Bristol and Avon League
Encyclopedia
The Bristol and Avon League is a football
competition based in England
. In July 2011 the league expanded to two divisions, the Premier Division and Division One. It sits at levels 21 and 22 of the English football league system
, making it one of the lowest level leagues in the football pyramid. It is a feeder to the Bristol and District League
and is affiliated to the Somerset County FA and Gloucestershire FA. In the 2010-11 season, FC Bristol were the league champions and have been promoted to Division 3 of the Bristol and District League
.
The halcyon days of the league took place during the 1960s when the competition was expanded to five senior divisions and three junior sections, with Bristol City and Bristol Rovers youth teams regularly among the honours. 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. There were also a few clubs from South Gloucestershire such as Henfield Youth and Pilning Athletic.
Many clubs used the Church of England League as a spring-board to move to higher levels. Clubs who later moved on included Made For Ever, Nailsea United, Totterdown United, Lockleaze CA and Shaftesbury Crusade.
The name was changed to the Bristol & Avon League in 1973 and among the teams who have since progressed to higher levels through the pyramid system are Stockwood Green, Brislington Cricketers, Hartcliffe and CTK Southside.
A careful appraisal of the league records indicates that no less than one former and three 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 F.C.
played in the Bristol & Avon League.
Many local referees started their careers in the league, including Steve Dunn
, who went on to officiate in the Premiership
and was in charge of an FA Cup final
at the Millennium Stadium
.
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.
The league's centenary dinner was held on 29 October 2010 at which Norman Hunter was the guest speaker.
Source:
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
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
competition based in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. In July 2011 the league expanded to two divisions, the Premier Division and Division One. It sits at levels 21 and 22 of the English football league system
English football league system
The English football league system, also known as the football pyramid, is a series of interconnected leagues for association football clubs in England, with six teams from Wales also competing...
, making it one of the lowest level leagues in the football pyramid. It is a feeder to the Bristol and District League
Bristol and District League
The Bristol and District League is a football competition based in Bristol, England. The top division in this league, which is the Senior Division, sits at level 14 of the English football league system and is a feeder to the Bristol Premier Combination. This league has a total of seven divisions. ...
and is affiliated to the Somerset County FA and Gloucestershire FA. In the 2010-11 season, FC Bristol were the league champions and have been promoted to Division 3 of the Bristol and District League
Bristol and District League
The Bristol and District League is a football competition based in Bristol, England. The top division in this league, which is the Senior Division, sits at level 14 of the English football league system and is a feeder to the Bristol Premier Combination. This league has a total of seven divisions. ...
.
History
The competition was launched as the Bristol Church of England Association Football League in the 1910/11 season when Simons were the Division 1 champions, St Werburghs topped Division 2 and St Marks took the Division 3 title.The halcyon days of the league took place during the 1960s when the competition was expanded to five senior divisions and three junior sections, with Bristol City and Bristol Rovers youth teams regularly among the honours. 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. There were also a few clubs from South Gloucestershire such as Henfield Youth and Pilning Athletic.
Many clubs used the Church of England League as a spring-board to move to higher levels. Clubs who later moved on included Made For Ever, Nailsea United, Totterdown United, Lockleaze CA and Shaftesbury Crusade.
The name was changed to the Bristol & Avon League in 1973 and among the teams who have since progressed to higher levels through the pyramid system are Stockwood Green, Brislington Cricketers, Hartcliffe and CTK Southside.
A careful appraisal of the league records indicates that no less than one former and three current Western Football League
Western Football League
The Western Football League is a football league in the south west of England, covering Bristol, Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, western Dorset, parts of Gloucestershire and Wiltshire and parts of South Wales...
sides at one time played in the Bristol Church of England League / Bristol & Avon League, namely:
- BrislingtonBrislington F.C.Brislington Football Club is an English football club based in Brislington, in Bristol. The club are currently members of the Premier Division of the Western League. Nicknamed "Briz" and newly "The Foxes", they play at Ironmould Lane...
- Bishop Sutton
- Oldland AbbotoniansOldland Abbotonians F.C.Oldland Abbotonians F.C. is a football club based in Oldland Common, near Bristol, England. In the 2006-07 season, they finished third in the Somerset County League, which is a level 11 league of the English football league system. For the 2011-12 season, they are members of the Western Football...
- the Abbotonians section of the club - Backwell United - now playing in the Somerset County League as Ashton & Backwell United.
In addition the reserve side of Longwell Green Sports F.C.
Longwell Green Sports F.C.
Longwell Green Sports F.C. is a football club based in Longwell Green, South Gloucestershire, near Bristol, England. They are currently members of the Western League Premier Division which is Step 5 of the National League System...
played in the Bristol & Avon League.
Many local referees started their careers in the league, including Steve Dunn
Steve Dunn (referee)
Stephen W. Dunn is an English former FA Premier League football referee. He was born on 24 October 1957, and hails from Gloucestershire, England.-Career:...
, who went on to officiate in the Premiership
Premiership
Premiership may refer to:* The post of Prime Minister or Premier, who is the head of government in many parliamentary systems* Premier League, England's highest-level football league competition...
and was in charge of an FA Cup final
FA Cup Final
The FA Cup Final, commonly referred to in England as just the Cup Final, is the last match in the Football Association Challenge Cup. With an official attendance of 89,826 at the 2007 FA Cup Final, it is the fourth best attended domestic club championship event in the world and the second most...
at the Millennium Stadium
Millennium Stadium
The Millennium Stadium is the national stadium of Wales, located in the capital, Cardiff. It is the home of the Wales national rugby union team and also frequently stages games of the Wales national football team, but is also host to many other large scale events, such as the Super Special Stage...
.
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.
The league's centenary dinner was held on 29 October 2010 at which Norman Hunter was the guest speaker.
Premier Division
- AFC Hartcliffe
- Amana SYC
- Bailey Sports
- Carmell United
- Cutters Friday 'A'
- De Veys Reserves
- Golden Hill Sports 'A'
- Greyfriars Athletic 'B'
- Imperial Reserves
- Iron Acton 'A'
- Real St. George
- Wanderers Reserves
Division One
- AFC Hartcliffe Reserves
- Bradley Stoke Town 'A'
- Broad Plain House 'B'
- Broadwalk Reserves
- Iron Acton 'B'
- Long Ashton 'A'
- Sea Mills 'A'
- Wessex Wanderers 'A'
Source:
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 5 senior divisions and 32 teams in the 3 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
Recent champions
| Season | Premier Division |
|---|---|
| 2003–04 | C.T.K. Southside |
| 2004–05 | Patchway United 'A' |
| 2005–06 | Backwell United Backwell United F.C. Ashton & Backwell United F.C. formed in 2010 and originally called Backwell United after merging with one of Bristol's largest youth clubs Ashton Boys FC, is a football club based in Backwell, near Bristol, Somerset, England... Colts |
| 2006–07 | Broad Walk |
| 2007–08 | Eagle House Elite |
| 2008–09 | Broad Walk Reserves |
| 2009–10 | De-Veys Reserves |
| 2010–11 | FC Bristol |