Suffolk and Ipswich Football League
The Suffolk and Ipswich Football League is a football competition based in Suffolk, England. The league has a total of eight divisions; the Senior Division and Divisions 1–3 for first teams, three divisions 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 of the National League System. The league was founded in 1896 as the Ipswich & District League changing its name in 1978.
The Senior Division champions may apply for promotion to the Eastern Counties League Division One. Clubs from the league to progress up the pyramid include Whitton United, Sudbury Town, Hadleigh United, Woodbridge Town, Needham Market, Walsham-le-Willows, and Debenham LC.
The league is affiliated to the Suffolk County Football Association.
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 stating that he intended to launch a Football League for Ipswich and the surrounding area. 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
- 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
List of champions
Senior Division
- 1896–97 Stowmarket
- 1897–98 Stowmarket
- 1898–99 Woodbridge Association
- 1899–00 Stowmarket
- 1900–01 Leiston
- 1901–02 Leiston
- 1902–03 Leiston
- 1903–04 28th RGA Landguard
- 1904–05 Orwell Works
- 1905–06 Orwell Works
- 1906–07 Orwell Works
- 1907–08 Stowmarket
- 1908–09 Westbourne Mills
- 1909–10 Stowmarket
- 1910–11 Felixstowe Town
- 1911–12
- 1912–13 Stowmarket
- 1913–14 Stowmarket
- 1919–20
- 1920–21 Walton United
- 1921–22 Stowmarket
- 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
- 1930–31 Stoke Institute
- 1931–32 RAF Martlesham
- 1932–33 Orwell Works
- 1933–34 Newmarket Town
- 1934–35 Sudbury Town
- 1935–36 Orwell Works
- 1936–37 Felixstowe Town
- 1937–38 Orwell Works
- 1938–39 Orwell Works
- 1945–46 Achilles and HMS Ganges
- 1946–47 Whitton United
- 1947–48 Whitton United
- 1948–49 Achilles
- 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
- 1981–82 Westerfield United
- 1982–83 Haughley United
- 1983–84 Westerfield United
- 1984–85 Westerfield United
- 1985–86 Achilles
- 1986–87 RSSC Ransomes
- 1987–88 Achilles
- 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 Needham Market
- 1996–97 Haughley United
- 1997–98 Grundisburgh
- 1998–99 Walton United
- 1999–00 Grundisburgh
- 2000–01 Grundisburgh
- 2001–02 Walsham-le-Willows
- 2002–03 Walsham-le-Willows
- 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 Achilles
- 2014–15 Crane Sports
- 2015–16 Crane Sports
- 2016–17 Henley Athletic
- 2017–18 Achilles
- 2018–19 Crane Sports
2017–18 members
Senior Division
| Bildeston Rangers | Benhall St. Mary | Bramford United | Capel Plough | Coplestonians | Crane Sports F.C.| East Bergholt United | Bourne Vale United | Old Newton United | Haughley United | Henley Athletic | Leiston St. Margaret's | Trimley Red Devil's | Claydon | Westerfield UnitedDivision One
AFC Kesgrave | Bacton United 89 | Barham Athletic | Bildeston Rangers | Claydon | Ipswich Athletic | Mendlesham | Old Newton United | Sporting 87 | Stanton | Stowupland Falcons | Trimley Athletic | Trimley Red Devils | Wickham MarketDivision Two
Adastral Park | Bartons Willows | Bramford Road Old Boys | Cedars Park | Cockfield United | Coddenham Athletic | Halesworth Town | Ipswich Valley Rangers | Saxmundham Sports | Shotley | Somersham | Stonham Aspal | Tacket Street Boys Brigade Old Boys | Witnesham WaspsDivision Three
AFC YourShirts | Chantry Grasshoppers | Elmswell | Felixstowe Rangers | Kesgrave Kestrels | Needham Market Phoenix | Salvation Army | Sproughton Sports | Sproughton United | Sutton Heath Saxons | Tattingstone United | Thurston | Ufford Sports | Woolverstone UnitedLeague A
Achilles Reserves | AFC Hoxne Reserves | Bramford United Reserves | Coplestonians Reserves | Crane Sports Reserves | East Bergholt United Reserves | Framlingham Town Reserves | Henley Athletic Reserves | Ipswich Athletic Reserves | Mendlesham Reserves | Old Newton United Reserves | Sporting 87 Reserves | Wenhaston United Reserves | Westerfield United Reserves
League B
Bacton United 89 Reserves | Benhall St. Mary Reserves | Cedars Park Reserves | Claydon Reserves | Cockfield United Reserves | Coplestonians 'A' | East Bergholt United 'A' | Haughley United Reserves | Stonham Aspal Reserves | Stowupland Falcons Reserves | Trimley Athletic Reserves | Trimley Red Devils Reserves | Wickham Market Reserves
League C
AFC Kesgrave Reserves | Barnham Athletic Reserves | Caple Plough Reserves | Halesworth Town Reserves | Kesgrave Kestrels Reserves | Leiston St. Margarets Reserves | Ransomes Sports Reserves | Somersham Reserves | Sporting 87 'A' | Sproughton Sports Reserves | Stonham Aspal 'A' | Stowupland Falcons 'A' | Ufford Sports Reserves
Division Four
– teams promoted to Division 3 or League CAFC Orwell | Bacton United 'A' | Bardwell Sports | Bramford Road Old Boys Reserves | Chantry Grasshoppers Reserves | Coplestones 'B' | Elmswell Reserves | Framlingham Town 'A' | Hope Church | Saxmundham Sports Reserves | Sutton Heath Saxons Reserves | Trimley SSC | Whitton United 'A' | Wortham
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 Needham Market
- 1978–79 Woodbridge Town
- 1979–80 Needham Market
- 1980–81 Hadleigh United
- 1981–82 Hadleigh United
- 1982–83 Ransomes
- 1983–84 Westerfield United
- 1984–85 Westerfield United
- 1985–86 Haughley United
- 1986–87 Hadleigh United
- 1987–88 Achilles
- 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 Walsham-le-Willows
- 1999–00 Walsham-le-Willows
- 2000–01 Grundisburgh
- 2001–02 Walsham-le-Willows
- 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