑ "Great Yarmouth and District Football League – Division Winners". Retrieved 2011-07-06.
  7. ↑ "Great Yarmouth and District Football League". Retrieved 27 June 2016.

External links

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