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 | Helston Athletic (Premier Division) Portishead Town (Division One) (2023–24) |
Website | Official |
Current: 2023–24 season |
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.
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.
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 |
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 |
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.
Season | Division One champions (number of titles) | Division Two champions (number of titles) |
---|---|---|
1892–93 | Warmley (1) | Division Two not active |
1893–94 | Warmley (2) | Warmley Bristol Reserves (1) |
1894–95 | Hereford Thistle (1) | Warmley Bristol Reserves (2) |
Season | Division One champions (number of titles) | Division Two champions (number of titles) |
---|---|---|
1895–96 | Warmley (3) | Barton Hill (1) |
1896–97 | Warmley (4) | Eastville Wanderers (1) |
Season | Professional Section champions (number of titles) | Amateur Division One champions (number of titles) | Amateur Division Two champions (number of titles) |
---|---|---|---|
1897–98 | Bristol City (1) | Bedminster (1) | Hanham (1) |
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 |
Forest Green Rovers Football Club is a professional association football club based in Nailsworth, Gloucestershire, England. The team competes in EFL League Two, the fourth level of the English football league system, but will play in the National League in the 2024–25 season after suffering relegation.
Clevedon Town Football Club is a semi-professional football club representing Clevedon, Somerset, England. Affiliated to the Somerset County FA, they are currently members of the Western League Premier Division and play at the Hand Stadium in Kenn.
Bristol Manor Farm Football Club is an English football club based in Bristol, England. They are currently members of the Southern League Division One South and play at The Creek. The club is affiliated to the Gloucestershire County FA.
Yate Town Football Club is a football club based in Yate, Gloucestershire, England. They are currently members of the Southern League Division One South and play at Lodge Road.
Weston-super-Mare Association Football Club is a semi-professional football club based in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, England. Nicknamed "The Seagulls", the club is affiliated to the Somerset County Football Association and are competing in the National League South, the sixth tier of English football.
Taunton Town Football Club are an English football club based in Taunton, Somerset. They compete in the National League South and play their home matches at Wordsworth Drive, which they moved into during the 1953 season. The club is affiliated to the Somerset County FA.
The Somerset County League is a football competition based in England. The Premier Division operates at step 7 of the National League System. It is a feeder to the Western League Division One and has promoted nine clubs to it since 2006 – Hengrove Athletic, Portishead Town, Radstock Town, Oldland Abbotonians, Wells City, Cheddar, Ashton & Backwell United, Nailsea & Tickenham and Middlezoy Rovers.
Odd Down Football Club is a football club based in the Odd Down area of Bath, England. They are currently members of the Western League Division One and play at the Lew Hill Memorial Ground. The club is affiliated to the Somerset County FA.
Clevedon United Football Club is a football club based in Clevedon, Somerset, England. Affiliated to the Somerset County FA, the club are currently members of the Somerset County League Premier Division and play at Coleridge Vale.
Paulton Rovers Football Club is an English football club based on Winterfield Road in the growing village of Paulton near Bristol. They were established in 1881 and currently play in the Southern Football League Division One West, the eighth tier of English Football. The club is affiliated to the Somerset County FA.
The 2008–09 Western Football League season was the 107th in the history of the Western Football League, a football competition in England. Teams were divided into two divisions; the Premier and the First.
The 2007–08 Western Football League season was the 106th in the history of the Western Football League, a football competition in England. Teams were divided into two divisions; the Premier and the First.
Cribbs Football Club is an English football club founded in 1958 and based at Cribbs Causeway, South Gloucestershire. They are currently members of Southern League Division One South and are affiliated to the Gloucestershire County FA.
The South West Women's Football League is at the fifth and sixth levels of the English women's football pyramid, with the seven other Regional Leagues – Eastern, London & SE, Southern, West Mids, East Mids, North East and North West. The South West Regional Women's Football League feeds directly into the FA Women's National League Division 1 South West, and lies above the Cornwall Women's Football League, Devon Women's Football League, Dorset Women's Football League, Gloucestershire County Womens Football League, Wiltshire FA Women's Football League and Somerset Women's Football League in the pyramid. The pyramid structure was founded in 1998.
The 2013–14 Western Football League season was the 112th in the history of the Western Football League, a football competition in England. Teams were divided into two divisions; the Premier and the First.
The 2015–16 Western Football League season is the 114th in the history of the Western Football League, a football competition in England. Teams are divided into two divisions; the Premier and the First. The league's constitution was announced on 11 June 2015.
The 2016–17 Western Football League season was the 115th in the history of the Western Football League, a football competition in England. Teams were divided into two divisions; the Premier and the First.
The 2021–22 Western Football League season was the 120th in the history of the Western Football League, a football competition in England. Teams were divided into two divisions; the Premier and the First.
The 2022–23 Western Football League season was the 121st in the history of the Western Football League, a football competition in England. Teams were divided into two divisions; the Premier and the First.
The 2023–24 Western Football League season was the 122nd in the history of the Western Football League, a football competition in England. Teams are divided into two divisions; the Premier and the First.