Bristol and Avon Association Football League

The Bristol and Avon Association Football League is a football competition based in England. In July 2011 the league expanded to two divisions, the Premier Division and Division One, but has since contracted back to just one division.[1][2] It sits at level 20 of the English football league system,[3][4] making it one of the lowest level leagues in the football pyramid.[5] It is a feeder to the Bristol and District League and is affiliated to the Somerset County FA and Gloucestershire FA. In the 2015–16 season, Little Stoke United were the league champions.

Bristol and Avon Association Football League
Founded1910 (as the Bristol Church of England League)
CountryEngland
Divisions1
Number of teams11
Level on pyramidLevel 20
Feeder toBristol and District League
Promotion toBristol and District League
Division decided by Committee
League cup(s)Temple Colston League Cup
Jack Jenkins Memorial Trophy
Current championsLittle Stoke United
(2015–16)
Websitehttp://full-time.thefa.com/gen/Index.do?league=9848567

History

The league was founded as the Bristol Church of England Association Football League in the 1910–11 season. It had three divisions: Simons, St Werburghs and St Marks won the inaugural season's titles.[6] Among the clubs that joined the league in those early years were Avonmouth St Andrews (now known as Avonmouth)[7] and Backwell United.[8]

Former ground of Henfield Youth

In the 1960s the league had five senior and three junior divisions, in which the youth teams of local Football League clubs Bristol City and Bristol Rovers participated with success.[6] The league obviously comprised many clubs from the city of Bristol itself but there was also solid representation from North Somerset with clubs such as Norton Hill Rangers, Harptree United, Blagdon, Dundry Athletic and Congresbury.[9] There were also a few clubs from South Gloucestershire such as RWP (now known as DRG Stapleton),[10][11]Henfield Youth and Pilning Athletic.[9]

The league adopted its current name in 1973.[6]

Records[12] indicate that one former and four current Western Football League sides at one time played in the Bristol Church of England League / Bristol & Avon League, namely:

In addition the reserve side of Longwell Green Sports played in the Bristol & Avon League. Sun Life (now known as Cribbs Friends Life)[17][18] along with RWP (now known as DRG Stapleton) have progressed to the Gloucestershire County League.

Premier League and FA Cup Final referee Steve Dunn began his career in the league.[6]

The league used to hold their meetings in the old Temple Colston School in the centre of Bristol. The meetings were presided over by the late Jack Jenkins, a charismatic and forceful Chairman. Their names live on in the form of the league's cup competitions – the Jack Jenkins Memorial Cup and the Temple Colston Cup.[2]

The league's centenary dinner was held on 29 October 2010 at which Norman Hunter was the guest speaker.[19] From 2002 until 2011 the league ran only one division but it was expanded again to two divisions for the 2011–12 season.[1]

2016–17 Members
  • AFC Hartcliffe Reserves
  • Bristol fame FC
  • Dodington FC
  • Hanham Abbotonians
  • Iron Acton 'B'
  • New Wave United
  • Real Totterdown FC
  • Stanton AFC
  • South West Spartans
  • Westerleigh Sports Reserves

The 1965–66 League Constitution

The early 1960s represented a period of growth for the Bristol Church of England League with the league reaching its zenith in the 1965–66 season when the League Handbook indicates that there were 79 teams in the five senior divisions and 32 teams in the three youth divisions. The league would never again have as many as 111 teams and by the 1966–67 season the competition had already lost one of its youth divisions as the popularity of Sunday football began to increase.

The full constitution for the league, as detailed in the 1965–66 League Handbook, was as follows:

Division One

Avon Athletic |Blagdon |B.R.S.A. |Castle Green |Congresbury |Dundry Athletic |Fishponds "A" |Hanham Forest |Harptree United |Henfield Youth |Kenegal United |Lakeside Sports |Lockleaze C.A. |N.D.L.B. |Norton Hill Rangers |St. Paul's

Division Two

Badminton Road Methodist |Filwood Park |Hanham Mills |Henbury O.B. |Lockleaze C.A. Reserves |Mardon's Stoke Rangers |Nicholas Wanderers Reserves |Oldbury Court |Pilning Athletic |Redcliffe Bay |Russell Town |St. Gregory's Youth |St James |Staple Hill |Totterdown Y.M.C.A. |Waring United

Division Three

Argyle United |Arnside |Brentry Lodge |Bristol Corinthians |Downend Athletic |Eagle House |John Harveys |Knowle Methodist Y.C. |Maywood Athletic |Olveston United |Ridgeway Rovers |R.W.P. |St Bedes United |St Stephen's Youth Club |Southcliffe United |Wyndham United

Division Four

Athletico |Clevedon Sports |Kingswood Rangers |Kingswood Y.C. |Made for Ever |Nicholas Wanderers Youth |Oldbury Court Reserves |Pilning Y.C. |Ridgeway Rovers Reserves |St. Ambrose Colts |Shaftesbury Crusade |Somerdale Y.C. |Southmead Spartans |20th Century Y.C. |Warmley Tower Methodist Y.C.

Division Five

Bedminster Road |Bristol Corinthians Reserves |Bristol Spartak |Broomhill Y.C. |Gardiners |Goodneston Sports |Nailsea United "A" |Patchway Youth Club |Russell Town Reserves |St Andrew's |St James |St Mary's Stanton Drew Reserves |St Stephen's Soundwell |Stockwood Y.C. |Totterdown United |Woodcliffe Athletic

Under 18 Division

Badminton Road Methodist Y.C. |Bitton |Bristol North |Bristol Rovers Juniors |Court Rangers |Globetrotters United |Henbury O.B. |Somerdale Y.C. |Stapleton |Yate Y.M.C.A. Boys Club

Under 17 Division

Ashton Athletic |Avonmouth |Avon Villa |Clifton St. Vincent's |Hartcliffe Methodist |Henbury O.B. |Holy Cross Catholic |Holy Cross United |Knowle Teenagers |St George |St Mark's |Sneyd Park Juniors | Wrington

Under 16 Division

Avonmouth |Bristol North |Coombe Dingle |Henbury O.B. |Henfield Colts |Nailsea United |Northville Rovers |Oldbury Court |Patchway Youth Club[9]

Recent champions
Season Premier Division
2003–04C.T.K. Southside
2004–05Patchway United 'A'
2005–06Backwell United Colts
2006–07Broad Walk
2007–08Eagle House Elite
2008–09Broad Walk Reserves[20]
2009–10De-Veys Reserves
2010–11FC Bristol
2011–12AFC Hartcliffe
2012–13Stapleton
2013–14Bristol Sports
2014–15DeVeys Reserves
2015–16Little Stoke United
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References
  1. "Bristol and Avon League to run two divisions next season". Bristol Evening Post. 2 February 2010. Archived from the original on 5 May 2013. Retrieved 30 March 2012.
  2. "Bristol & Avon Association Football League - TheFA.com". Archived from the original on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 12 July 2011.
  3. "Bristol & Avon Association Football League". The FA. Archived from the original on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 12 December 2015.
  4. "Structure of The Pyramid". The Pyramid. Retrieved 13 September 2016.
  5. Roeder, Oliver. "Beneath The Premier League Stands The Great Football Pyramid Of England". Five Thirty Eight Sports. Retrieved 12 December 2015.
  6. "Ashton Gate return for former Bristol City star Hunter". Bristol Evening Post. 19 January 2010. Archived from the original on 5 May 2013. Retrieved 29 March 2012.
  7. "Avonmouth Football Club – About Us". Avonmouth Football Club. Archived from the original on 21 July 2012. Retrieved 30 March 2012.
  8. "Team of the week – Backwell United". Bristol Evening Post. 2 February 2010. Retrieved 30 March 2012.
  9. Bristol Church of England Association Football League – Official League Handbook: Season 1965–66. Bristol Church of England Association Football League. 1965.
  10. "DRG Stapleton (1962)". David Wilson Homes Gloucestershire County Football League. Archived from the original on 19 November 2012. Retrieved 30 March 2012.
  11. "History of DRG Stapleton AFC". David Wilson Homes Gloucestershire County Football League. Archived from the original on 8 August 2016. Retrieved 30 March 2012.
  12. "Toolstation Western Football League – Club Directory". Western Football League. Retrieved 30 March 2012.
  13. "Toolstation Western Football League – Brislington Football Club". Western Football League. Archived from the original on 14 June 2012. Retrieved 30 March 2012.
  14. "Toolstation Western Football League – Bishop Sutton AFC". Western Football League. Archived from the original on 19 September 2012. Retrieved 30 March 2012.
  15. "Toolstation Western Football League – Oldland Abbotonians Football Club". Western Football League. Archived from the original on 13 September 2012. Retrieved 30 March 2012.
  16. "Toolstation Western Football League – Roman Glass St. George Football Club". Western Football League. Archived from the original on 17 September 2012. Retrieved 30 March 2012.
  17. "Cribbs Friends Life Football Club (1958)". David Wilson Homes Gloucestershire County Football League. Archived from the original on 1 February 2014. Retrieved 30 March 2012.
  18. "Cribbs Friends Life Football Club History". David Wilson Homes Gloucestershire County Football League. Archived from the original on 1 February 2014. Retrieved 30 March 2012.
  19. "Bristol & Avon League looking for help to compile history – This is Bristol". Bristol Evening Post. Archived from the original on 12 September 2012. Retrieved 7 March 2011.
  20. "Results Service – Miscellaneous Final Tables". The Non-League Paper. 31 May 2009. p. 36.

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